The Ghoul Pool: 2020 Deaths, Sports

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

— A —
John Andretti (age 56) - Andretti was the nephew of racing icon Mario Andretti and a racing star in his own right. He drove in NASCAR, CART, IMSA, and sports cars on the track as well as occasional forays onto drag strips. Like his uncle, cousin, and brother, John drove in the Indianapolis 500, finishing as high as 7th (1991) in a dozen starts. Andretti succumbed to colon cancer on January 30, 2020.

Johnny Antonelli (age 89) - (not to be confused with John Antonelli, killed in the helicopter crash that claimed the life of Kobe Bryant). Antonelli was a left-handed pitcher for the Braves and Giants during the late '40s and '50s. When signed by Boston in 1948, he received the then-highest ever signing bonus of $52,000. In his 13-year career, he pitched in more than 300 games, starting 268 and finishing with a respectable 126-110 record. He was a six-time All Star. Antonelli died February 28, 2020.

Pete Babando (age 94) - The Pennsylvania native played for almost 25 years, spending all or part of seven seasons in the NHL. The left-winger spent two seasons with the Bruins, part of one season with the Red Wings, and all or part of two seasons with the Blackhawks before finishing his NHL career with the Rangers. In all, he played 351 NHL games, tallying 86 goals. In the 1950 Stanley Cup finals, he scored the winning goal in the seventh game for the Red Wings. Babando died February 19, 2020.

Glenn Beckert (age 79) - Beckert spent more than a decade in the big leagues, playing second for the Cubs (1963-73) and the Padres (1974-5). He was a four-time All-Star for the Cubbies, finishing his career with a.283 career average. The light-hitting Beckert managed 22 home runs and 360 RBIs; but also led the league in fewest Ks per at bat. Beckert passed away April 12, 2020.

Ed Biles (age 88) - BIles spent more than thirty years as a football coach, starting as a hich-school assistant in 1953 and rising to the position of head coach of the Houston Oilers in the 1981-1983 seasons. He was resigned after an 0-6 start in 1983. He briefly coached indoor football teams but retired in 2006. Biles died of leukemia on April 5, 2020.

"Killer" Brooks(age 72) - Tim Brooks was an American wrestler who competed... appeared under the nickname "Killer." He began his career in the Midwest before nationalization of the sport in the 1980s, ultimately working in such circuits as the WWE, WWF, WWG, WWH, WWI... you know what we mean. Much of his career was spent in the NWA, which we thought was a rap group. Whatever. Brooks died of cancer on June 30, 2020.

Kobe Bryant (age 41) - Bryant, one of the all-time greats of the NBA, died in a private helicopter crash that also killed his 13-year-old daughter. In his 21-season career with the Lakers, Bryant was an NBA All-Star 18 times and an 11-time first-team choice. He finished his career third in all-time points, and was passed by LeBron James on the night before his death. Bryant died January 26, 2020.

Joe Bugel (age 80) - Although he did not play organized football after high school, Bugel became one of the most respected assistant coaches in professional football. He started with a small college in 1964 before becoming a Big Ten coach and moving into the pros in 1975 with the Lions. OVer the next 35 years, Bugel was an assistant with six different pro teams and the head coach of the Cardinals and Raiders in the '90s, His Redskins offenses won two Super Bowls. Bugel died June 28, 2020.

Back to top

— C —

Reche Caldwell (age 41) - The Florida native played six seasons as an NFL wide receiver, four tiwht he Chargers and one each with the Redskins and Patriots. He finished with 152 receptions and 1851 yards for eleven TDs. Caldwell died as a result of a gunshot wound in his native Tampa on June 6, 2020, allegedly during an attempted robbery.

Colby Cave (age 25) - Saskatchewan native Colby Cave played parts of two seasons in the NHL for the Bruins and Edmonton Oilers. On April 7, 2020, he suffered a brain insult due to a colloid cyst and underwent emergency surgery. He subsequently died on April 11, 2020. Cave's NHL career comprised 67 games, most with the Oilers, and accounted for 9 points on 5 goals.

