In Memoriam, 2020

Too many noteworthy Chicago sports personalities passed away this year. The most prominent were two genuine Chicago legends--the electrifying Bears running back and kick returner Gale Sayers and the indomitable Bulls guard and coach Jerry Sloan. They were joined by luminaries such as Glenn Beckert, Pat Stapleton, and Roosevelt Taylor. There were Chicago fixtures Ed Farmer, Jimmy Collins, and Michael McCaskey. And then there were the likes of Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Les Hunter, Dick Allen, and Jim Frey, who passed through Chicago briefly but nonetheless made their mark.

     Below is the list of Chicago sports figures who passed away in 2020. We thank them all for their contributions to the greatest sports town in the world. (If we have missed anyone, please let us know in the Comments and we will correct it.)

 

DICK ALLEN

 

Dick Allen, 78, White Sox first baseman 1972-1974, American League Most Valuable Player 1972, three-time All-Star with White Sox and seven-time All-Star overall (December 7). “He has magnetism,” Sox manager Chuck Tanner said of Allen. “Like Clark Gable, say, or Marilyn Monroe. He is above the ordinary.”

 

GLENN BECKERT

Glenn Beckert, 79, Cubs second baseman 1965-1973, four-time All-Star, one-time Gold Glove (April 12). “He’s some kind of player,” Cubs manager Leo Durocher said in 1968. “He’s the best damn second baseman in the league.”

Jim Bolger, 88, Cubs outfielder 1957-1958 (April 9).

 

LOU BROCK

Lou Brock, 81, Cubs outfielder 1961-1964, disastrously traded to St. Louis in 1964; White Sox broadcaster 1981; National Baseball Hall of Fame 1985 (September 6). “If I’d been here [in Chicago],” Brock once said, “the Cubs would have won the pennant in ’68 and ’69.”

Roger Brueggemann, 75, trainer of 2015 Arlington Million winner The Pizza Man and a fixture at Arlington Park and Hawthorne for three decades (December 14).

Ken Burmeister, 72, DePaul University men’s basketball assistant coach 1990-1994; Loyola University men’s basketball head coach 1994-1998 (May 19).

Kenneth Church, 90, leading jockey at Arlington Park in 1950 and at Washington Park in 1953 (July 13).

Gil Coan, 97, White Sox outfielder 1955 (February 4).

 

JIMMY COLLINS

Jimmy Collins, 74, Bulls guard 1970-1972; University of Illinois men’s basketball assistant coach 1983-1996; UIC men’s basketball head coach 1996-2010, qualified for NCAA tournament three times (December 13).

Ramon Conde, 85, White Sox third baseman 1962 (February 23).

Tony Curcillo, 89, Chicago Cardinals halfback and defensive back 1953 (December 8).

Jim Derrington, 80, White Sox pitcher 1956- 1957 (March 12).

Angel Echevarria, 48, Cubs first baseman/outfielder 2002 (February 7).

 

ED FARMER

Ed Farmer, 70, White Sox pitcher 1979-1981, All-Star in 1980; White Sox broadcaster 1991-2019 (April 1). “Ed grew up a Sox fan on the South Side of Chicago,” said chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, “and his allegiance showed every single night on the radio as he welcomed his ‘friends’ to the broadcast.”

Jesse Freitas Sr., 99, Chicago Rockets (AAFC) quarterback 1948 (May 18).

 

JIM FREY

Jim Frey, 88, Cubs manager 1984-1986, won division championship in 1984; Cubs broadcaster 1987; Cubs general manager 1988-1991 (April 12). “I don’t give a damn about what happened in 1969,” Frey said in 1984 when asked about the Cubs’ infamous collapse of 15 years earlier. “It has no interest or appeal to me at all.”

Carl Garrett, 72, Bears running back 1973-1974 (August 24).

Charlie Haeger, 37, White Sox pitcher 2006-2007 (October 3).

Jim Hicks, 80, White Sox outfielder 1964-1966 (October 29).

 

LES HUNTER

Les Hunter, 77, Loyola University men’s basketball center 1961-1964, member of NCAA championship team 1963, uniform number 41 retired in 1991, inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame with his Loyola teammates in 2013 (March 27). “Our whole premise was to get out and run,” Hunter said of the Ramblers. “We pressured regardless of how far we were ahead or behind. A lot of teams tried to freeze the ball and we stole it.”

