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+--- Thread: Obituaries (/thread-59.html)
RE: Obituaries - Eric the Green - 11-22-2017
I've come to the conclusion, FWIW, that unless there is life beyond the physical grave, it is pointless.
RE: Obituaries - Cynic Hero '86 - 11-22-2017
What I was saying is that why is everyone unthinkingly declaring Manson as evil. As he himself pointed out; Manson did not murder anybody.
RE: Obituaries - Eric the Green - 11-22-2017
When you order a murder and it's carried out, that's murder.
RE: Obituaries - pbrower2a - 11-22-2017
(11-22-2017, 02:12 PM)Cynic Hero Wrote: What I was saying is that why is everyone unthinkingly declaring Manson as evil. As he himself pointed out; Manson did not murder anybody.
By that criterion, Adolf Hitler, who is never accused of having visited any of the concentration camps or having ever shot, beheaded, hanged, or gassed anyone, ordered people worked to exhaustion on starvation rations, fed people to predatory animals, or burned anyone alive is not guilty of such deeds committed in the Holocaust.
If you plan a crime that results in a murder, then you are a murderer. Manson is one of the most widely hated people in America, perhaps for reasons other than his complicity in the Tate-LaBianca killings.
RE: Obituaries - pbrower2a - 11-30-2017
Actor, singer Jim Nabors
James Thurston Nabors (June 12, 1930 – November 30, 2017) was an American actor, singer, and comedian. Nabors was born and raised in Sylacauga, Alabama, but he moved to southern California because of his asthma. He was discovered by Andy Griffith while working at a Santa Monica nightclub, and he later joined The Andy Griffith Show as Gomer Pyle. The character proved popular, and Nabors was given his own spin-off show Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C..
Nabors was known for his portrayal of Gomer Pyle, although he became a popular guest on variety shows which showcased his rich baritone voice in the 1960s and 1970s, including two specials of his own in 1969 and 1974. He subsequently recorded numerous albums and singles, most of them containing romantic ballads.
Nabors was also known for singing "Back Home Again in Indiana" prior to the start of the Indianapolis 500, held annually over the Memorial Day weekend. He sang the unofficial Indiana anthem almost every year from 1972 until his final time in 2014, except for occasional absences due to health or other scheduling conflicts.[1][2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Nabors
RE: Obituaries - pbrower2a - 12-01-2017
Great Soviet test pilot... note the gender!
Marina Lavrentievna Popovich (née Vasiliyeva; July 20, 1931 – November 30, 2017) was a Soviet Air Force colonel, engineer, and legendary Soviet test pilot who held 102[1][2] aviation world records set on over 40 types of aircraft. She was one of the most famous pilots in Russian history, and one of the most important female pilots of all time.[3]
Marina Vasilieva became a Soviet Air Force pilot and in 1964, a military test pilot. She authored nine books and two screenplays. Among many other awards, she was honored as Hero of Socialist Labor, the Order of Courage (presented personally by Vladimir Putin in June 2007)[1] and a star in the Cancer constellation bears her name.[4]
Marina Popovich, a Russian Writers' Union member, authored nine books, including the poetry collection Zhizn – vechny vzlyot (Life's An Eternal Rise, 1972).[3] She was a co-author of two film scripts, Nebo So Mnoy (Sky Is With Me, 1974)[5] and Buket Fialok (Bouquet of Violets, 1983).[3]
Marina Popovich spoke about her experience with UFOs in her book titled UFO Glasnost (published in 2003 in Germany) and in public lectures and interviews. She claimed that the Soviet military and civilian pilots had confirmed 3000 UFO sightings and that the Soviet Air Force and KGB had fragments of five crashed UFOs. The crash sites were Tunguska (1908), Novosibirsk, Tallinn, Ordzhonikidze and Dalnegorsk (1986).
Marina Popovich's first husband was Pavel Popovich, a former Soviet cosmonaut,[6] with whom she had two daughters, Natalya (b. 1956) and Oksana (b. 1968), both Moscow State Institute of International Relations graduates.[7] She had two granddaughters, Tatyana and Alexandra, and grandson Michael, the latter born in England. [8] Her second husband was Boris Alexandrovich Zhikhorev, a retired Russian Airforce Major general, Deputy chairman of the Central Committee of the Union of the Soviet Officers.[9]
[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Popovich#cite_note-gudok-9][/url]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Popovich
RE: Obituaries - Tim Randal Walker - 12-03-2017
Marina Vasilieva had a most impressive life. Its sad day when the world loses such a talented individual.
RE: Obituaries - pbrower2a - 12-04-2017
John Anderson, independent candidate for President in 1980
John Bayard Anderson (February 15, 1922 – December 3, 2017) was a United States Congressman and presidential candidate from Illinois. As a member of the Republican Party, he represented Illinois's 16th congressional district from 1961 through 1981. In 1980, he ran an independent campaign for president, taking 6.6% of the popular vote.