Gil Coan (age 97) - Coan was a MLB player from 1946-56, spending all or part of seasons with the Senators, Orioles, White Sox, and Giants. An outfielder, Coan is best known for having played with a partially amputated thumb on his throwing hand. He shares the major leagure record for having hit two triples in the same inning. Coan died February 4, 2020.

Ashley Cooper (age 83) - Cooper was a professional tennis player from Australia who competed in the 1950s and 1960s. He collected four each singles and doubles wins in the Grand Slam Series from 1957 to 1958. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991. He died May 22, 2020.

Mike Curtis (age 77) - "Mad Dog" Curtis played linebacker for in three different NFL teams from 1965 to 1975, spending eleven seasons with the Colts where he was a first-round draft pick in 1965. He was a 4-time Pro-Bowler and the AFC Defensive Player of the Year for 1970. In 166 games he had 25 picks, returning two for TDs. Curtis died April 20, 2020

Willie Davis (age 85) - Davis played twelve seasons in the NFL. the last ten with the Green Bay Packers. As a Packer, he was on two Super Bowl winners and five NFL championship teams, and made five trips to the Pro Bowl. He was briefly a color commentator for NBC's football broadcasts, and was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1981. Davis died of kidney failure on April 15, 2020.

John DeBrito (age 51) - DeBrito was a founding member of the American MLS and a six-time member of the U. S. national soccer team in the 1990s. He played for half a dozen of the many, many, many short-lived MLS teams in the league's early days, including the New England Revolution, New York Fever, Kansas City Wizards, Dallas Burn, and Connecticut Wolves. He died March 25, 2020.

Tom Dempsey (age 73) - Dempsey was one of the last NFL place-kickers to use the "straight-on" style instead of approaching at an angle like a soccer player. His success as a kicker was probably a result of having been born without toes on his kicking foot. He held the NFL record for longest field goal for more than forty years. He finished an eleven-year career with 729 points; playing for the Saints, Eagles, Rams, Oiler, and Bills. Dempsey died of health complications exacerbated by the COVID-19 disease on April 4, 2020.

Chris Doleman (age 58) - Doleman, a defensive end, was the Minnesota Vikings' first-round draft pick in 1985, and he spent eight seasons with the team (1985-93); earning a spot in the Pro Bowl in five of those years. He spent six more years in the league, picking up two more Pro Bowl jerseys, before returning to the Vikings for his final season (1999). He finished with 150.5 sacks and 8 picks, three for TDs. He entered the NFL Hall of Fame in 2012.Doleman died of glioblastoma on January 28, 2020.

Pete Dye (age 94) - Dye and his wife, Alice Dye, were America's premiere golf course designing family. He started playing at an early age on a Ohio course built by his father. After marrying Alice, Pete embarked on his career, beginning with courses in the Indianapolis area including Crooked Stick. In all, Dye was involved in the design of more than 100 private and public courses. He may be best known for the 17th hole art Sawgrass. Dye passed away January 9, 2019, 11 months after Alice.

Back to top

— E —
Angel Echevarria (age 48) - Echevarria was an outfielder for the Rockies, Brewers, and Cubs from 1996 to 2002 before leaving to play in Japan. In 328 MLB games, he compiled a .280 batting average and drove in 90 runs. He died as a result of a fall on February 7, 2020.

Larry Eisenhauer (age 79) - Eisenhauer was a member of the AFL's Boston Patriots, playing defensive end for almost the entire 1960s (1961-69). He racked up four AFL All-Star berths, and is a member of the Patriots' 1960s Decade team. He appeared in 115 games, compiling 47.5 sacks. Eisenhauer died January 29, 2020.

Ed Farmer (age 70) - Farmer was a major-league pitcher, mainly in relief. He spent all or part of thirteen seasons in the majors, wearing nine different uniforms. His longest stints were with the Indians (1971-73) and White Sox (1979-81). He was an All-Star in 1980. After retiring, Farmer was a scout and a broadcaster for the White Sox. He died of kidney disease April 1, 2020.

