Thursday, December 30, 2010

Steve Boros, Ex-Detroit Tiger dies at 74

Former Detroit Tigers third baseman Steve Boros died Wednesday night in Deland, Florida according to the Detroit Free Press.. He was 74.

Boros was signed in 1957 as a "bonus baby" out of Northern High School in Flint, Michigan. Under the rules at the time, any rookie signed to a bonus exceeding $4,000 had to stay on the major league roster. Boros played sparingly during his rookie season appearing in only 24 games. He was sent to the minors in 1958, reappearing in six games for a late season call-up. He wouldn't return to the Tigers until 1961, when he became their full-time third baseman.

He played in the majors until 1965, spending time with the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. He continued to play at the Triple-A level for another four seasons. In 1970, he immediately went into managing at the Single-A level for the Kansas City Royals.

Boros returned to the "big show" as a manger in 1983, replacing Billy Martin as the manager in Oakland. He was replaced in May of 1984 by Jackie Moore. He took the reigns of the San Diego Padres from Dick Williams for one season in 1986. He would go on to coach for the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles in the mid 1990's.

His career ended with the same team he started with, working for the Tigers as a special assistant to the general manager in 2004 before retiring.

Angel Torres, Cuban baseball historian dies at 82

Famed Cuban baseball historian Angel Torres passed away Wednesday morning in Pico Rivera, California from a long standing illness. He was 82.

Known as the "Bible of Baseball" for his extensive knowledge of the game, Torres came to the United States through Mexico in 1964, landing in New York for three years before moving to California where he would develop his journalism career.

As an author, he has penned five books, including, "La Historia del Béisbol Cubano, La Leyenda del Béisbol Cubano, Tres Siglos del Béisbol Cubano, La Biblia del Béisbol y El Legado Deportivo de Angel Torres."


In 2009, he was honored by the city of Hialeah, Florida with a day in his name on November 14th.

He most recently maintained columns on La Estufa Caliente (The Hot Corner), Terreno de Pelota (The Baseball Field) and worked for Fox Sports doing their Spanish language regular season and World Series broadcasts with Ulpiano Cos Villa.

More Info -

Fallece el destacado historiador cubano Angel Torres -  El Nuevo Herald

El Mundo de Béisbol, Angel Torres - La Estufa Caliente (Torres' Online Articles)

Angel Torres Column @ Terreno de Pelota - Terreno de Pelota

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

What does Chin-lung Hu's acquisition mean for the rest of the Mets infielders?

Chin-lung Hu - shgmom56 / Flickr
With the New York Mets recently acquiring Chin-lung Hu from the Los Angeles Dodgers, what implications does it have for the rest of the Mets utility infielders? Click here to read some thoughts and analysis of the rest of the Mets players in competition with the former Dodgers top prospect.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Former Brooklyn Dodger Ken Lehman passes away at 82

Former Brooklyn Dodger left-hander Ken Lehman passed away earlier this month in Seattle, WA. He was 82. Lehman made his debut for the Dodgers in 1952 and also pitched for the Orioles and Phillies between 1956-1961. Click here to read more detailed on Lehman's career and passing.

Recent MLB Passings, Tony Roig, Bill Werle

The baseball family lost two more of its alumni, former Washington Senator infielder Tony Roig and pitcher Bill Werle who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.

Roig played parts of 21 seasons in professional baseball between 1948 and 1968, spending 1948-1962 primarily in the minor leagues, playing 76 games for the Senators between 1953-1956. After the 1962 season, Roig headed to Japan, hitting 126 home runs (1963-68) with the Pacific League’s Nishitetsu Lions and the Kintetsu Buffaloes. He then went on to become a scout and minor league manager for 30 years. He died October 20, 2010 in Liberty Lake, WA. He was 82.

Werle pitched six seasons in the majors between 1949-1954. He compiled a career record of 29-39 in 185 games, with his best season coming in 1949 with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he posted a 12-13 record with 10 complete games. He began his professional career with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1943, pitching with them through 1948 with a brief interruption in 1945 for service in World War II. He would go on to play AAA ball until 1961, serving as a player manager for Hawaii during his final season. This was Werle's introduction to his managerial career, as he mananged eight additional seasons from 1963-1970 at the A and AAA levels. After finishing his career as a manager, he became a scout for the Orioles and Indians for over 20 years. He died November, 27, 2010 in San Mateo, CA due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 89.