Paying tribute
As 2023 begins to fade away, it’s time to take a look at some notable big leaguers who died, a number with Red Sox connections. Foremost among them was longtime pitcher and broadcaster Tim Wakefield, who died at the young age of 57. Other notable former Red Sox players to succumb in 2023 were standout relievers Bill Campbell and Dick Drago. A look at some of the bigger names — and personalities — who died in 2023.
SAL BANDO JAN. 20, AGE 78
The third baseman captained the star-studded A’s to three straight World Series titles in the 1970s — one of only two teams to threepeat in the last 70 years. He was an All-Star for all three championship seasons and finished second to teammate Vida Blue in the MVP voting in 1971. He joined the Brewers as a free agent in 1977 and later served as GM for the team for eight seasons.
TIM McCARVER FEB. 16, AGE 81
The catcher played 21 seasons before having a long and successful career in broadcasting that stretched for more than four decades, 18 with Joe Buck on Fox. A lifetime .271 hitter, he was also fleet afoot for a catcher, leading the National League with 13 triples in 1967 and finishing with 57 in his career, tied for the most by a catcher in the last 90 years.
JESUS ALOU MARCH 10, AGE 80
The youngest of the three Alou brothers (Matty and Felipe), Jesus helped make baseball history when he and his brothers manned all three outfield positions for the Giants in a game in 1963. He didn’t have the success of his brothers, but he played 15 seasons and won World Series rings with the A’s in 1973 and ’74. He had worked as a scout for the Red Sox since 2002.
JOE PEPITONE MARCH 13, AGE 82
A three-time All-Star for powerhouse Yankees teams in the early ’60s, Pepitone’s colorful off-thefield image overshadowed his play on the diamond. The Brooklyn native was said to be the first major leaguer to bring a hair dryer into the clubhouse. He was jailed in 1988 on drug convictions and was arrested in 1992 in a Catskills resort for starting a brawl after someone called him “a washed-up nobody.”
VIDA BLUE MAY 6, AGE 73
Blue exploded on the scene as a 21-year-old rookie for the A’s, going 24-8 en route to winning the Cy Young and MVP awards. While he finished with 209 wins in 17 seasons, his early success was clouded by fights over money with A’s owner Charlie Finley. He also had issues with drug use, getting suspended for the 1984 season after pleading guilty to drug possession.
ROGER CRAIG JUNE 4, AGE 93
Craig pitched for 12 seasons and managed for 10, but was best known for teaching the splitfingered fastball, standout pitchers Jack Morris and Mike Scott being among his star pupils. Craig pitched for three World Series champs (Dodgers 1955 and 1959, Cardinals in 1964) and won a pennant managing the Giants in 1989. Despite his success as a pitcher he also remains the only hurler since 1935 to lose more than 20 games in consecutive seasons, losing 24 and 22 in the Mets’ ignominious first two seasons in 1962-63.
BROOKS ROBINSON SEPT. 26, AGE 86
The only Hall of Famer to die in 2023, Robinson was best known for his otherworldly glove work at third base for 23 seasons with the Orioles. The “Human Vacuum Cleaner” played in 18 All-Star Games, earned 16 Gold Gloves, and won MVP awards for the 1964 season and 1970 World Series.