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.

Dick Allen, 1942 - 2020

This must be the worst year ever for losing baseball stars of bygone days. Dick Allen has now joined the list that already included Lou Brock, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan, Tom Seaver, Jimmy Wynn, and Chicago favorites Glenn Beckert, Ed Farmer, and Jay Johnstone. Allen passed away today at his home in Wampum, Pennsylvania (the same town in which he was born on March 8, 1942).

    

DICK ALLEN

One of the most talented and enigmatic players of recent decades, Allen joined the White Sox in 1972 after eight seasons in the National League as “Richie” Allen. “Anyone who knows me well calls me Dick,” he said. “I don’t know why as soon as I put on a uniform it’s Richie. It makes me sound like I’m ten years old.” The Sox became Allen’s fourth team in four years when they acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for lefthander Tommy John. 

     As he had done with his previous clubs, Allen marched to his own beat. He skipped batting practice, traveled separately from his teammates, and smoked on the bench. He showed up late even for the All-Star Game. Despite all this, he flourished with the Sox—at least for a while. Allen’s teammates liked and respected him, although they didn’t necessarily understand him. Manager Chuck Tanner hailed from New Castle, Pennsylvania, a stone’s throw from Wampum, and had known the Allen family for years. He blithely admitted that he had one set of rules for Allen and another for the rest of the club.

     The recalcitrant slugger responded, using his amazing strength and bat speed to terrorize American League pitchers in 1972. Allen clouted a then-club-record 37 homers to go with 113 RBIs and a .308 average as the Sox stayed in contention all year and jumped from ninth to third in A.L. attendance. “He made it fun,” general manager Roland Hemond said. “Dick got the fans out to the ballpark again.”

     Allen led the American League in homers, runs batted in, walks, on-base percentage, slugging, and on-base plus slugging (OPS) — and won the Most Valuable Player award in a landslide. A particular highlight was a doubleheader sweep of the Yankees on June 4 before a Bat Day crowd of 51,904 at Comiskey Park. In the nightcap, the Sox were trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth when Allen blasted a three-run pinch-hit homer into the upper deck in left field.

     Allen seemed to be on his way to an even better year in 1973 before he missed the last three months of the season with a broken leg. In 1974, he missed the last three weeks by his own choice—but still led the league in home runs, slugging, and OPS. 

     Allen used the heaviest bat in the majors, a 42-ounce war club, and launched the most wicked line drives. He literally hit the ball through the back of a wooden seat on more than one occasion. He was also an alert and daring baserunner. He always wore a batting helmet in the field, a reminder of his days in Philadelphia, where fans pelted him with coins, batteries, and even bottles. White Sox fans showered Allen only with love, but even so, his attention span finally gave out during his third year in Chicago. He quit the team and went home on September 14, 1974.

      In his day, Allen was called a malcontent, a troublemaker, even a clown. He was none of those things. He was a quiet, introverted man who loved playing baseball but hated a lot of the stuff that went with it. If he had come along a decade or two later, his individualism would have been accepted and perhaps even celebrated. As it was, while few people claimed to know what made Allen tick, no one ever denied that he was a phenomenal talent. When Rich “Goose” Gossage was elected to the Hall of Fame, he was asked to name the player who had impressed him the most over the years. He chose Allen. “He’s the greatest player I’ve ever seen,” said Gossage.

 
 

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