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Rays Radio Broadcaster Dave Wills Passes Away

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Longtime radio announcer Dave Wills passed away today at age 58, the Rays announced.  Wills has been the voice of the Rays since 2005, teaming with partner Andy Freed to work in alternating play-by-play/color roles for the last 18 seasons.

“Dave was an outstanding broadcaster, a great friend and an even better person.  He had a remarkable talent for bringing the game to life for our fans and was a vital part of the Rays family.  We will miss him dearly and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time,” said Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg.

A Chicago native, Wills worked as a baseball coach at Elmhurst College and the University of Chicago before taking on play-by-play duties with the Kane County Cougars (then an A-ball affiliate for the Orioles and Marlins) from 1991-95.  Wills’ other duties for the WMAQ and WMVP stations included pregame and postgame duties for Notre Dame football and basketball, and well as White Sox baseball, with Wills also getting some fill-in work for regular radio broadcaster John Rooney.

Today’s scheduled radio broadcast of the game between the Rays and Orioles won’t take place, and the Rays will honor Wills with a special pregame tribute at some point during the 2023 season.  We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to Wills’ family, friends, and fans.

Dave Nicholson Passes Away

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Former major league outfielder Dave Nicholson passed away over the weekend (obituary via 97.3 FM WRUL in Carmi). He was 83 years old.

A St. Louis native, Nicholson signed with the Orioles as an 18-year-old in 1958. He spent a couple seasons in the minor leagues and reached the majors at age 20. He struggled over 54 games as a rookie and spent most of the following year in Double-A. Nicholson returned to the big leagues for 97 games with Baltimore in 1962. The ensuing offseason, he was involved in a massive trade that involved a pair of future Hall of Famers.

Baltimore traded the right-handed hitting Nicholson alongside two-time ERA champ Hoyt Wilhelm, third baseman Pete Ward and former Rookie of the Year Ron Hansen for three-time All-Star Al Smith and nine-time Gold Glove shortstop Luis Aparicio. Nicholson spent a couple seasons as Chicago’s primary left fielder. He and Ward tied for the team lead with 22 home runs in 1963. Nicholson ultimately compiled a .213/.314/.384 line in just under 1000 plate appearances for Chicago over parts of three seasons.

The Sox dealt him to the Astros over the 1965-66 offseason in a deal that sent reliever Jack Lamabe to Chicago. Nicholson played in exactly 100 games for Houston, hitting at a career-best .246/.356/.411 clip. The next offseason, he was involved in another trade for an all-time great nearing the end of his career: this time going to the Braves with pitcher Bob Bruce in a deal that sent Eddie Mathews to Houston. Nicholson spent most of the next two seasons in the upper levels of the Atlanta farm system, only appearing in 10 MLB games. After playing the 1969 campaign in Triple-A with the Royals, he retired at age 29.

Nicholson ultimately played in 538 major league games over parts of seven years in the 1960’s. He hit .212/.318/.381 with 61 homers, 179 runs batted in and 184 runs scored in a big league career that spanned four teams. MLBTR sends our condolences to Nicholson’s family, friends and loved ones.

Albie Pearson Passes Away

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Former big league outfielder Albie Pearson has passed away, the Angels announced. A former Rookie of the Year winner and All-Star, Pearson was 88 years old.

“The Angels Organization was saddened to learn of the passing of former Angels All-Star Albie Pearson,” the team said in a statement. “As a key member of the expansion Angels, Albie’s impact on our franchise was immediate. In the Club’s inaugural game in 1961, he would etch his name into the record books by scoring the organization’s first run. … While Albie will always be a treasured member of the Angels Organization, his greatest achievements may have come away from the diamond. For over 20 years, he and his wife Helen dedicated their time towards impacting countless communities through their tremendous work with Father’s Heart Ranch. We would like to extend our deepest condolences to Albie’s wife, Helen, their five daughters and the entire Pearson family.”

A native of Southern California, Pearson began his professional career in 1953. He signed with the Red Sox as a 19-year-old and played four-plus seasons in their minor league system. Before the 1958 campaign, Boston traded Pearson with first baseman Norm Zauchin to the Washington Senators for infielder Pete Runnels.

