In Memoriam, 2021

Prominent Chicago sports figures who passed away in 2021 include Tony Esposito, the Blackhawks’ Hall of Fame goalie from 1969 through 1984; Jerry Harkness, captain of the Loyola Ramblers’ 1963 NCAA champion basketball team; LaMarr Hoyt, who won the American League Cy Young Award for the 1983 White Sox; and Roland Hemond, the beloved baseball executive who (along with Bill Veeck Jr.) saved the Sox for Chicago when it seemed inevitable that they would be gone.

     

TONY ESPOSITO

The people listed below each played a part in making Chicago the greatest sports town in the world. They will be missed.  

STAN ALBECK

Stan Albeck, 89, Bulls head coach 1985-1986; Bradley University men’s basketball head coach 1986-1991 (March 25).

Joe Altobelli, 88, Cubs manager 1991 (March 3).

LOU ANGOTTI

Lou Angotti, 83, Blackhawks center/right wing 1965-1967, 1969-1973; Chicago Cougars (WHA) center 1974-1975 (September 16).

LIONEL ANTOINE

Lionel Antoine, 71, Bears tackle 1972-1978, selected third overall in 1972 NFL draft (December 14).

Jon Arnett, 85, Bears halfback/end 1964-1966 (January 16).

Art Anderson, 84, Bears offensive tackle 1961-1962 (February 25).

RALPH BACKSTROM

Ralph Backstrom, 83, Blackhawks center 1972-1973; Chicago Cougars (WHA) center 1973-1975, co-owner 1974-1975 (February 7).

Hal Breeden, 76, Cubs first baseman 1971 (May 3).

Hy Cohen, 90, Cubs pitcher 1955 (February 4).

JOE CUNNINGHAM

Joe Cunningham, 89, White Sox first baseman/outfielder 1962-1964 (March 25).

Ralph Davis, 82, Chicago Packers (NBA) guard 1961-1962 (May 30).

Jeff Dickerson, 43, Bears reporter for ESPN Radio 2001-2021 and ESPN.com 2009-2021 (December 28).

Solly Drake, 90, Cubs outfielder 1956 (August 18).

TONY ESPOSITO

Tony Esposito, 78, Blackhawks goalie 1969-1984, five-time All-Star, three-time Vezina Trophy winner as outstanding goalie in NHL, Calder Trophy winner as NHL rookie of the year 1970, elected to Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988, sweater number 35 retired by Blackhawks in 1988, named among 100 greatest hockey players of all time in 2017, ranked by hockey-reference.com as the greatest player in Blackhawks history (August 10).

Adrian Garrett, 78, Cubs catcher/first baseman/outfielder 1970, 1973-1975 (April 22).

Howie Glover, 86, Blackhawks right wing 1958-1959 (June 15).

Johnny Groth, 95, White Sox outfielder 1954-1955 (August 7).

Shaler Halimon, 76, Bulls guard 1969-1971 (April 19).

Joe Hardy, 75, Chicago Cougars (WHA) center 1973-1975 (February 19).

JERRY HARKNESS

Jerry Harkness, 81, Loyola University men’s basketball point guard, 1960-1963, captain of 1963 NCAA championship team, first-team All-American 1963, uniform number 15 retired in 1991, inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame with his Loyola teammates in 2013 (August 24).

Chuck Hartenstein, 79, Cubs pitcher 1966-1968 (October 2).

Geno Hayes, 33, Bears linebacker 2012 (April 26).

Jimmy Hayes, 31, Blackhawks right wing 2011-2013 (August 23).

ROLAND HEMOND

Roland Hemond, 92, White Sox general manager 1970-1985, senior vice president 2001-2007, The Sporting News Major League Executive of the Year 1972; founded Arizona Fall League 1992; recipient of Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award from National Baseball Hall of Fame 2011 (December 12).

LaMARR HOYT

LaMarr Hoyt, 66, White Sox pitcher 1979-1984, American League Cy Young Award 1983, led American League in wins 1982 and 1983 (November 29).

Doug Jones, 64, Cubs pitcher 1996 (November 22).

Don Kojis, 82, Bulls forward 1966-67, started first game in franchise history on October 15, 1966 (November 19).

ROGER LeCLERC

Roger LeClerc, 84, Bears placekicker and linebacker 1960-1966, member of 1963 world championship team (January 21).

Cyril Pinder, 74, Bears running back 1971-1972 (January 23).

JUAN PIZARRO

Juan Pizarro, 84, White Sox pitcher 1961-1966, All-Star 1963-1964; Cubs pitcher 1970-1973 (February 18).

Ken Reitz, 69, Cubs third baseman 1981 (March 31).

John Roach, 87, Chicago Cardinals quarterback/defensive back 1956, 1959 (February 18).

EDDIE ROBINSON

Eddie Robinson, 100, White Sox first baseman 1950-1952, All-Star 1951-1952 (October 4).