Born in Rockford, Illinois, Anderson practiced law after serving in the Army during World War II. After a stint in the United States Foreign Service, he won election as the State's Attorney for Winnebago County, Illinois. He won election to the House of Representatives in 1960 in a strongly Republican district. Initially one of the most conservative members of the House, Anderson's views moderated during the 1960s, particularly regarding social issues. He became Chairman of the House Republican Conference in 1969 and remained in that position until 1979. He strongly criticized the Vietnam War as well as President Richard Nixon's actions during the Watergate scandal.
Anderson entered the 1980 Republican presidential primaries, introducing his signature campaign proposal of raising the gas tax while cutting social security taxes. He established himself as a contender for the nomination in the early primaries but eventually dropped out of the Republican race, choosing to pursue an independent campaign for president. In the election, he finished third behind Republican nominee Ronald Reagan and Democratic President Jimmy Carter. He won support among Rockefeller Republicans, independents, liberal intellectuals, and college students.
After the election, he resumed his legal career and helped found FairVote, an organization that advocates electoral reforms such as instant-runoff voting. He also won a lawsuit against the state of Ohio, Anderson v. Celebrezze, in which the Supreme Court struck down early filing deadlines for independent candidates. Anderson served as a visiting professor at numerous universities and was on the boards of several organizations. He endorsed Ralph Nader in 2000 and helped found the Justice Party in 2012.
In 1978, Anderson formed an exploratory committee,[18] finding little public or media interest. In late April 1979, Anderson made the decision to enter the Republican primary, joining a field that included Bob Dole, John Connally, Howard Baker, Harold Stassen, George H. W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan.[19] Within the last weeks of 1979, Anderson introduced his signature campaign proposal, advocating that a 50-cent a gallon gas tax be enacted with a corresponding 50% reduction in social security taxes.[20]
Anderson built state campaigns in four targeted states—New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Wisconsin.[8] He won some political support among Republicans, picking up endorsements along the way that helped legitimize him in the race.[21] He began to build support among media elites, who appreciated his articulateness, straightforward manner, moderate positions, and his refusal to walk down the conservative path that all of the other Republicans were traveling.[22]
In the first political event of 1980, in the Republican candidates' debate in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 5, unlike the others, he said lowering taxes, increasing defense spending, and balancing the budget were an impossible combination.[21] In a stirring summation,[23] Anderson invoked his father's emigration to the United States and said that we would have to make sacrifices today for a better tomorrow.[21] For the next week, Anderson's name and face were all over the national news programs, in newspapers, and in national news magazines.[23]
Anderson spent less than $2000 in the state, but he finished with 4.3% of the vote.[8] The television networks were covering the event, portraying Anderson to a national audience as a man of character and principle.[24] When the voters in New Hampshire went to the polls, Anderson again exceeded the expectations, finishing fourth with just under 10% of the vote.[24]
Anderson was declared the winner in both Massachusetts and Vermont by the Associated Press,[25] but the following morning ended up losing both primaries by a slim margin.[21] In Massachusetts, he lost to George Bush by 0.3% and in Vermont he lost to Reagan by 690 votes.[21] He arrived there after the New England elections and had a lead in the state polls.[6] But his Illinois campaign struggled despite endorsements from the state's two largest newspapers.[8] Reagan defeated him, 48% to 37%, however, Anderson carried Chicago and Rockford (the state's two largest cities at the time), but he lost in the southern section of the state.[8]
The next week, there was a primary in Connecticut, which (while Anderson was on the ballot) his team had chosen not to campaign actively in.[6] He finished third in Connecticut with 22% of the vote, and it seemed to most like any other loss, whether Anderson said he was competing or not.[21] Next was Wisconsin, and this was thought to be Anderson's best chance for victory, but he again finished third, winning 27% of the vote.[26]
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Carter said that he would not appear on stage with Anderson, and sat out the debate, which hurt the President in the eyes of voters.[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Anderson#cite_note-Bloomberg-35][35] Reagan and Anderson had a debate in Baltimore on September 21, 1980.[29] Anderson did well, and polls showed he won a modest debate victory over Reagan, but Reagan, who had been portrayed by Carter throughout the campaign as something of a warmonger, proved to be a reasonable candidate and carried himself well in the debate.[35] The debate was Anderson's big opportunity as he needed a break-out performance, but what he got was a modest victory.[29] In the following weeks, Anderson slowly faded out of the picture with his support dropping from 16% to 10–12% in the first half of October.[1] By the end of the month, Reagan debated Carter alone and Anderson's support continued to fade.[1] Although Reagan would win a sizable victory, the polls showed the two major party candidates closer (Gallup's final poll was 47–44–8[37]) going into the election and it was clear that many would-be Anderson supporters were now supporting their second choice.[21] In the end, Anderson finished with just under 7% of the vote.[38]