Runnels finished tenth in AL MVP balloting that season and would eventually earn three All-Star selections in five years with Boston. Pearson, meanwhile, hit .275/.354/.358 over his first 146 MLB games to secure that season’s American League Rookie of the Year award. Early in his second season, Pearson found himself on the move again. Washington traded him to the Orioles for outfielder Lenny Green. Pearson spent a season and a half in Baltimore but struggled offensively, spending some time in Triple-A in 1960.

Over the 1960-61 offseason, the Angels nabbed him as an expansion pick. Pearson would play six seasons with the Halos to wrap up his career. Consistently running high walk totals, the 5’5″ outfielder would go to put up a .275/.379/.366 line in just under 2700 plate appearances as an Angel. He hit .288/.420/.400 during his first season in Los Angeles and led the American League with 115 runs scored in his second. Pearson’s best year came in 1963, when he posted a .304/.402/.398 line in 684 trips to the plate. He earned his only career All-Star selection and finished 14th in AL MVP voting.

Pearson remained effective through 1965, when he hit .278/.370/.369 in 122 games. Unfortunately, he was limited to just two games the following season by back injuries. He retired after 1966, his age-31 campaign. As the organization referenced, Pearson became a minister in his post-playing days. He and his wife co-founded a group home for abused or neglected young boys.

Over parts of nine major league seasons, Pearson hit .270/.369/.355 in just under 1000 games. He only connected on 28 home runs but picked up 831 hits and scored 485 times. MLBTR sends our condolences to Pearson’s family, former teammates, friends and loved ones.

Tim McCarver Passes Away

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Long-time major league baseball player and broadcaster Tim McCarver passed away today, per multiple reports. He was 81 years old.

“Tim McCarver was an All-Star, a World Series Champion, a respected teammate, and one of the most influential voices our game has known,” reads a statement from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. “As a player, Tim was a key part of great Cardinals and Phillies teams in his 21-year career. In the booth, his analysis and attention to detail brought fans closer to our game and how it is played and managed. Tim’s approach enhanced the fan experience on our biggest stages and on the broadcasts of the Mets, the Yankees and the Cardinals. All of us at Major League Baseball are grateful for Tim’s impact on sports broadcasting and his distinguished career in our National Pastime. I extend my deepest condolences to Tim’s family, friends and the generations of fans who learned about our great game from him.”

A native of Tennessee, McCarver was signed by the Cardinals as a 17-year-old catcher in 1959. He got brief stints in the majors over the next few years before cementing himself as a major leaguer in 1963. He got into 127 games that year and hit .289. The next season, he held that batting average fairly steady at .288, helping the Cardinals win the pennant before defeating the Yankees in the 1964 World Series. McCarver caught every inning of every game in that series and hit .478 along the way.

He would be a mainstay of the Cardinals for the next five years as well, winning another World Series in 1967 and making the All-Star team in 1966 and 1967. He was traded to the Phillies prior to the 1970 campaign and stayed with them until a trade to the Expos midway through the 1972 campaign. He returned to the Cardinals in 1973 and part of 1974, then went to the Red Sox for a time before going back to the Phillies. He would stick in Philadelphia for the later part of his career, from midway through the 1975 season through the 1980 campaign. While he served as Steve Carlton’s “personal catcher,” the Phils won the National League East division in three straight years starting in 1976. He technically retired after 1979 but returned to the club late in 1980 so he could become the 11th player in history to play in four different decades.

For many baseball fans, McCarver is more recognizable as a broadcaster than as a player. He joined the Phillies’ broadcast team in 1980 and stayed with that club through 1982. During that time, he got his first experience of nationally-televised games with NBC’s Game of the Week. He then started calling Mets’ games, a gig that he held from 1983 through 1998. That period of time also saw him work with ABC on Monday Night Baseball and work on the World Series for the first time in 1985.

McCarver would also have stints working on the broadcast teams for the Yankees and Giants, as well as national gigs for CBS and The Baseball Network. But arguably the most significant development of this part of his career when was Fox acquired the rights for the World Series in 1996. They installed McCarver on the team with Joe Buck and he stayed there through 2013, eventually working the World Series in 23 different seasons. His last season with Fox was 2013, and he would call Cardinal games on a part-time basis in the years after that.