Tony Fernández (age 57) Fernández, a shortstop and third baseman, spent eighteen seasons in major league baseball, seven-plus of them with the Toronto Blue Jays, for whom he played four different times. He was a five-time All-Star and a four-time Golden Glove winner, and was long considered one of the best defensive players ever at his position. Fernández passed away February 15, 2020, from kidney disease

Howard Finkel (age 69) - Finkel was the first person hired by Vince McMahon, Sr., when he began building the WWE, then known as the WWWF. He was already a ring announcer at the time, and was hired away from Madison Square Garden. Finkel remained with various versions of professional wrestling until suffering a stroke in 2019. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. Finkel died April 16, 2020, after years of ill health.

Jim Frey (age 80) - Although he never had the obligatory "cuppa coffee in the bigs" as a player, Jim Frey managed two different major league teams in the 1980s. In his first year, he piloted the Royals into the World Series, but was canned the following year. In 1984, Frey took the helm for the Cubs, where he remained until early in the 1986 season. Once again, his team won a division pennant in his first season, but lost in the NLCS. Frey passed away April 12, 2020.

Dámaso Garcia (age 63) - Garcia was briefly a member of the Dominican national soccer team before signing with the Yankees organization. He spent eleven seasons in the big leagues, most of them as a speedy second basemen for the Blue Jays. He finished his career with a.283 batting average, two All-Star berths, and 203 stolen bases. After brain surgery to remove a malignant tumor Garcia ran a basem\ball camp in the Dominican Republic. He died April 15, 2020.

Brian Glennie (age 76) - Glennie spent eleven seasons in the NHL, spending ten years as a defenseman for the Maple Leafs before finishing with the Kings. He also played on Team Canada in the 1968 olympics. Glennie was considered one of the best all-time checkers in the NHL. In 572 NHL games, he scored 114 points and amassed 614 penalty minutes. He died February 7, 2020.

Ernie Gonzalez (age 59) - Gonzalez, a native Californian, was a professional golfer who played on PGA tour during the 1980s. His one tour win was the 1986 Pensacola Open, making him only the third lefty to win a tour event. He taught in Nevada after leaving the tour. He dies of early-onset Alzheimer's disease on May 15, 2020.

Back to top

— H —

Doug Hart (age 80) - Hart, a defensive back, was cut by the St. Louis Cardinals before ever playing an NFL down. The Green Bay Packers signed him two days later, and he went on to eight seasons with the team, including three NFL championships and two Super Bowl wins. In 112 games, he had 15 picks for 436 return yards. After retirement, he was a successful businessman. Hart died January 1, 2020.

Leslie Hunter (age 77) - Hunter was on Loyola's 1963 NCAA basketball championship team, which eased his way into the pros. He was drafted by the Pistons, but immediately traded to the Baltimore Bullets, where he spent his rookie season in 1964. He joined the ABA Minnesota Muskies in 1967, and spent seven seaons in the league with Minnesota/Florida, New York, Kentucky, and Memphis. He was twice an All-Star, finishing with more than 5,000 points. Hunter died of cancer March 27, 2020.

Tarvaris Jackson (age 36) - Jackson spent ten seasons in the NFL as a backup quarterback for the Vikings, Bills, and Seahawks (twice). He played in 59 games, starting 34 of them. ABout half were in the 2011 season for the Seahawks. He finished his career with more than 7,000 passing yards and 39 TDs vs.35 picks. He left the NFL after the 2015 season. Jackson was killed in an auto accident on April 12, 2020.

Bart Johnson (age 70 - Johnson was a right-handed pitcher for the Chicago White Sox through eight seaons, amassing a 43-51 W-L record and 520 Ks. After retiring from the field, Johnson was a scout for the Sox. He passed away April 22, 2020, from Parkinson's Disease.

Justice Pain (age 41) - Christopher Wilson, known by the ring name "Justice Pain," was a wrestler in the Combat Zone and Xtreme Pro Wrestling. He was a five-time CZW heavyweight champion and a four-time CZW tag team champion. His career lasted from the 1990s to 2007. Wilson died January 24, 2020.

Back to top

— K —

Al Kaline (age 85) - "Tiger Al" spent twenty-two seasons in the big leagues, every game of them in a Detroit uniform. He was an 18-time All-Star, the 1955 AL batting champion, and a first-round inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980. He finished his career with a .297 batting average, 3,007 hits, and 399 home runs. After retiring from the field, Kaline worked as a broadcaster with his old team. He died April 6, 2020, in a Detroit suburb.