 

BART JOHNSON

Bart Johnson, 70, White Sox pitcher 1969-1977 (April 22).

Ben Johnson, 88, Cubs pitcher 1959-1960 (May 8).

Lou Johnson, 86, Cubs outfielder 1960, 1968 (September 30).

 

JAY JOHNSTONE

Jay Johnstone, 74, White Sox outfielder 1971-1972; Cubs outfielder 1982-1984 (September 26).

Howie Judson, 94, White Sox pitcher 1948-1952 (August 18).

Matt Keough, 64, Cubs pitcher 1986 (May 1).

Don Larsen, 90, Cubs pitcher 1967 (January 1).

Phil Maloney, 92, Blackhawks center 1958-1960 (February 21).

John Matias, 75, White Sox outfielder/first baseman 1970 (April 7).

 

MICHAEL McCASKEY

Michael McCaskey, 76, Bears president 1983-1998; Bears chairman 1999-2011 (May 16).

Lindy McDaniel, 84, Cubs pitcher 1963-1965, National League Fireman of the Year 1963 (November 14).

Jeannie Morris, 85, Chicago sports journalist and broadcaster (December 14).

Howard Mudd, 78, Bears guard 1969-1970 (August 12).

 

MARKUS PAUL

 

Markus Paul, 54, Bears safety, 1989-1993 (November 25).

Don Pavletich, 81, White Sox catcher 1969 (March 5).

Mary Pratt, 101, Rockford Peaches (AAGPBL) pitcher 1943-1944 and 1946-1947 (May 6).

Jack Rosenberg, 94, WGN television and radio sports editor for more than forty years (December 27).

Eldred “Salty” Saltwell, 97, Cubs general manager 1976 (May 3).

 

GALE SAYERS

Gale Sayers, 77, Bears running back 1965-1971, nicknamed “the Kansas Comet,” NFL Rookie of the Year 1965, NFL leading scorer 1965, NFL leading rusher 1969, five-time All-Pro, four-time Pro Bowl, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1977, uniform number 40 retired in 1994, ranked No. 4 among Chicago Tribune 100 greatest Bears of all time in 2019 (September 23). “He looks no different than any other back when he’s coming at you,” 49ers defensive back George Donnelly said of Sayers, “but when he gets there he’s gone.”

 

TOM SEAVER

Tom Seaver, 75, White Sox pitcher 1984-1986, won his 300th career game for Sox in 1985; National Baseball Hall of Fame 1992 (August 31). “It was apparent in Tom Seaver’s minor-league debut that he was ready for the majors,” said Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver. “He had an excellent fastball and slider, and he put them precisely where he wanted to.”

Dick Scott, 86, Cubs pitcher 1964 (February 16).

 

JERRY SLOAN

Jerry Sloan, 78, Bulls guard 1966-1976, nicknamed “the Original Bull” and “Mr. Chicago Bull,” two-time All-Star, six-time All-Defensive team, uniform number 4 retired in 1978; Bulls head coach 1979-1982; Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame 2009 (May 22). “The fans responded to the kind of team we were,” Sloan said of the early Bulls, “because Chicago is a blue-collar city, and the players were much the same way.”

 

PAT STAPLETON

Pat “Whitey” Stapleton, 79, Blackhawks defenseman 1965-1973, captain 1969-1970, three-time All-Star; Chicago Cougars (WHA) defenseman and head coach 1973-1975; Cougars co-owner 1974-1975 (April 9). “He possessed superior acumen while defending,” wrote Bob Verdi, “but was also gifted at generating rushes. In 1968-69, he garnered 50 assists, a National Hockey League record [for defensemen] at the time.”

 

ROOSEVELT TAYLOR

Roosevelt “Rosey” Taylor, 82, Bears safety 1961-1969, All-Pro 1963, Pro Bowl 1963 and 1968, led NFL in interceptions 1963, member of 1963 world championship team, ranked No. 43 among Chicago Tribune 100 greatest Bears of all time in 2019 (May 29). “Bear opponents have learned, to their dismay, that the odds somehow seem to favor Taylor in a battle for the ball,” Cooper Rollow of the Tribune wrote. “Several reasons have been cited for this edge— competitive instinct, eyesight, reflexes—but the key may be Taylor’s tremendous jumping ability.”