McCarver played in 1,909 major league games, racking up 1,501 hits, 97 home runs, 590 runs scored and 645 runs batted in. He won a pair of World Series titles, made a pair of All-Star teams and caught a pair of no-hitters. He then spent close to four decades as a broadcaster, including a lengthy stint as one of the most recognizable voices of the game.

We at MLB Trade Rumors join others in extending our condolences to his family, friends, fans and all those throughout the baseball world who are mourning him today.

Ted Lerner Passes Away

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Ted Lerner, the real estate developer who purchased the Washington Nationals in 2006, has passed away, reports Jonathan Karl of ABC News. Lerner was 97 years old. The cause was complications from pneumonia, per a report from Adam Bernstein and Matt Schudel of The Washington Post.

Major League Baseball took over ownership of the struggling Montreal Expos franchise in January of 2002 and started looking for new locations for the club. That process led to the team being moved to Washington, D.C. for the 2005 season and Lerner purchased the club in 2006.

The first few seasons in Washington were times of transition for the franchise. They initially played in RFK Stadium, which opened in 1961, as plans for a new stadium were put in place. Nationals Park then opened in 2008, with the team playing there to this day. In terms of results, the team finished 5th in the National League East division in five out of its first six seasons. The silver lining of all that losing is that the club received strong draft picks that it used to build a stockpile of young talent, including players like Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon.

Those players and others would eventually help the club emerge as perennial contenders for an extended stretch. Beginning in 2012, the club posted a winning record in eight straight seasons, qualifying for the postseason in five of those. The first four trips to the playoffs resulted in quick exits, but the Nats eventually pushed through and won the World Series in 2019.

Since hoisting that trophy, the club has fallen on hard times again, posting losing records in the three subsequent seasons. That has prompted the club to lean into a rebuild, trading away star players like Max Scherzer, Trea Turner and Juan Soto. Their 55-107 record in 2022 was the worst in the majors for that season and the worst for the franchise since the move to Washington.

The Lerner family is still the club’s primary owner, though Ted transferred control of the club to his son Mark in 2018, when the former was 92 and the latter 64. It was reported in April last year that the family was going to explore a sale of the club, though the most recent reporting indicates that not much progress has been made on that front.

Regardless of how that eventually unfolds, most baseball fans in the Washington area will likely look fondly on the most recent era of Nationals baseball. Though it took some time to get going, the club was eventually transformed from a basement dweller into a champion in the Ted Lerner era, though their one title did come shortly after he ceded official control.

MLBTR extends its condolences to all those around the baseball world mourning Lerner today, including his family, friends and many others around the game who crossed paths with him over the years.

Twins’ VP Of Player Personnel Mike Radcliff Passes Away

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Twins vice president of player personnel Mike Radcliff passed away today following a three-plus year battle with cancer, the organization announced. He was 66 years old.

“The Minnesota Twins today mourn the loss of Mike Radcliff,” the franchise said in a statement. “Mike was the heart and soul of our scouting department for over 30 years, a man who was beloved and respected by staff, players, fellow scouts, agents and his peers alike. One of baseball’s most revered talent evaluators, his character, work ethic, kindness and sense of humor set the tone for our player development and evaluation processes.

His baseball legacy lives on in the number of Twins Hall of Famers, All-Stars and great teams that bear his fingerprints, while his impact as a person will be forever felt by those that knew him. In the words of his trade, Mike was the epitome of a five-tool player, and he will be greatly missed across Twins Territory. Our deepest sympathies are with his wife Sherry, son Brett, daughter Erin and the entire Radcliff family during this difficult time.”

Radcliff spent the better part of four decades with Minnesota. First hired as an area scout in 1987, he’d worked his way to scouting director within six years. During his tenure as scouting director, the Twins selected numerous players who logged key roles on the Minnesota teams of the 2000’s — including Justin Morneau, Torii Hunter and recent Twins’ Hall of Fame inductee Joe Mauer.

In 2007, the organization gave Radcliff the title of vice president of player personnel — a role he would hold for the rest of his career. He remained involved in the scouting department and played a part in the franchise’s drafting and/or signing of players like Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco.

The 2011 recipient of the Midwest Scout of the Year Award from Major League Baseball, he was inducted into the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame a few years ago. Radcliff’s passing has resulted in a flood of tributes from colleagues, peers and media personnel. MLBTR joins countless others around the game in sending our condolences to Radcliff’s family, friends, colleagues and the number of players whose careers he impacted.

