Jerry Lynch obit

Bay County loses legend Jerry Lynch, one of baseball's all-time great pinch-hitters

 He was not on the list.

When the situation called for something special, the Cincinnati Reds called for Jerry Lynch.

The legend from Munger, Michigan, who went on to become one of the greatest pinch-hitters in Major League Baseball history, died Saturday in an Atlanta hospital, according to his niece. He was 81.

Lynch played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds from 1954-66, retiring with the Major League record of 18 career pinch-hit home runs. That mark still ranks third all-time while his 116 career pinch hits ranks 10th.

Lynch was a member of the inaugural induction class into the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

"It's always a moment of sadness when you lose one of the elite," said O.J. Cunningham, president of the Hall of Fame. "And he was certainly one of Bay City's hometown heroes."

Lynch honed his skills at St. Norbert Catholic Church field, playing in the Bay County Federation League before he left for Greenville, S.C. of the Class C Cotton State League at age 19.

He spent 1951-52 in service with the U.S. Army during the Korean War but returned to baseball with his signing by the Pittsburgh Pirates. A blood clot in his shoulder hampered his throwing, but he turned himself into a big leaguer with his aggressive bat.

His career took off after joining the Reds in 1957. He hit .312 with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs in 1958 then helped Cincinnati reach the 1961 World Series by batting .315. That was the season her certified himself as a rare offensive weapon off the bench.

Lynch batted a whopping .404 in pinch-hit situation, slamming five home runs. He belted a two-run, eighth-inning home run to beat the Chicago Cubs and clinch the National League pennant for the Reds.

He finished as a career .277 hitter with 115 home runs, 470 RBIs and 798 hits. But his pinch-hitting prowess made him a legend, earning him a spot in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1988.

In his New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, James made a case for Lynch being named MVP for his 1961 heroics.

"He hit over .400 as a pinch hitter with power and played 44 games in the outfield. His slugging percentage of .624 and 50 RBI in 181 at-bats was a far better rate than Roger Maris had that same season, hitting 61 home runs," James wrote. "More than that, Lynch had big, big hits; game after game, when the Reds were in danger of falling short, Lynch came up with the big hit to put them back in front, and the Reds, picked to finish sixth, won the pennant."

nicknamed "the Hat", "Lynch the Pinch" and "the Allison Park Sweeper", was an American professional baseball outfielder who ranked among the most prolific pinch hitters in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. He played 13 seasons (1954-1966) with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds.

Lynch was a central figure for the Reds in the 1961 season, which saw them capture their first National League pennant in 21 years. He finished 22nd in the NL Most Valuable Player vote despite a mere 181 at-bats that season. In 1988, he was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

In his career, Lynch hit .277 on 798 hits, 123 doubles, 34 triples and 115 home runs in 1,184 games. He had 470 RBI, 364 runs scored and 224 walks along with .329 on-base and .463 slugging percentages.

Because of limited range in the field and an inability to hit left-handed pitchers consistently at the plate, Lynch never played more than 122 games in any season. But especially versus righties in pressure situations, he was one of the most feared lefty pinch hitters of his era. His 116 hits off the bench rank 10th in MLB history. Lynch owned the most career pinch-hit home runs (18) at the time of his retirement and still ranks third overall.

"The best pinch hitter I ever saw, by far, no question, has to be Smoky Burgess," Lynch said of his former Reds and Pirates teammate in a 1994 Baseball Digest story. "He was gifted. But I was the best clutch hitter because I hit 18 dingers. I rang the bell 18 times. Hey, if you don't think you're the best, who will?"

In a 10-year period (1957–66), Lynch hit at least one pinch-hit homer in all except the 1960 season, when he had a then MLB-record 76 appearances off the bench. Overall, he amassed 90 RBI in 435 at-bats in that role, a rate of one per 4.8 attempts along with 18 home runs. Overall, Lynch batted .264 (115-for-435) as a pinch-hitter in his MLB career.

"The good pinch-hitter is the guy who can relax enough to get the pitch he can hit," Lynch was quoted as saying. "You almost always do get one pitch to hit every time you bat. So you have to have the patience to wait. And then you've got to be able to handle the pitch when you get it."