Tony Taylor, 84, Cubs second baseman 1958-1960 (July 16).

Earl Thomas, 71, Bears wide receiver/tight end 1971-1973 (July 4).

Claudell Washington, 65, White Sox outfielder 1978-1980 (June 10).

 

RYAN WETNIGHT

Ryan Wetnight, 49, Bears tight end 1993-1999 (May 1).

George Yankowski, 97, White Sox catcher 1949 (February 25).

 

Check out our book Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports on Amazon.

Bullish

Twenty-five years ago tonight, the Bulls lost at Indiana. Their record for the season stood at 23-3. Three days later, they avenged the loss with a 120-93 rout of the Pacers in Chicago. Five weeks would go by before they tasted defeat again. 

     On January 3, the Bulls held the defending world champion Houston Rockets to 1-of-15 shooting in the second quarter and cruised to an easy 100-86 win behind Michael Jordan’s 38 points. A week later, in a game with postseason implications, the Bulls humiliated the Seattle SuperSonics 113-87 as Jordan grabbed 14 rebounds to go with 35 points. On January 13, the Bulls visited the Philadelphia 76ers, whose rookie guard Jerry Stackhouse had recently announced, “Nobody can stop me in this league—not even Michael Jordan.” Jordan scored 48 points and held Stackhouse to nine as the Bulls won 120-93. At New York on January 23, the Bulls bombed the Knicks 99-79. And so it went.

 

RODMAN, PIPPEN, JORDAN, HARPER, and KUKOC.

The combination of Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman—nicknamed “Superman, Batman, and Rodman”—was proving unstoppable. Rodman, whom general manager Jerry Krause had acquired in a trade with San Antonio, was not effusively welcomed by his new teammates at first. Jordan and Pippen were skeptical, remembering Rodman’s obnoxious role with the Detroit Pistons’ “Bad Boys,” the Bulls’ arch-enemies of the late eighties and early nineties. Toni Kukoc was even less enthusiastic, for Rodman’s arrival meant his departure from the starting lineup. 

     Rodman flourished under Phil Jackson’s laid-back coaching style and won over Chicago fans by flinging his jersey into the crowd after each home game. His on-court antics occasionally got him ejected, fined, and/or suspended, and his off-court publicity stunts grew increasingly bizarre. But he played hard and generally got along with his teammates as the season progressed.  

     While the Bulls’ lesser lights didn’t attract nearly as much attention, they too made key contributions. Guard Ron Harper became the perfect complement to the man he’d earlier been asked to replace; his stellar defensive work created myriad fast-break opportunities for Jordan. Center Luc Longley used his height and heft to disrupt opponents’ drives down the lane. Kukoc and Bill Wennington provided scoring punch off the bench. Steve Kerr was a devastating long-range bomber. Randy Brown was a fleet-footed defender who could stick with the league’s quickest point guards. Jud Buechler supplied Jackson’s favorite ingredient, “good energy.” The Bulls were hitting on all cylinders. 

     January 1996 was the first perfect month in Bulls’ history—14 games, 14 wins. By the time the winning streak reached 18 in early February, the Bulls had won 31 of their last 32. Their record was a stupendous 41-3. It was clear that they were taking aim at the single-season record of 69 wins in 82 games, set by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971-72. 

     The Bulls had been in a similar situation in 1992. That year, Jackson had deliberately pulled in the reins, allowing several late-season games to slip away while he rested his starters for the playoffs. The Bulls finished with “only” 67 wins but, more importantly, went on to take the world championship. Now Jackson again tried to downplay the regular-season record. “Playoff basketball totally changes everything,” he said. “That’s the mystery, as to whether we can play at this level all through the season and then come through with the championship drive.”  

 

The Bulls’ unprecedented success and their panache both on and off the court made them the biggest phenomenon the NBA had ever seen. Every away game became an event, anticipated like a concert by the most famous of rock stars. In each city the Bulls visited, hundreds of fans turned out hoping just to catch a glimpse of them walking from their bus into the hotel. 