Eddie Kasko (age 88) - Kasko was a slap-hitting infielder with a strong glove who toiled for several MLB teams (Red Sox, Colt .45s-Astros, Reds, and Cardinals) in the '50s and '60. He was an All-Star while playing with the Reds in 1961, and retired with a lifetime .264 batting average and 261 RBIs. He managed the Red Sox from 1970-73, compiling a 345-295 W-L record, and is in the Sox Hall of Fame. Kasko died June 24, 2020.

Matt Keough (age 64) - Keough pitched all or part of ten seasons in the majors, the first six with the Oakland Athletics from 1977-1983. A "legacy" player, Matt was the son of outfielder Marty Keough. He started 175 of his 215 games, finishing with a 58-84 W-L record and seven shutouts with a 4.17 ERA and 590 Ks. He made the AL All-Star team in 1978. Keough passed away May 1, 2020.

Jim Kiick (age 73) - Kiick was a stalwart running back alongside Larry Csonka for the Miami Dolphins from 1968 to 1974 and later with the Broncs and Redskins, racking up 3700-plus rushing yards and more than 2300 receiving yards. He was a two-time AFL All-Star and a member of the DOlphins undefeated team in 1972-3. Kiick succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease on June 20, 2020.

Don Larsen (age 90) - Larsen's fifteen years in major league baseball found him in six different cities on seven teams. His greatest claim to fame, however, was game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, when he pitched the only no-hitter in series history, a perfect game. Larsen completed his career with an 81-91 W-L record and a 3.89 ERA. Larsen died January 1, 2020.

Bob Lazier (age 81) - Lazier was a race-car driver in the CART series, debuting as CART Rookie of the Year for 1981 after competing in Formula 5000 during the '70s. He qualified once for the Indianapolis 500, finishing 19th in 1981. Lazier, father of race car drivers Buddy and Jacques Lazier, died of COVID-19 on April 18, 2020.

Back to top

— M —
Roger Mayweather (age 58) - Mayweather was a professional boxer in the '80s and '90s, competing as a featherweight and light welterweight. Along with his brothers Floyd, Sr., and Jeff and his nephew Floyd, Jr., Mayweather was a member of an American boxing dynasty. After retiring from the ring, he trained Floyd Mayweather, Jr., helping him attain accolades as one of boxing's greats. Mayweather died March 17, 2020.

Johnny McCarthy (age 86) - McCarthy played six seasons in the NBA for such teams as Rochester / Cincinnati, St Louis, Pittsburgh, and the Celtics. His chief claim to fame is having recorded a triple-double in his first game, against the Lakers in 1960. He finished his career with 2450 points and 1184 assists. McCarthy died May 9,2020, after a fall.

Pellom McDaniels (age 52) - McDaniels played eight seasons in the NFL for the Chiefs and Falcons as a defensive end. His career path was interesting, including a period working for Proctor and Gamble as a sales representative and two seasons in the WLAF. After retiring from football, McDaniels returned to college and earned a PhD. He became a professor or African American Studies at Missouri-KC, publishing two scholarly books. McDaniels' death was announced April 19, 2020.

Mark McNamara (age 60) - McNamara was drafted out of Cal Berkeley by the 76ers, and completed eight seasons in the NBA with five different teams. The power forward's 6'-11" size also allowed him to work in film as a body double for Peter Mayhew in the role of Chewbacca. In his NBA career, he played in 278 games, scoring 980 points. McNamara died of heart failure on April 27, 2020.

Bill McPherson (age 88) - McPherson was an NFL coach, primarily of defensive lines. He held the position of defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers from 1989-93, and was with the team from 1970 until he retired in 2005, a period in which the team collected five Super Bowl wins. McPherson died March 17, 2020.

Bobby Mitchell (age 84) - Mitchell labored in the NFL for eleven seasons, seven of them with the Washington Redskins. The first African-American player on the Redskins, he was a four-time pro-bowler and five time All-Pro, a member of the Redskins Ring of Fame and the Browns Ring of Honor. After retiring from the field, he was a front-office executive for the Redskins from 1969 throuh 2002. Mitchell died April 5, 2020.

