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MLB history: Who was lost to baseball in 2017

By Benjamin Chase

DETROIT, MI - APRIL 7: Marian Ilitch (2nd to right) and five children celebrate the life of former Detroit Tigers owner Michael Ilitch prior to the start of the opening day game against the Boston Red Sox on April 7, 2017 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 7: Marian Ilitch (2nd to right) and five children celebrate the life of former Detroit Tigers owner Michael Ilitch prior to the start of the opening day game against the Boston Red Sox on April 7, 2017 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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MLB history
DETROIT – OCTOBER 14: Michael Ilitch, owner of the Detroit Tigers celebrates with the AMerican League Championship trophy after the Tigers won 6-3 against the Oakland Athletics during Game Four of the American League Championship Series October 14, 2006 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. With the win the Tigers advanced to the World Series. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

February deaths

1) Mark Brownson – One of the more tragic stories of 2017 was the loss of Brownson at just 41 years old. Brownson was a guy with middling stuff that had to learn how to set up and out smart hitters to make it to the majors, which he finally did in 1998 at age 23.

He made just 11 major league appearances, throwing 48 innings with a 6.94 ERA. He continued playing minor league and independent baseball until he was 29. By that point, he had developed an addiction to pain killers that could tear apart his life, leading to divorce, and eventually a stronger addiction, heroin, which led to homelessness and a suspected overdose that eventually killed him.

10) Mike Ilitch – Ilitch was the founder of the fast food pizza franchise Little Caesars, and he turned the money he made from that into ownership in the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers. He was one of the most passionate owners in the game, frequently found at the ballpark or rink supporting his teams. He passed away at 87 years old.

The Tigers had been making some significant pushes the last few seasons to attempt to win during Ilitch’s lifetime, and that likely has put the team in the position of rebuilding that it is now. Ilitch also owned an Arena Football League team.

19) Harry MacPherson – During World War II, a number of players made major league appearances while regular major leaguers were serving overseas. One of those was young Harry MacPherson. He was just a month past his 18th birthday when he made his one major league appearance for the Boston Braves, throwing a scoreless inning. He was called into service himself after the 1944 season, and when he returned for the 1946 season, he never could make it back to the major leagues, pitching until 1951. He was 90 years old.

26) Ned Garver – Very feasibly stung by pitching for such poor teams over his career, Garver is not in the Hall of Fame, primarily because he has 129 total wins in his career, in spite of having much better seasons than some of his contemporaries that found their way to the Hall.

Garver had an incredible run in the early 1950s with the St. Louis Browns, who were one of the league’s worst teams. He led the entire American League in bWAR in 1950, but his 13-18 record didn’t get him a lot of MVP notice. In 1951, he led AL pitchers in bWAR, going 20-12, and he finished 2nd in the MVP voting. Garver was 91.

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