Bobby Schmautz, Blackhawks right wing 1967-1969 (March 28).

Tom Simpson, 93, Cubs pitcher 1953 (February 7).

Fred Stanfield, 77, Blackhawks center/wing 1964-1967 (September 13).

Wayne Terwilliger, 95, Cubs second baseman 1949-1951 (February 3).

DICK TIDROW

Dick Tidrow, 74, Cubs pitcher 1979-1982; White Sox pitcher 1983 (July 10).

Vito Valentinetti, 92, White Sox pitcher 1954; Cubs pitcher 1956-1957 (August 5).

Granville Waiters, 60, Bulls center 1986-1988 (March 23).

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

John Madden, 1936 - 2021

John Madden was known to successive generations as the winning coach in Super Bowl XI, as the man who revolutionized the role of analyst in sports broadcasting (receiving 16 Emmy awards in the process), and as the face of the most popular sports video game ever produced.

     

JOHN MADDEN ARRIVES AT WALTER PAYTON'S FUNERAL.

Madden never played, coached, or lived in Chicago, but he did have a Chicago connection that’s worthy of mention. From the early 1980s until he passed away this week, Madden was unequivocal that Bears immortal Walter Payton ranked as his favorite player of all time.

     Madden spoke at Payton’s funeral in 1999. “Too many people judge a running back only by how many rushing yards he has,” Madden said that day. “You seldom hear how many passes a running back caught for how many yards. And you hardly ever hear how good a blocker he is, either as a pass blocker, picking up a blitzing linebacker, or as a run blocker for the other running back—but that’s how coaches evaluate a running back. And that’s why Walter Payton is the best running back I’ve ever seen.”

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Shining Between the Pipes

The Blackhawks are well represented on the list of winningest goalies in National Hockey League history. Among the most prominent Hawks netminders of the past six or seven decades, only Corey Crawford does not rank among the all-time leaders in career regular-season victories. Glenn Hall, Tony Esposito, Ed Belfour, and Dominik Hasek do.

     

MARC-ANDRE FLEURY

     And so does Marc-Andre Fleury, who is only the third goalie of all time to log 500 victories. He reached that milestone last Thursday night with a 2-0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens, the team he idolized while growing up just an hour from their rink. Canadiens fans chanted Fleury’s name as the clock ticked down and gave him a standing ovation after the horn sounded. 

     “I don’t know why,” Fleury said, “but in this building I’ve always had a tough time winning games. It meant a lot to have so many people from Quebec being proud of me being from here and achieving this goal.”

     In the dressing room, the humble Fleury grabbed the WWE-style belt that goes to the Hawks’ most valuable player of each winning game and presented it to Jonathan Toews, in honor of the captain’s first goal this season. Reasoning that Fleury’s 500th victory (a shutout, no less) was the greater achievement, Toews gave the belt right back to Fleury. 

     

     Fleury already has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup three times from his days with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Vezina Trophy as the league’s outstanding goalie of 2020-21 belongs to him thanks to his performances for the Vegas Golden Knights. 

     He has won 375 games for the Penguins, 117 for the Knights, and eight (so far) for the Hawks.

     Below is the current list of the NHL’s all-time leaders in regular-season wins by goalies. (Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of victories achieved in a Blackhawks sweater.)

        Goalie                                    Years                     Wins         

          1. Martin Brodeur                 1991 - 2015            691       

          2. Patrick Roy                      1984 - 2003            551

          3. Marc-Andre Fleury           2003 -                     500  (8) 

          4. Roberto Luongo               1999 - 2019            489

          5. Ed Belfour                        1988 - 2007            484  (201)

          6. Henrik Lundqvist              2005 - 2020            459

          7. Curtis Joseph                   1989 - 2009            454

          8. Terry Sawchuk                  1949 - 1970            445

          9. Jacques Plante                 1952 - 1973            437 

        10. Tony Esposito                   1968 - 1984            423  (418)

        11. Glenn Hall                         1952 - 1971            407  (276)

        12. Grant Fuhr                        1981 - 2000            403

        13. Chris Osgood                    1993 - 2011            401

        14. Ryan Miller                        2002 -                     391

        15. Dominik Hasek                  1990 - 2008            389  (13)

  

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Mr. White Sox Joins the Hall of Fame

Orestes “Minnie” Minoso, a.k.a. “Mr. White Sox,” has finally been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Needless to say, the honor was long overdue. 

     Born in Havana, Cuba, Minoso was the first significant Latin American star in major league history. He finished second in voting for the American League Rookie of the Year in 1951. He finished fourth in voting for Most Valuable Player in 1951, 1953, 1954, and 1960. He won three Gold Gloves and was a nine-time All-Star.

     

MINNIE MINOSO

When Minoso made his debut with the Sox on May 1, 1951, he became the first Black player to appear in a major-league game for either Chicago team (almost three full seasons before Ernie Banks and Gene Baker joined the Cubs).