Candace Muzny (age 43) - Muzny was a one-time NASCAR driver who competed in 2011-2012. She was found dead in her home on February 17, 2020. The coroner ruled her death due to accidental drowning. Muzny had recently been in trouble with the law for allegedly attacking a Vietnamese manicurist for "not speaking English."

Back to top

— N —
Curly Neal (age 77) - Fred "Curly" Neal was a fixture in the backcourt - and forecourt- of the Harlem Globetrotters for more than twenty years, and the premier showman on a team of showmen. Neal's ballhandling skills were a feature of every 'Trotter game (or show, if you prefer). He was just the fifth member of the team to have his number retired when the honor was bestowed on number 22 in 2008. Neal died on March 26, 2020.

back to top

— O —

Bob Oliver (age 77) - Oliver broke into MLB in 1965 with a "cupppa coffee" with the Pirates, but returned to the minors until being drafted by the expansion Royals in 1969. He was the first KC player to hit a grand slam and the first to collect six hits in a 9-inning game. He went on to play for the Angels and Orioles before retiring as a Yankee in 1975. His son, Darren, was also a MLB player. The elder Oliver died April 19, 2020.

Back to top

— P —
Emmitt Peters, Jr. (age 79) - Better known as the Yukon Fox, Peters was championship dog musher. He won the third Iditarod in his first attempt in 1975 and finished in the top ten six of the next seven years, retiring after a training accident in 1986. He raced one more time in 2000 with a leased team, finishing 40th. Peters died April 2, 2020, of natural causes.

Biff Pocoroba (age 66) - Yes, his birth name was "Biff." Go figure... Podoroba spend all or part of ten seasons in the majors as a back-up catcher, all of them with the Atlanta Braves. He was an All-Star in 1978, mainly for his defensive skills. After retiring in 1984, he and two brothers operated Sausage World, a meat business in the Atlanta area. He died May 24, 2020.

Mary Pratt (age 101) - Pratt was a pitcher on three different teams in the celebrated All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, as chronicled in A League of their Own. She finished her career with a 28-51 record, including a no-hitter while pitching for Kenosha in 1944. After retiring, Pratt became a teacher. She died May 6, 2020.

Back to top

— R —

Pete Retzlaff (age 88) - "Pistol Pete" Retzlaff was a running back and receiver for eleven NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1956-1966, although he was initially a "washout" with the :ions in the 1953 draft. Retzlaff finished his career with more than 7000 receiving yards and 47 TDs, and was a five-time Pro-Bowler. The Eagles retired his number (44). He died April 10, 2020.

Henri Richard (age 84) - Forever nown as The Pocket Rocket, Henri Richard was the younger (and smaller) brother of legendary Maurice "Rocket" Richard. Henri, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame since 1979, was a nine-time All-Star and played on eleven Stanley Cup winning teams. He spent his entire 21-year career with the Canadiens, playing in 1256 games and scoring 1046 points on 358 goals and 688 points as well as 129 points in 180 playoff games. His number 16 has been retired by Montreal. Richard died March 6, 2020.

Ken Riley (age 72) - Riley spend fifteen seasons in the NFL as a cornerback, all with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was a three-time All-Pro, racking up 65 picks over the years. In the final game of the 1976 season, he collected three interceptions, including two of Joe Namath. After retiring as a player, he coached at the college level for Florida A&M. Riley died June 7, 2020.

Paul Rochester (age 81) - "Rocky" Rochester spent ten seasons in professional football, the entirety of the existence of the old AFL. The defensive tackle/end played four seasons (1960-63) for the Texans/Chiefs and the remainder of his career (1964-69) with the Jets. He was an All-Stat in 1961 and won a Super Bowl with the Jets in 1968. Rochester died June 9, 2020.

Mike Ryan (age 78) - Ryan was a light-hitting (lifetime .193) catcher who spent eleven seasons in the bigs with Boston, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. He is distinguished mainly for having the second-lowest career batting average in MLB history, hanging on on the strength of his defensive skill. After retiring in 1974, he coached at the minor league level and spent fifteen years as a coach with the Phillies. Ryan died July 7, 2020.