Lynch was born on July 17, 1930, in Bay City, Michigan, where he attended Bay City Central High School. He began his pro career as a 19-year-old with the Class C Greenville (Miss.) Bucks of the Cotton States League in 1950 before the New York Yankees acquired his contract. After two years in the military, he returned to lead the Class B Piedmont League in batting average (.333), slugging percentage (.592), hits (180), triples (22) and RBI (133). Despite his obvious potential, there was little chance for advancement to the veteran-laden Yankees parent club, and the Pirates selected him in the Rule 5 Draft after the season.

Lynch made his MLB debut with the Pirates on April 15, 1954, in a 7–4 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Starting in right field and batting third, he had one hit in four trips to the plate. His first hit came off pitcher Russ Meyer, a two-run single in the ninth inning.

A semi-regular in his first two seasons, Lynch was held back by injuries that resulted in a late start to the 1956 campaign, when he appeared in only 19 games. The Reds claimed him in the Rule 5 Draft in the off-season. Lynch returned to the Pirates in 1963 in a trade that sent outfielder Bob Skinner to the Reds. It was there that team broadcaster Jim Woods referred to him as The Allison Park Sweeper because of his suburban Pittsburgh residence and quick, productive bat.

Lynch struck his final homer on August 12, 1966, a pinch-hit solo blast against the Reds that tied the score in the ninth inning of an eventual 14-11 victory in Cincinnati. It marked his final at-bat at Crosley Field, where he hit more homers (46) than any other ballpark. The Pirates released him after the season.

Rich Jeffries obit

Richard JEFFRIES Obituary

 He was not on the list.

JEFFRIES, Richard JEFFRIES, Richard aka Jefferson Ray Richards The Second, age 73, passed away March 30, 2012 from pulmonary fibrosis. Rich was born Sept. 1, 1938 in Atlanta, GA. Following his graduation from Bass High School and a career as a drummer in a local band, Rich moved to Los Angeles, CA to pursue a career as an actor. He appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows and he was a Lighting Tech on movies and TV. Rich was also an announcer on Super Password with Bert Convey in the mid 1980s. Rich was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Martha McBride Richards. He is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Brenda Chitwood Jeffries and numerous aunts and cousins. Tax deductible donations in Richard's memory can be made to: Humane Society of Ventura County PO Box 297 Ojai, CA 93024

Rich grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and attended Bass High School. After being a drummer in a local band, Rich decided to enter show business and moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a career as a TV and movie actor.[1] After appearing in bit roles on various television shows and movies, Rich worked as a lighting technician before beginning work for Mark Goodson Productions.

Jeffries also was the first announcer of Super Password with Bert Convy in the mid 1980s.

Although there are no references provided to substantiate the following claims, it's believed Jeffries was a frequent substitute announcer. Among the shows he subbed on were Password Plus and The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, substituting for Wood; Time Machine, where he subbed for Charlie Tuna, and Love Connection, where he subbed for Wood, once again, which was his last substitute announcing job, before the job was given to veteran game show announcer Johnny Gilbert, and later to John Cervenka, one of The Groundlings. Jeffries was also one of the rotation of announcers that took turns announcing for The Price Is Right after original announcer Johnny Olson died in 1985, but was passed over in favor of Rod Roddy in 1986.

Self

Chuck Woolery in Love Connection (1983)

Love Connection

6.2

TV Series

Self - Announcer (voice)

1987–1988

195 episodes

 

Blockbusters

6.4

TV Series

Self - Announcer

1987

2 episodes

 

Bert Convy in Super Password (1984)

Super Password

7.3

TV Series

Self - Announcer

1984–1986

48 episodes

 

The Price is Right (1972)

The Price is Right

7.5

TV Series

Self - Try-Out Announcer

1986

6 episodes

 

Rod Arrants in Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour (1983)

Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour

6.2

TV Series

Self - Announcer

1984

6 episodes

 

Bill Cullen in Blockbusters (1980)

Blockbusters

7.3

TV Series

Self - Guest Announcer (voice)

1982

10 episodes

 

Tom Kennedy in Password Plus (1979)

Password Plus

7.6

TV Series

Self - Sub-Announcer

1981

2 episodes

Ray Narleski obit

Ray Narleski, 2-time all-star and part of Indians' great bullpen in historic 1954 season, dies at age 83

 

He was not on the list.