     A discordant note was sounded when Rodman was left out of the All-Star Game even though it was obvious that he was on his way to a fifth straight rebounding title. The game was played in San Antonio, and Rodman had wished to return in triumph to the city from which he’d been exiled. When the season resumed, the snub seemed to inspire him to play even harder and better than he already had for the Bulls. 

     In the second game after the break, at Detroit, Rodman had 19 rebounds, including an amazing total of 14 on the offensive side, as the Bulls won 112-109. Three nights later at Indiana, he pulled down 23 rebounds while Jordan scored 44 points and Pippen added 40 as the Bulls subdued the Pacers. “They’re the best,” Indiana coach Larry Brown said. “They wouldn’t be 46-5 if they didn’t try to make a statement every game.”

     The Bulls made a definitive statement a week later, blistering Orlando 111-91 at the United Center. Kukoc scored 24 points in 23 minutes, including 11 in a row to start the fourth quarter. He was showing signs of accepting, if not embracing, his role as sixth man. “I think he’s shown that he can really contribute for us,” Jackson said. “In big games, he plays big, and we’re real comfortable with what he can do.” 

     Kukoc came back with 23 points two nights later, while Jordan had 35 and Rodman secured a season-high 24 rebounds. The Bulls dismantled the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-99 for their 50th win of the season against six losses. It was February 27, and it marked the earliest date that any team had ever reached the 50-win milestone. 

     On March 18, Jordan celebrated the first anniversary of his return from retirement by scoring 38 points and hauling in 11 rebounds at Philadelphia. He played 47 of the 48 minutes, leading the Bulls to a hard-fought 98-94 victory. The club’s record now stood at 58-7.

 

The Bulls were only a few points shy of perfection for the rest of the regular season. They lost just three more games—each by a single point (at Toronto on March 24, to Charlotte on April 8, and to Indiana on April 20). The latter two were the Bulls’ only defeats of the season at the United Center, costing them a chance to surpass or equal the Boston Celtics’ home record of 41-1 in 1985-86. 

     The irresistible march into the record books culminated in Milwaukee on April 16. The 90-mile drive north to Milwaukee afforded many Bulls fans who couldn’t hope to get tickets at the United Center (where the Bulls were drawing 109 percent of capacity) a rare opportunity to see their heroes in the flesh. Thus the sold-out Bradley Center was packed with Chicagoans for the historic game, which proved surprisingly difficult for the Bulls. “We came out totally lackluster,” Jordan admitted. He and Pippen made only 16 of 46 shots, and the Bulls trailed for most of the contest. It fell to the unsung Kerr to rescue the Bulls with a three-pointer, another long jumper, and two clutch free throws in the final minute. The Bulls won 86-80 for their 70th victory of the season.

     On April 21, the Bulls dispatched the Washington Bullets for their 72nd win against 10 losses. The game was notable for being the last of the regular season and the first in which Jack Haley played. Haley had been signed because it was thought that he was a good influence on Rodman, a friend from their days in San Antonio. Haley had spent the prior 81 games on the bench in street clothes, cheering for his teammates. He played seven minutes in the season finale, making two of six shots and one of two free throws for five points; he also grabbed two rebounds.

 

The Bulls’ success as a team brought them a raft of individual honors. Jordan won his eighth scoring title and retained the highest career average of all time. He also won his fourth Most Valuable Player award. Pippen joined Jordan on the All-NBA first team and finished fifth in the MVP balloting. Rodman joined Jordan and Pippen on the All-Defensive first team and won his fifth rebounding title. Kukoc won the Sixth Man award. Kerr finished second in the league in three-point shooting but remained number one in career annals. Jackson was selected Coach of the Year and moved past Pat Riley for the highest winning percentage in NBA history. Krause was chosen Executive of the Year. 

     It had been a season for the ages, but the true test remained. “It don’t mean a thing,” Harper declared, “without the ring.” Rodman was a bit more emphatic. “It’s not our goal,” he said of the world championship. “It’s our destiny.” 

     Rodman was right. The Bulls won 15 0f 18 postseason games and captured the first championship in what eventually became their second “three-peat.”

 

 

Chicago Bulls 1995-96 schedule and results on Basketball Reference.

 

 

Check out our book Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports on Amazon.