Gary Peters Passes Away

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Former big leaguer Gary Peters has passed away at the age of 85, per a report from Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times.

A native of Pennsylvania, Peters signed with the White Sox as an amateur in 1956. He got called up to the majors for brief showings in four straight seasons from 1959 to 1962, never getting to pitch more than 10 1/3 innings in any of those seasons. He finally got an extended run in 1963 and made the most of it. He tossed 243 innings that year over 30 starts and 11 relief appearances, posting a tidy 2.33 ERA that led the American League. He was given the AL Rookie of the Year award for that season. The southpaw built on that campaign with another strong one in 1964. He made 36 starts and one relief appearance, logging 273 2/3 innings with a 2.50 ERA. His 20 wins were tops in the American League and he made the All-Star team, the first of two times in his career.

He would continue to post solid results for most of remainder of the decade, keeping his ERA under 4.00 in each year through 1968. In 1969, his ERA jumped to 4.53 and he was traded to the Red Sox afterwards. He would pitch in three more seasons in Boston with an ERA just over 4.00 in each, with 1972 marking his final major league action.

Peters finished his career with a 3.25 ERA over 2,081 innings pitched in 359 major league games. He is credited with 124 wins, five saves, 79 complete games, 23 shutouts and 1,420 strikeouts. He won the Rookie of the Year in 1963, made the All-Star team in 1964 and 1967, led the AL in ERA twice and wins once.

MLBTR sends our condolences to Peters’ family, friends, former teammates and loved ones.

Sal Bando Passes Away

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Longtime former big leaguer and executive Sal Bando passed away yesterday at age 78.  Bando played with the Athletics franchise from 1966-76 and then with the Brewers from 1977-81 before becoming Milwaukee’s general manager for the 1992-99 seasons.

As per Bando’s family, “It is with a heavy heart, the Bando family is sad to announce the passing of its beloved husband and father, Sal, who last night lost his battle with cancer that began over five years ago. Sandy, Sal’s wife of 54 years, and sons Sal Jr., Sonny and Stef, send their love to family, friends and fans who mourn the loss of a humble and faithful man.”

Bando was a sixth-round pick for the then-Kansas City Athletics in the 1965 draft, and he broke into the majors the next season.  By 1968, Bando had become the starting third baseman for the A’s in their inaugural season in Oakland, and he quickly became a key member of a budding dynasty.  From 1969-74, Bando hit .265/.376/.445 with 141 homers, and his 34.7 fWAR was the fifth-highest of any player in the majors.  That six-year period saw Bando make four All-Star teams, finish in the top four of AL MVP voting on three occasions (including a second-place finish to teammate Vida Blue in 1971), and win three World Series rings as the A’s three-peated from 1972-74.

There was no shortage of controversy on and off the field for those Athletics clubs, and yet Bando was a rock of stability as the team’s captain. However, Bando had his own share of issues with A’s owner Charlie Finley, stemming from contract disputes and Bando’s increasing leadership role with the MLB Players Association.  After the 1976 season, Bando left the A’s as a free agent to sign a five-year deal with the Brewers, beginning the next chapter of his career.

While Bando’s didn’t match his production from his Oakland heyday, he was still a contributor to a Brewers team that had four straight winning seasons from 1978-81, which included a postseason appearance in 1981.  Bando was only a part-time player in 1981, and decided to retire after 16 MLB seasons in order to transition into a new role in the Brewers’ front office.  Bando worked as a special assistant to general manager Harry Dalton from 1982 until Bando himself was named to the top job himself following the 1991 season.  Unfortunately, Bando’s tenure as GM included only one winning season, and he resigned the job partway through the 1999 campaign.

We at MLBTR send our condolences to Bando’s family, friends, and teammates.

Frank Thomas, MLB Outfielder From 1951-66, Passes Away

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Three-time All-Star Frank Thomas has passed away, according to announcements from the Mets and Pirates. Thomas, not to be confused with the Hall of Fame designated hitter who played 16 seasons with the White Sox, played for seven teams between 1951-66.

A Pittsburgh native, Thomas signed with his hometown Pirates out of high school in 1947. He spent three-plus seasons in the minors before making his MLB debut at the tail end of the 1951 campaign. Thomas saw sporadic playing time for his first couple years before getting his first extended action during his age-24 season in 1953.