Ray Narleski, a two-time all-star with the Indians and a key to their brilliant bullpen during the historic 1954 season, died on March 29 at age 83.

Narleski died of natural causes, his wife of 63 years, Ruth, said through the funeral home near the Narleski home in Gloucester Township, New Jersey.

Narleski was a right-handed rookie relief pitcher for the Indians when they set the American League record for wins, finishing 111-43, before being swept in the World Series by the New York Giants. The wins record has been broken since the schedule was expanded to 162 games.

Sharing the bulk of the bullpen duties with two left-handers, Don Mossi and future Hall of Famer Hal Newhouser, Narleski was 3-2 with 13 saves and a 1.95 ERA in 40 relief appearances spanning 78 1/3 innings, holding hitters to a .171 batting average. He pitched in two World Series games, not getting a decision while allowing one run in four innings.

With his blazing fastball and a good assortment of off-speed pitches, Narleski finished sixth in the American League MVP voting in 1955. He led AL pitchers with 60 appearances and with 19 saves, during an era when there were fewer save opportunities as starters pitched more complete games. Narleski was 9-1 with a 3.71 ERA in 111 2/3 innings.

Narleski made the AL all-star team in 1956 and 1958, pitching 3 1/3 scoreless relief innings during the AL’s 4-3 win over the National League in 1958.

In his five seasons with the Indians, Narleski was 39-21 with 53 saves and a 3.22 ERA in 224 games, including 42 starts.

Narleski was named among the Top 100 Greatest Indians during the team’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2001.

The Indians traded Narleski, Mossi and infielder Ossie Alvarez to the Tigers for pitcher Al Cicotte and infielder Billy Martin — who went on to managing fame — on Nov. 20, 1958.

Narleski was 4-12 with five saves for Detroit in 1959. He was hampered by a sore pitching shoulder, but retired after the season, at age 30, also due to a ruptured disc in his back.

Narleski's father, Bill Narleski, was a Red Sox infielder in 1929-30. In his book, "The Cleveland Indians Encyclopedia," former Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Russell Schneider wrote that Narleski credited his father's practice time with him for his success.

“Never give in to a hitter,” was a piece of advice from his father that Narleski never forgot, he said.

One of Ray Narleski's three sons, Steve Narleski, pitched in the Indians' minor league system from 1976-83, reaching Class AAA but never the major leagues.

Luke Askew obit

 

'Big Love's' Luke Askew Dies, 80

Appeared in more than 80 productions in his lifetime

 

He was not on the list.

Luke Askew, whose final roles were playing the scary and somewhat crazy polygamist Holl Green in the HBO series "Big Love" has died. He was 80.

Askew passed away on March 29 from complications of lung cancer, but news didn't really get out until this week when Oregon Live broke the story.

Born in Georgia, Askew died quietly in the Lake Oswego, Ore., condominium he shared with his wife. He had just turned 80 three days before.

Nancy Hedin, Askew's neighbor, told Oregon Live that she would sometimes visit the couple and watch some of Askew's work with them.

"They both mostly kept to themselves, but every once in a while, I could hear his voice from my unit," Hedin said. "You could just tell he was an actor."

Askew was born March 26, 1932, in Macon, Georgia He got his first big break in acting in 1967 when he was 35 years old and cast in "Hurry Sundown" with Michael Caine, Jane Fonda and Faye Dunaway. He would later appear in a number of other popular movies, mostly in smaller or bit roles, including "Cool Hand Luke" in 1967, "The Green Berets" in 1968 and "Easy Rider" in 1969.

His first big television role was in a 1968 epode of "Mission: Impossible" where Victor Pietro Duchell in the epode "The Execution." He would return in 1973 to play Dawson in the episode "The Fountain". He also had a strong role in a 1971 epode of "Bonanza" where he played Sheriff Hatch.