Del Shofner (age 86) - Shofner was a pro football player, spending eleven seasons with the Rams and Giants in the '50s and '60s. He was afive-time first-team Pro-Bowler at wide receiver, and is a member of the NFL's all-decade team for the 1960s. Shofner died March 11, 2020.

Don Shula (age 90) - Shula spent six seasons as an NFL defensive back (Browns, Colts, Redskins) before retiring to the college coaching ranks in 1958. By 1960 he was back in the NFL as a defensive backs coach for the Lions, finally taking over as head coach of the Colts in 1963. After six seasons with Baltimore, he moved to Miami where he remained until 1995. He was a 2-time Super Bowl champ and a 4-time coach of the year, including the Dolphins' perfect-season year, 1972. Shula was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. He died May 4, 2020.

Jerry Sloan (age 78) - Sloan played eleven seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Chicago Bulls. After retiring in 1976, he became an NBA coach, spending three seasons with his old team before moving to the Utah Jazz in 1985. As a player he was a two-time All-Stat, collecint more than 10,000 points and 5,000 rebounds. As a coach, he had a career 1221-803 record, earning him a berth in the NBA Hall of Fame as a coach. Sloan died of complications of Parkinson's Disease on May 22, 2020.

Hal Smith (age 89) - Smith, primarily a catcher, played for five different teams during a ten-season career. His longest stint was with the Kansas CIty A's from 1956-59, after which he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the decisive 7th game of the 1960 World Series, he hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 8th to give the Bucs a 9-7 lead. His heroics were all but forgotten when Bill Mazerowski broke a 9-9 tie in the bottom of the ninth to beat the hated Yankees. Smith died January 9, 2020.

Pat Stapleton (age 79) - Stapleton was a defenseman in the NHL and the WHA and later coached Wayne Gretzky with the Indianapolis Racers. In ten NHL (mainly with the Blackhawks) and five WHA seasons, Stapleton racked up 70 goals and 506 assists. He was twice a member of Team Canada, and was inducted into the WHA Hall of Fame in its inaugural class. Stapleton suffered a stroke and died on April 8, 2020.

Hank Steinbrenner (age 63) - Steinbrenner, one of two sons of George Steinbrenner, was part-owner of the New York Yankees. He and his brother Hal inherited the team on the death of their father in 2010. Although the elder brother, Hank ceded most of the day-to-day operation of the team to Hal, preferring to remain in his home in Florida. He died April 14, 2020, after a long illness.

David Stern (age 77) - Stern took the reins of the National Basketball League in 1984, and held the commissioner's position until retiring in 2014. His thirty years in the NBA rank as the longest tenure of any major sports commissioner. Stern is credited with raising the visibility of the league over the decades, despite multiple controversies, and is with establishing the WNBA. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. Stern suffered a traumatic brain hemorrhage and died on January 1, 2020.

Mike Storen (age 84) - Storen joined the NBA Chicago Zephyrs straight out of college, and stayed in pro basketball for the remainder of his career. He was general manager of the ABA Indiana Pacers and then part-owner of the Kentucky Colonels before becoming the league commissioner in 1973. He was, at one time, general manager of the Hawks, commissioner of the CBA, and commissioner of the IPFL before retiring in 2002. Storen died of cancer on May 7, 2020.

Mike Stratton (age 78) - Stratton, an outside linebacker, was a 12-season pro for the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers, making the shift from the AFL to the NFL with the Bills. He was a six-time AFL all-star and won two AFL championships with the Bills. He payed his final year with the Chargers in 1973. Stratton died after a fall on March 25, 2020.

Terry Tausch (age 61) - Texas native Terry Tausch was a second-round NFL pick out of college in 1982. The Minnesota Vikings installed him at guard, where he spent seven seasons. In 1989 he joined the San Francisco 49ers during their Super Bowl championship season. Tausch passed away March 25, 2020.

