RIP to Tom Timmermann, who didn't reach the majors until he was 29 years old but had had one record-setting year as a closer. He was also the start of a multi-generation pitching family, although he didn't know that until well into his retirement. Timmermann died at his home in Farmington Hills, MI, on November 14, at the age of 85.

For six seasons, lefty Bill Pleis was a pretty reliable reliever for the Twins, contributing to the team's 1965 world championship. Then, for nearly 40 years, he worked as a scout, doing his part to help bring future generations of ballplayers into pro baseball. Pleis died on October 17 at the age of 88. During his playing career, he pitched for the Minnesota Twins from 1961-66.

By Al Doyle When starting pitchers routinely had 25 to 30-plus decisions in a season, a 10-10 performance represented ho-hum, mundane mediocrity. That kind of record might have been good enough for the back of the rotation, but 10-game winners were nothing special. Fewer innings for starters today make 20 decisions more of an accomplishment, but a .500 record is usually a path to obscurity. 

RIP to left-handed pitcher Rob Mallicoat, a one-time top prospect in the Houston organization before an array of injuries limited his major-league career to 53 games over 3 seasons. He died in Yakima, WA, on October 19 at the age of 60 from colon cancer. He played for the Houston Astros in 1987 and 1991-92. Robbin Dale Mallicoat was born in St.

An outfielder who made three National League All-Star teams in his career with the Cubs, Mets and Cardinals died.

Randy Jones became a San Diego icon, not only for a pitching peak that rivaled the best in baseball, but for his everyman approach to the game and to fame. Jones, the 1976 National League Cy Young Awa...

RIP to John Morris, who was, for 6 games, a member of the Seattle Pilots as part of an 8-year major-league pitching career. Morris died on October 15 in Scottsdale, AZ, at the age of 84. Morris played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1966), Baltimore Orioles (1968), Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers (1969-71) and San Francisco Giants (1972-74). John Wallace Morris was born in Lewes, DE, on August 23, 1941.

In the span of just 18 games, Jesús Montero made such a splash in the major leagues that he was included in a blockbuster offseason trade that was supposed to bring the New York Yankees a new ace pitcher. Montero, a one-time highly regarded catching prospect, died on October 19 in Valencia, Venezuela, after being involved in a motorcycle accident on October 4.

YouTube video by Farm Aid

By Al Doyle Except for double play situations, the concept of pitching to contact – as in efficiently inducing outs through grounders, popups and harmless fly balls – is nearly extinct in modern baseball. This style of pitching is often associated with soft tossers, but even guys with above-average velocity would go for quick outs in the past. Hall of Famer Jim Palmer is a prime example.

RIP to Larry Burright, an infielder who played in the majors for 3 years in the 1960s as part of a 9-year professional career. He died on October 15 at the age of 88. Burright played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1962) and New York Mets (1963-64). Larry Allen Burright was born in Roseville, IL, on July 10, 1937. His father Eldon was a mechanic, and he and Arabelle Burright had 3 sons.

To more recent generations, Sandy Alomar Sr. is best known as the father of two All-Star ballplayers. If you know of Sandy Alomar before the "Sr." was added to his name, you likely remember him as an All-Star major-leaguer in his own right. The elder Alomar played for 15 years in the majors and coached for many more. He died on October 13 at the age of 81, just 6 days shy of his birthday.