Death Notices (OT)

Philsmania 2021-09-14 18:53:37 UTC #589

The trajectory of the organization would have been different, that's for sure. I cannot say for sure that it would have been better, though. Let's say that your hypothetical came to pass and the Carpenters stuck around until selling to Comcast in the mid-'90's. It's possible that the Phillies would have ended up like the Expos at the time and the Rays today--state of the art organization in terms of developing talent but unable to keep it around long enough to build a true championship nucleus (unless the stars line up just right). Pope would have been kicked upstairs, Dallas would have been kicked up to GM and the farm system people would have stayed insted of moving to Wrigley. But then once the Carpenters sold to Comcast, would we have been better off with some Comcast guy as club president instead of Montgomery or would they have ended up under the Comcast-Spectacor umbrella where they would have ened up as another of Ed Snider's neglected stepchildren like the Sixers with the Flyers always being his first love? And, ultimately, Comcast/NBC Universal would have very likely bailed out around the same time that Time-Warner/Turner (Braves), Disney (Angels), Fox (Dodgers) and Tribune Co. (Cubs) did meaning we would have ended up in the hands of some venture capitalist type who may or may not have had significant ties to Philadelphia.

andyb 2021-09-14 18:55:12 UTC #590

Norm McDonald. Thought he was a bit older than he actually was. Guess he has been fighting cancer the past 9 years so that is part of it.

zambonir 2021-09-14 19:19:51 UTC #591

Funny, I was surprised he was that old. Think of him as a peer of Sandler and Schneider. Tough/sad to hear he'd been living with the disease that long.

LoneStarPhan 2021-09-20 20:12:26 UTC #592

Another unvaccinated person dies of COVID.

bkox 2021-09-21 14:38:48 UTC #593

#Dodgers announce that Jo Lasorda, the widow of former MGR Tom Lasorda, passed away Monday night. She was 91.
— Mike DiGiovanna ( @MikeDiGiovanna ) September 21, 2021

bkox 2021-09-22 04:01:53 UTC #594

Jeff05 2021-09-23 16:37:20 UTC #595

bkox 2021-10-06 02:52:01 UTC #596

BostonRoss 2021-10-06 14:52:57 UTC #597

With Robinson's passing, is Bobby Shantz the last remaining Philadelphia Athletic? I think Shantz is also the last remaining player to have played for Connie Mack. Robinson never played for Mack; he joined the A's after Mack's retirement.

I believe that the oldest living MLB player is named, appropriately, George Elder.

bkox 2021-10-11 13:24:49 UTC #598

Philsmania 2021-10-11 17:45:28 UTC #599

You are correct on both fronts about Shantz. Only three Philadelphia Athletics remain.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/List_of_living_Philadelphia_Athletics_players

I missed the news back in May but Del Crandall, the last remaining Boston Brave, passed away on May 6.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/06/sports/del-crandall-last-surviving-member-boston-braves-dies-91/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Society%20for,family%2C%20son%20Bill%20Crandall%20said.

And, Elder is one of only four remaining St. Louis Browns.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/List_of_living_St._Louis_Browns_players

As hard as it may to believe, the Athtletics have now been in Oakland for as many seasons as they were in Philadelphia, 54 years.

California_Dreamin 2021-10-11 20:01:39 UTC #600

Heck, if he keeps this up, Shantz may someday be the last remaining living player of the infamous 1964 Phillies team. I was just a tiny tike back in '64 but still remember that season well but if you had asked me then who would be the oldest living '64 player in 2021, Bobby Shantz [ 96 yrs old] and Frank Thomas [92 yrs old] would likely have been my last two choices. Yet here they are...

Interesting tidbit on Shantz and 1964[ probably remembered by allentown and a couple of others but maybe not], his birthday is Sept. 26 and it was on Sept 26 that the Phils took what was probably their most painful and prophetic defeat of the entire 10 game apocalypse at least to me!] Phils started the day with a 1.5 game lead and had lost 5 in a row but took an early 4-0 lead against the Milwaukee Braves. They kept the lead entering the 9th, though the score was 4-3 and Shantz was asked to save it...on his 39th birthday.

He surrendered a 3 run triple to Rico Carty on a play that got Cookie Rojas thrown out and the Phils lost 6-4. That was the day that most Phillies phans knew it was over and indeed they surrendered the league lead for good the next day. Oh, by the way, the Braves hurler who came in and got the save that day? Another then 39 year old pitcher you may have heard of...fellow named Warren Spahn.

Philsmania 2021-10-12 14:45:48 UTC #601

Paddy Moloney, founder of The Chieftains, arguably the world's foremost traditional Irish music group.

bkox 2021-10-14 01:51:42 UTC #602

bkox 2021-10-18 12:11:17 UTC #603

bkeich 2021-10-18 13:31:15 UTC #604

At one point in time, maybe the most respected person in America from both sides of the Aisle. RIP to a guy who really might be called a Hero by many correctly (unlike people in sports, for who the term is not really appropriate).

julio 2021-10-18 14:15:40 UTC #605

This.

RIP, Sir.

[And I have to add, Thank God Joe Biden is the President, instead of Donald Trump - this means that the statement that comes from the White House concerning General Powell’s passing will be… dignified, respectful…decent… instead of something intended to puff up Donald Trump’s ego, and tear down any possible competition to that ego.]

VoteForKalas 2021-10-18 15:23:54 UTC #606

Powell was a great American whose strengths and compassion outweighed some errors in judgment during the Bush administration. The fraudulent presentation to the UN on WMD probably his lowest point; being confirmed as Secretary of State and his military service has his highest points.

The reality he died from complications with COVID due to his cancer is another tragic note. We still have not united to beat this virus and every American it kills is too many.

Philsmania 2021-10-18 17:34:10 UTC #607

To Powell's credit, he admitted in later years that his support for that Iraq venture was a mistake.

VoteForKalas 2021-10-18 18:58:53 UTC #608

Correct, I do give him credit for that.

However, he had to know at the time he was willfully misleading his own country and the world in support of a corrupt action. It made zero geopolitical, national security or military sense and he was smart enough to see that.

It damaged the U.S. immensely at a time when we still had the world's complete support/sympathy for the attack on 9/11. Inexcusable conduct by everyone involved. Powell should have stood up and spoken out internally and, if they refused to hear the message, publicly if necessary. It was his duty as a military man and Secretary of State.