John Teerlinck (age 69) - Teerlinck had a brief, injury-shortened NFL career with the Chargers in the mid-'70s. After his playing career ended, Teerlinck spent several seasons as a college coach before being tapped by the Browns as a Defensive line coach. He held that position with six different NFL teams, including two Super Bowl-winning seasons with the Broncos and one with the Colts. He was fired by the Colts in 2011, and retired. Teerlinck died May 10, 2020.

Kurt Thomas (age 64) - Thomas was the first ever American man to win gymnastics gold in the world championships, a feat he accomplished three times in the 1970s. He had a short, undistinguished career as an actor and also worked as a gymnastics commentator for television. He died June 5, 2020, as the result of a stroke two weeks earlier.

Back to top

— U —

Wes Unseld (age 74) - Unseld was only the second NBA player to be named league MVP in his rookie year, joining Wilt Chamberlain. He spent all fourteen of his seasons with the Bullets, collecting 5 All-Star berths, a playoffs MVP, Rookie of the Year, and a retired number. He finished with more than 10,000 points and almost 14,000 rebounds; and is a member of both the NBA and College basketball Halls of Fame. He also coached the Bullets for seven seasons. Unseld passed away as a result of pneumonia on June 2, 2020.

Back to top

— V —
Tommy Vaughan (age 77) - Vaughan spent seven seasons in the NFL, all of them with the Detroit Lions. He was drafted in 1965 and retired in 1971 after a head injury. Vaughan started more than sixty games at free safety and was a punt and kickoff returner. After retiring, he was an assistant coach for several colleges. Vaughan died July 4, 2020,

Back to top

— W —

War Emblem (age 21) - The winner of the 2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness, War Emblem faltered out of the gate at Belmont, ruining his chances to become a Triple Crown winner. His racing career ended in 2002, and he was put to stud, siring a paltry 119 foals over the next 12 years. His offspring proved more successful both on the track and in the breeding rooms than he did. War Emblem retired in 2015 and passed away peacefully on March 11,2020.

Ryan Wetnight (age 49) - Wetnight plpayed eight NFL seasons as a tight end, the first seven with the Bears. He accounted for 175 receptions for 1542 yards, including 9 TDs. He retired in 2000, returning to his native California where he became a realtor. Wetnight succumbed to stomach cancer on May 1, 2020.

Woody Widenhofer (age 77) - Widenhoffer played linebacker at Missouri before turning to coaching. He spent four years at the college level before joining the Vikings as a linebacker coach in 1972. Over the next 35 years, he was a defensive coordinator or linebacker coach for NFL and college teams and head coach at several colleges. He is often credited with developing the "Steel Curtain" defense that helped Pittsburgh win four Super Bowls in the '70s. Widenhofer died March 22, 2020.

Willie Wood (age 83) - Wood was an NFL Hall of Fame defensive back, an honor he earned during his 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers (1960-71). He was an 8-time ProBowl selection, 5 times first-team; a five-time NFL champion and a 2-time Super Bowl champion. His 48 picks resulted in almost 700 yards and two TD returns. After retiring, he coached in the NFL, WFL, and CFL. Wood died February 3, 2020.

Mickey Wright (age 85) - Born Mary Katherine Wright, Mickey Wright was a professional golfer and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. She joined the LPGA tour in 1955 at age 20, ultimately winning 82 championships including 13 majors. The California native was named the top women's golger of all time in a 2009 survey. She was inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame in 2017. Wright died February 17, 2020.

Sam Wyche (age 74) - Wyche spent some nine seasons as an AFL/NFl quarterback (1968 to 1976), usually in a backup role. He spent three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, including their transition season into the NFL. After retiring, Wyche began coaching at both the college and professional levels, returning to the Bengals as head coach in 1984-91 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1992-5). He finished his coaching career with a record of 84-107 and two conference championships. Wyche died January 2, 2020.

Jimmy Wynn (age 78) - Wynn spent fifteen seasons in major league baseball, including the inaugural season of the Houston Colt 45s (later the Astros), where he spent his first eleven years. He later played for the Dodgers and Yankees before retiring as a Brewer in 1977. He was a three-time All-Star and his number was retired by the 'Stros in 2005. Wynn died March 26, 2020, in Houston.

The Ghoul Pool

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

2020 Deaths, Sports

No comments:

Post a Comment