In his first seven seasons, Minoso hit over .300 five times, knocked in 100 or more runs three times, and led the league in stolen bases three times. His aggressive style ignited the Go-Go White Sox, and he became the most popular player on the South Side. But then he was traded to Cleveland, and he missed the pennant year of 1959.

Minoso returned to the White Sox in 1960. A record opening-day crowd of 41,661 at Comiskey Park gave him a hero’s welcome, and he gave them their money’s worth. He went 2-f0r-4 and drove in six runs on a grand slam, a sacrifice fly, and a walk-off home run leading off the bottom of the ninth. He also threw out two Kansas City baserunners at home plate. The Sox prevailed 10-9.

“I’m comfortable here,” he said after the game. “I was here before and I feel like this is my home.” 

When it was all said and done, Minoso had played on the South Side from 1951 through 1958, 1960 through 1961, and in 1964 (he also played briefly in 1976 and 1980, thanks to owner Bill Veeck’s fondness for publicity stunts). 

Minnie’s number 9 was retired in 1983, a statue of him was erected in 2004, and he remained a constant presence at White Sox home games through 2014. He passed away during spring training in 2015.

 

  

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Worth a Thousand Words: Buck O'Neil

John “Buck” O’Neil, who was (finally) elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame this week, became the first Black coach in the major leagues when he signed on with the Cubs in 1962. That was a significant accomplishment in its own right, but it ranks as little more than a footnote when one considers the full sweep of O’Neil’s career—which stretched from his first taste of semi-pro ball in 1924 (at age 12) to his retirement as a part-time scout in 2006 (the same year he passed away at 94).

BUCK O'NEIL AS A CUBS COACH.

     Much of O’Neil’s career was spent in the Negro American League, most notably as a player, manager, and executive with the Kansas City Monarchs. In the latter capacity, he helped engineer the Cubs’ acquisition of Ernie Banks from the Monarchs in 1953. He later served as a scout for the Cubs, signing Lou Brock, Oscar Gamble, Lee Smith, and Joe Carter, among others, and acting as a mentor and confidante to Billy Williams.

     In 1994, O’Neil stole the show in Ken Burns’s acclaimed PBS documentary series Baseball. His ebullient personality and riveting stories fascinated millions of people who had never heard of him before.

     Around the same time, he co-founded America’s Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City and donated his own personal memorabilia to get the museum started. 

     In 2005, the National Baseball Hall of Fame set up a special committee to select previously overlooked Negro Leagues players and owners for induction. Incredibly, O’Neil did not make the cut—but, generous even to a fault, he showed up on induction day at Cooperstown and spoke eloquently on behalf of the 16 men and one woman who were selected.

     “I’m not bitter,” O’Neil said at the time. “My grandfather was a slave. He was not bitter. I learned that from him. And you know what? I wouldn’t trade my life for anybody’s.” 

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

 

LaMarr Hoyt, 1955 - 2021

LaMarr Hoyt, who passed away this week, joined Richard Dotson, Floyd Bannister, and Britt Burns in the quartet of young starting pitchers that carried the 1983 White Sox to the franchise's first postseason appearance since 1959. 

     

LaMARR HOYT

The burly, bearded righthander was listed at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds--but he admitted to weighing "a ways above" 240. After leading the American League with 19 victories in 1982, Hoyt lost six of his first eight decisions as the Sox struggled through the early going in 1983. He then went 22-4 for the rest of the season, and the South Siders romped to the division title by 19 games.

     Hoyt ended up 24-10 for the year, with a 3.66 earned run average, 11 complete games, and only 31 walks in 260 innings. He received the Cy Young Award after the season.

     In what turned out to be the only postseason game of his career, Hoyt scattered five hits, walked none, and went the distance as the Sox beat Baltimore 2-1 in the opener of the 1983 American League Championship Series. Alas, the Orioles captured the next three games to clinch the series. Hoyt would have been on the mound for a decisive Game 5 that never took place. "No way did I want to see Hoyt tomorrow," said Orioles outfielder Ken Singleton after Game 4.

     Hoyt was involved in two trades for noteworthy White Sox shortstops. As a minor leaguer in April 1977, he was traded by the New York Yankees to the Sox with outfielder Oscar Gamble for Bucky Dent. In December 1984, he was dealt to the San Diego Padres for four players, including Ozzie Guillen.

     Despite his prodigious size, Hoyt could barely throw hard enough to break a pane of glass. Therefore, he needed to get by on guts and guile--both of which he had in abundance. "What I learned to do," he said, "was to make the absolute most of the limited talent I had. I couldn't ever blow hitters away, but I could put a ball where I wanted, and I could make the ball move. I knew how to attack the corners of the plate."

     Injuries and personal issues derailed his career soon after the glory year of 1983, but Hoyt is still remembered fondly by fans and teammates. "He had average stuff," White Sox manager Tony LaRussa said, "but amazing command and tremendous confidence. He never showed fear. What a great competitor."

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