George Scott obit

George ‘Boomer’ Scott, baseball all-star, dies at 69

He was not on the list.

George “Boomer” Scott, who won eight Gold Glove awards for his defense and played more games at first base for the Boston Red Sox than any player in team history, died July 28 in his hometown of Greenville, Miss. He was 69.

The Red Sox confirmed his death in a statement. The cause was not disclosed, but the Boston Herald reported last year that Mr. Scott was suffering from diabetes.

Mr. Scott, a right-handed power hitter who liked to call his home runs “taters,” spent nine of his 14 major league seasons with the Red Sox and is Boston’s all-time leader at first base with 988 games played, including 944 starts. He hit 154 of his 271 career home runs with the Red Sox and was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2006.

“In losing George Scott, we have lost one of the most talented, colorful and popular players in our history,” Red Sox team historian Dick Bresciani said. “He had great power and agility, with a large personality and a large physical stature. He could light up a clubhouse with his smile, his laugh, and his humor — and he was the best defensive first baseman I have ever seen.”

Mr. Scott was a member of the Boston team that went to the 1967 World Series, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. He won the first of his Gold Gloves that season while batting .303 and driving in 82 runs.

Mr. Scott made his major league debut the previous season, when he hit 27 home runs and had 90 runs batted in. He played all 162 games as a rookie, marking the last time a Red Sox infielder played every game in a season.

Beginning in 1972, Mr. Scott spent five seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, winning a Gold Glove as the best fielder at his position each year. In 1975, he led the American League with 109 runs batted in for the Brewers and tied Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson with a league-best 36 home runs.

Mr. Scott returned to Boston in 1977 and played briefly for the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees during his final season in 1979. He was named to the American League all-star teams in 1966, 1975 and 1977. Complete information about survivors could not be confirmed.

Notable teammates and managers include: Carl Yastrzemski, Tony Conigliaro, Rico Petrocelli, Billy Herman, Dick Williams, Joe Foy, Jim Lonborg, Bobby Doerr, Elston Howard, Ken Harrelson, Dick Ellsworth, Ray Culp, Sparky Lyle, Reggie Smith, Eddie Popowski, Mike Nagy, Ron Kline, Juan Pizarro, Eddie Kasko, Gary Peters, Sonny Siebert, Bill Lee, Luis Tiant, Luis Aparicio, Roy McMillan, Del Crandall, John Briggs,  Darrell Porter, Dave May, Don Money, Jim Colborn, Ed Sprague, Robin Yount, Johnny Briggs, Tom Murphy, Harvey Kuenn, Hank Aaron, Alex Grammas, Gorman Thomas, Don Zimmer, Carlton Fisk, Butch Hobson, Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, Dwight Evans, Ferguson Jenkins, Bill Campbell, Rick Burleson, Dennis Eckersley, Jerry Remy, Mike Torrez, Bob Stanley, John Tudor, Whitey Herzog, Frank White, Willie Wilson, Dan Quisenberry, George Brett, Hal McRae, Dennis Leonard, Clint Hurdle, Bob Lemon, Billy Martin, Thurman Munson, Jim Kaat, Catfish Hunter, Ron Guidry, Dave Righetti, Bucky Dent, Goose Gossage, Reggie Jackson, Yogi Berra, Lou Piniella, Graig Nettles, Tommy John, Chris Chambliss and Willie Randolph.