July deaths
2) Bob Perry – Perry was incredibly talented, but seemed to struggle to harness that talent on the field, which is why 8 organizations gave him minor league time over the course of 16 minor league seasons, in which he hit 240 minor league home runs. He played two major league seasons with the Angels in 1963-1964, totaling 131 games, hitting .266/.310/.362 with 6 home runs.
4) Gene Conley – An incredibly unique player in major league history, Conley was a 4-time All-Star in his 11 years with the Braves, Phillies, and Red Sox. He also won the World Series with the 1957 Braves. The 6’8″ Conley had the unique experience of also being a 3-time champion in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, where he was a reserve power forward. He and Otto Graham are the only two athletes to win championships in two of the major sports. He was 86.
6) Dom Zanni – Zanni was originally signed out of high school and endured 7 minor league seasons in the Giants organization before making the major leagues in his 8th professional season at age 26. Zanni pitched for three major league organizations for a total of 7 years, making 111 appearances, all but 3 in relief, with a 3.79 ERA. He was 85.
15) Bob Wolff – Wolff was an incredible influence on broadcasting, spending years covering baseball. He holds the Guinness World Record for longest sports broadcasting career, which he eclipsed in 2014. Wolff had the honor of calling Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series among his incredible broadcasting credits. He was the primary voice for the Washington Senators starting in 1947 and moved with the team when they moved from D.C. to Minnesota. He was 96 years old.
18) John Rheinecker – In a tragic story, former Rangers left-hander Rheinecker took his life at age 38 after suffering from heavy alcohol and heroin use after his baseball career. The lefty made his major league debut in 2006 at age 27 after being a 1st round selection 6 years prior. He holds a unique note on his major league career as he is the only player to be hit by pitch in his only plate appearance as a major leaguer.
29) Lee May – When recalling the Big Red Machine, many list names like Bench, Rose, Morgan, Perez, and Foster, but often many forget May, who was the powerful first baseman on those early Red Machine teams before he headed to Houston and then Baltimore. May peaked at 39 home runs in a season, hitting 354 in his career over 18 seasons with the Reds, Astros, Orioles, and finally the Royals. May returned to the Royals as a hitting coach, earning a World Series ring with the 1985 Royals. He’s had a son and now a grandson play in minor league baseball. May died at age 74 of pneumonia.