Listed at 6’3″ and 200 pounds, the right-handed hitting outfielder quickly cemented himself as an excellent power hitter. He connected on 30 home runs with a .255/.331/.505 line during his first full season, earning some down-ballot MVP votes as a result. He’d remain a staple on MVP ballots throughout his run in Pittsburgh. Thomas secured at least some support in five of the six seasons from 1953-58, earning All-Star nods in ’54, ’55 and ’58. He peaked at fourth in the voting in 1958, finishing behind Ernie Banks, Willie Mays and Henry Aaron.

Thomas topped 20 longballs every year from 1953-58. His 161 homers over that time ranked 10th in the majors, with seven Hall of Famers in the group of nine players with more. Thomas had a cumulative .277/.335/.480 line in a little less than 3700 plate appearances for the Bucs in that time. He twice finished among the National League’s top ten in slugging and runs batted in, including a second-place finish with 109 RBI in 1958.

Over the 1958-59 offseason, Pittsburgh traded Thomas to the Reds as part of a seven-player deal that landed catcher Smoky Burgess and starter Harvey Haddix in the Steel City. He played one year in Cincinnati but struggled. The Reds dealt him to the Cubs for a three-player package headlined by reliever Bill Henry the next offseason. Thomas spent a bit more than a year with Chicago but continued to scuffle, with the Cubs dealing him to the Braves in May 1961. He righted the ship with 25 homers in 124 games for the then Milwaukee-based franchise.

The next winter, the Braves traded Thomas to the Mets. He joined the expansion club for their inaugural campaign in 1962 and connected on a team-leading 34 homers that season. Thomas would spent around two and a half seasons in Queens before being traded to the Phillies. He firmly settled into journeyman status to wrap up his career, playing with Philadelphia, Houston and second stints as a Brave and Cub before his playing career concluded in 1966.

All told, Thomas appeared in parts of 16 big league campaigns. He hit .266/.320/.454 across 1766 games. Thomas connected on 286 home runs, tying him for 177th on the all-time leaderboard. He doubled 262 times, drove in 962 runs and scored 792 times. His most productive seasons came with his hometown Pirates, though he played multiple seasons for five different clubs.

MLBTR sends our condolences to Thomas’ family, friends, former teammates and loved ones.

Ted Savage Passes Away

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Former MLB outfielder Ted Savage has passed away, the Cardinals announced. He was 85 years old.

Savage was born in Venice, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. He attended school in nearby East St. Louis, Illinois where he was a three-sport star in baseball, football, and basketball. Savage would go on to play baseball for Lincoln University before joining the US Army. He would continue his baseball career with the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

After three years, Savage was discharged and signed a contract with the Phillies. He would make his major league debut with the club during the 1962 season, playing 127 games and slashing .266/.345/.373. Surprisingly, only one month after concluding his rookie campaign, he was traded to the Pirates. In Pittsburgh, injuries and a prominent outfield limited Savage to only 85 games during the 1963 season, and he wouldn’t make an appearance at the major league level during the 1964 season.

Savage returned to the majors in 1965 with the Cardinals and would have minor roles with the club in the 1965 and 1966 seasons before being sold to the Cubs midway through the 1967 season to the Cubs. He would spend the end of the 1967 season and part of the 1968 season with Chicago before joining the Dodgers. After another platoon role year with the Reds in 1969, Savage latched on with the Brewers ahead of his age-33 campaign and arguably put up his best numbers, hitting a strong .279/.402/.482 in 114 games with more walks (57) than strikeouts (44). It was only the second time in his career that he had earned more than 300 plate appearances in a season, the first being his rookie year. However, Savage was unable to recapture his strong 1970 season the next year, and, after a hand injury in July 1971, he would never return to the major league field. After two years playing in the Mexican league, Savage retired following the conclusion of the 1973 season.

Following his playing career, Savage would earn his Ph.D. in urban studies from St. Louis University, going on to spend nine years as Harris-Stowe State University’s athletic director. He returned to the Cardinals organization in 1987 as assistant director of community relations and minor league instruction, staying with the franchise for 25 years before retiring as director of target marketing in the Cardinals Care and community relations department.

MLBTR sends our condolences to Savage’s family, friends, loved ones, former teammates, and people with whom he crossed paths during his career.

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