Spending decades appearing in a number of television shows like "L.A. Law," "Knight Rider," "Murder, She Wrote" and even "The 4400," h longest and probably most popular recurring role wouldn't come until 2007 when he was cast to play Hollis Green in the "Big Love" episode "Dating Game."

Green was the "prophet" of a rival polygamy group, known for being quite merciless when it came to meeting his goals. However, he was also not fully with it, his social mannerisms probably best described as not fully there.

He would appear in 10 epodes of the show, h final appearance in "Blood Atonement" in February 2010.

Askew was never afraid to take on challenging roles, even if there was some negative societal impact. Although playing a violent polygamist would raise eyebrows today, even at the beginning of his career he as not afraid to take chances, in fact being brave enough to don long hair in "Cool Hand Luke" despite it being heavily frowned upon for men to do that. He was one of the first in that era to wear h hear long, but when he was not on set, he had to wear a hat, according to reports that looked back at h time there.

Besides his wife, Askew also survived by a son, Christopher.

Selected filmography

 

    Hurry Sundown (1967) .... Dolph Higginson

    The Happening (1967) .... Second Motorcycle Officer

    Cool Hand Luke (1967) .... Boss Paul

    Will Penny (1967) .... Foxy

    The Devil's Brigade (1968) .... Private Hubert Hixon

    The Green Berets (1968) .... Sergeant Provo

    Easy Rider (1969) .... Stranger on Highway

    Flareup (1969) .... Alan Moris

    Night of the Serpent (1969) .... Luke

    Angel Unchained (1970) .... Jonathan Tremaine

    The Culpepper Cattle Company (1972) .... Luke

    The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972) .... Jim Younger

    The Magnificent Seven Ride (1972) .... Mark Skinner

    Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973) .... Eno

    Slipstream (1973) .... Mike Mallard

    A Matter of Wife... and Death (1975) .... Snell

    Posse (1975) .... Krag

    Walking Tall Part 2 (1975) .... Pinky Dobson

    Mackintosh and T.J. (1975) .... Cal

    Rolling Thunder (1977) .... Automatic Slim

    Wanda Nevada (1979) .... Ruby Muldoon

    The Beast Within (1982) .... Dexter Ward

    The Warrior and the Sorceress (1984) .... Zeg the Tyrant

    Bialy smok (1987) .... Frank Brown

    Bulletproof (1988) .... Gen. Gallo

    Back to Back (1989) .... Wade Duro

    No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (1990) .... Atteron

    Dune Warriors (1991) .... William

    The Friends of Harry (1995) .... Harry

    Frank & Jesse (1995) .... Lone Rider

    Savage (1996) ... Capt. Rohmer

    Traveller (1997) .... Boss Jack Costello

    The Newton Boys (1998) .... Chief Schoemaker

    South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000) .... Leland Henry

    Frailty (2001) .... Sheriff Smalls

    The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005) .... Alec Campbell

 

Television

 

    Mission: Impossible (1968) – The Execution .... Victor Pietro Duchell

    The High Chaparral (1969) – Shadow on the Wind .... Johnny Ringo

    Bonanza (1971; part of last season that was not aired*) – Kingdom of Fear .... Deputy Hatch

    Bearcats! (1971) – Man in a Cage .... Greer

    BJ and the Bear (1979) .... Blackwell

    Knight Rider (1983) - A Nice, Indecent Little Town .... Ron Austin

    Big Love (2007–2010) .... Hollis Green (final appearance)

Blues Great Earl Scruggs #2

Blues great Earl Scruggs is the second person from the list of 500 to pass away. His obituary:

Earl Scruggs dies at age 88

Bluegrass legend and banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs, who helped profoundly change country music with

Bill Monroe in the 1940s and later with guitarist Lester Flatt, has died. He was 88.


Scruggs' son Gary said his father died of natural causes Wednesday morning at a Nashville, Tenn., hospital.


Earl Scruggs was an innovator who pioneered the modern banjo sound. His use of three fingers rather than the clawhammer style elevated the banjo from a part of the rhythm section — or a comedian's prop — to a lead instrument.


