September deaths
1) Stan Swanson – Swanson was signed out of high school by the Reds, and displayed power immediately. He struggled to combine power and batting average, however, seemingly seeing his power fall off in seasons where he hit well for average. After 8 years in the Reds organization, including 4 at the AAA level, he was traded to the Montreal Expos near the end of spring training in 1971, and he ended up making his pro debut, getting his only major league time that season, hitting .245/.310/.330 with 2 home runs over 49 games. He was 73.
1) Paul Schaal – Schaal was the definition of a gritty infielder in his time in the major leagues, though he likely would have been more valued in modern baseball, as he was able to walk at a very high rate. Over his 11 major league seasons, he hit .244/.341/.344 with a 516/466 BB/K over 1,128 games with the Royals and the Angels.
5) Tom Wright – A quality pinch hitter with little power, Wright made his biggest splash in his first extended major league exposure, hitting .318 in 1950 with the Red Sox over 54 games, but amassing just 115 plate appearances. Wright hit .255/.335/.355 over his 9 years in the league, totaling just 774 plate appearances with just 6 home runs total in his career. He was 93.
7) Gene Michael – While Michael was a solid major leaguer, playing 10 years and starting at shortstop in the early 1970s for the Yankees as a glove-first shortstop, he is certainly most well known for the work he did off of the field after he retired.
Michael was a master of the hidden ball trick on the field, and many felt his work as General Manager with the Yankees was nothing short of trickery as Michael took the team from its longest period of losing and built what would become the prime championship dynasty in the 1990s and 2000s.
Michael worked as Yankees manager in spurts of 1981 and 1982 as well as the Cubs manager from 1986-1987. His true skill was in his second go-round as the GM for the Yankees, however, as he put together the prime pieces that would win their first title in 1996 after he left the job, staying close to the team but enjoying more of an advisory role.
9) Jim Donohue – Big (6’4″) with a powerful fastball coming out of college, Donohue worked his way up the minors, making the majors in 1961, and pitching for three teams in the majors over his two seasons. Donahue was utilized as a long man, making 70 appearances and throwing 155 1/3 innings with a 4.29 ERA with the Angels, Tigers, and Twins. He was 79.
17) Dave Hilton – Hilton is often referred to when referencing the folly of the early MLB draft, as he was the #1 overall selection in the 1971 draft in the January phase. A year later, he made his major league debut, and he tried the next two seasons to establish himself in the Padres starting lineup. He hit .213/.265/.298 over 551 plate appearances. Hilton did go on to a successful career in Japanese baseball, hitting 38 home runs over 251 games in Japan.
20) Ed Phillips – Phillips worked his way up the Boston system with success until 1970, which happened to be the season he made his one and only season of appearances in the major leagues. Phillips posted a 6.62 ERA in AAA in 1970, actually improving out of the bullpen with the Red Sox, posting a 5.32 ERA over 18 relief appearances. He struggled to a 7.09 ERA in the minor leagues in 1971, and he was out of professional baseball after that season. He passed away at 73 years old.
20) Garry Hill – While Hill has only one big league appearance with the Braves to his major league credit, the former first round selection was able to influence many young people after he left the game through On Deck Baseball/Softball Skill Development Academy, an academy to develop the youth in the game, a passion he passed on to his sons. Hill was 70.
20) Mickey Harrington – The most limited of major league lifetime experience, Harrington’s one appearance in the major leagues was as a pinch runner for the Phillies in 1963. He passed away this year at 82 years old in his native Hattiesburg, Mississippi.