His string-bending and lead runs became known worldwide as "the Scruggs picking style" and the versatility it allowed has helped popularize the banjo in almost every genre of music.


The debut of Bill Monroe and The Blue Grass Boys during a post-World War II performance on The Grand Ole Opry is thought of as the "big bang" moment for bluegrass and later 20th century country music. Later, Flatt and Scruggs teamed as a bluegrass act after leaving Monroe from the late 1940s until breaking up in 1969 in a dispute over whether their music should experiment or stick to tradition. Flatt died in 1979.


They were best known for their 1949 recording "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," played in the 1967 movie "Bonnie and Clyde," and "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" from "The Beverly Hillbillies," the popular TV series that debuted in 1962. Jerry Scoggins did the singing.


After the breakup, Scruggs used three of his sons in The Earl Scruggs Revue. The group played on bills with rock acts like Steppenwolf and James Taylor. Sometimes they played festivals before 40,000 people.


In a July 2010 interview, Scruggs said in the early days, "I played guitar as much as I did the banjo, but for everyday picking I'd go back to the banjo. It just fit what I wanted to hear better than what I could do with the guitar."


Scruggs will always be remembered for his willingness to innovate. In "The Big Book of Bluegrass," Scruggs discussed the breakup with Flatt and how his need to experiment drove a rift between them. Later in 1985, he and Flatt were inducted together in the Country Music Hall of Fame.


"It wasn't a bad feeling toward each other as much as it was that I felt I was depriving myself of something," Scruggs said. "By that, I mean that I love bluegrass music, and I still like to play it, but I do like to mix in some other music for my own personal satisfaction, because if I don't, I can get a little bogged down and a little depressed."


He said he enjoyed playing because "it calms me down. It makes me satisfied. Sometimes I just need to pick a few tunes."


At an 80th birthday party for Scruggs in January 2004, country great Porter Wagoner said: "I always felt like Earl was to the five-string banjo what Babe Ruth was to baseball. He is the best there ever was, and the best there ever will be."


In 2005, "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" was selected for the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry of works of unusual merit. The following year, the 1972 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," on which Scruggs was one of many famous guest performers, joined the list, too.


Scruggs had been fairly active in the 2000s, returning to a limited touring schedule after frail health in the 1990s. In 1996, Scruggs suffered a heart attack in the recovery room of a hospital shortly after hip-replacement surgery. He also was hospitalized late last year, but seemed in good health during a few appearances with his sons in 2010 and 2011.


In 2001 he released a CD, "Earl Scruggs and Friends," his first album in a decade and an extension of The Earl Scruggs Revue. Over 12 songs, he collaborated with an impressive stable of admirers: Elton John, Dwight Yoakam, Travis Tritt, Sting, Melissa Etheridge, Vince Gill, John Fogerty, Don Henley, Johnny Cash and actor Steve Martin, a banjo player, were all featured.


Scruggs, born Jan. 6, 1924, in Flint Hill, N.C., learned to play banjo at age 4. He appeared at age 11 on a radio talent scout show. By age 15, he was playing in bluegrass bands.


"My music came up from the soil of North Carolina," Scruggs said in 1996 when he was honored with a heritage award from his home state.


He and Flatt played together in Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, then left to form the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1948.


Their popularity grew, and they even became a focal point of the folk music revival on college campuses in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Scruggs' wife, Louise, was their manager and was credited with cannily guiding their career as well as boosting interest in country music.


Later, as rock `n' roll threatened country music's popularity, Flatt and Scruggs became symbols of traditional country music.


In the 1982 interview, Scruggs said "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Beverly Hillbillies" broadened the scope of bluegrass and country music "more than anything I can put my finger on. Both were hits in so many countries."


Scruggs also wrote an instructional book, "Earl Scruggs and the Five String Banjo."


In 1992, Scruggs was among 13 recipients of a National Medal of Art. "I never in my wildest dreams thought of rewards and presentations," he said. "I appreciate those things, especially this one."


Louise Scruggs, his wife of 57 years, died in 2006. He is survived by two sons, Gary and Randy. Gary Scruggs says funeral arrangements are incomplete.