Most of Anderson's original support came from Rockefeller Republicans, who were more liberal than Reagan.[35] Many prominent intellectuals, including All in the Family creator Norman Lear, and the editors of the liberal magazine The New Republic, also endorsed the Anderson campaign.[35] Cartoonist Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury ran several strips sympathetic to the Anderson campaign.[39] According to the recently published journals of Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis voted for Anderson, as did Schlesinger himself.[6] Although the Carter campaign feared Anderson could be a spoiler, Anderson's campaign turned out to be "simply another option for frustrated voters who had already decided not to back Carter for another term.[35] Polls found Anderson voters nearly as likely to list Reagan as their second choice as Carter."[40]
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Anderson did not carry a single precinct in the country.[41] Anderson’s finish was still the best showing for a third party candidate since George Wallace’s 14 percent in 1968 and stands as the seventh best for any such candidate since the Civil War (trailing James B. Weaver’s 8.5 percent in 1892, Theodore Roosevelt’s 27 percent in 1912, Robert La Follette’s 17 percent in 1924, Wallace, and Ross Perot’s 19 percent and 8 percent in 1992 and 1996, respectively).[42][6]
He pursued Ohio's refusal to provide ballot access to the U.S. Supreme Court and won 5–4 in [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson_v._Celebrezze]Anderson v. Celebrezze.[6] His inability to make headway against the de facto two-party system as an independent in that election would later lead him to become an advocate for instant-runoff voting, helping to found FairVote in 1992.[35]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Anderson
RE: Obituaries - Warren Dew - 12-04-2017
I remember wasting my first Presidential vote on Anderson. Fortunately, the right candidate won anyway.
RE: Obituaries - Ragnarök_62 - 12-04-2017
(12-04-2017, 07:48 PM)Warren Dew Wrote: I remember wasting my first Presidential vote on Anderson. Fortunately, the right candidate won anyway.
Moi? Reagan.....
Ah yes, the folly of youth.
RE: Obituaries - Eric the Green - 12-05-2017
(12-04-2017, 07:48 PM)Warren Dew Wrote: I remember wasting my first Presidential vote on Anderson. Fortunately, the right candidate won anyway.
I remember wasting my third presidential vote on Barry Commoner of the Citizens' Party. Unfortunately, the wrong candidate won anyway.
RE: Obituaries - David Horn - 12-05-2017
(12-04-2017, 07:48 PM)Warren Dew Wrote: I remember wasting my first Presidential vote on Anderson. Fortunately, the right candidate won anyway.
I also voted for Anderson, so we have points of intersection on some things at least.
RE: Obituaries - pbrower2a - 12-05-2017
(12-04-2017, 07:48 PM)Warren Dew Wrote: I remember wasting my first Presidential vote on Anderson. Fortunately, the right candidate won anyway.
I voted for Anderson, and I did not consider my vote wasted. Then as now I was not a populist. I still considered capitalism a benign engine of technological progress and economic growth. Nearly forty years later I recognize our bureaucratic-capitalist order competent only at enriching and pampering elites and excluding people not connected to those elites except from the cast-offs of a supposedly-prosperous society. I see our order taking the worst parts of the American heritage (Southern agrarianism if without the racism, and the Gilded ethos distilled through the mock-Christian Gospel of Greed of Ayn Rand) combined with one of the most objectionable features of the Soviet Union and other Marxist states, to wit a bureaucratic elite that becomes as rapacious and exclusive as a class of exploiters as a land-holding aristocracy. For all that we have going right for us as a nation (a high level of productivity, a heritage of rule of law, mass education well beyond the level of bare literacy, no legal status for official bigotry, civilian control of the Armed Forces, a heritage of competitive elections, and adequate materialism for giving people incentives to improve their lot) we end up with the worst government that we could possibly have. We fell for the idea that the plutocrats could better manage wealth than we can, and then we fell for a demagogue who acts like a televangelist with the usual sociopathy, anti-intellectualism, and indulgence of televangelists at which educated people snicker without the veneer of Christianity. To describe the Trump agenda as a new feudalism fitting a 21st century technology may be hysterical -- but anything other than hysteria about the degradation of democracy as we have a President who acts like a demagogue and a cadre-like Party that uses its bare majority to ensure that anyone not in it gets the shaft is naive.
We will never know what sort of Presidency John Anderson would have offered. He was a GI, and his politics fit a collegial GI culture that no longer exists in American politics. With Boomers the practice is "get what you can while you can, and tough luck for anything else". GI politics was give and take; Boom politics is take everything and let the rest compete for the cast-offs. If Millennial adults fit the Civic pattern , then any GI-like President will appear even under the most freakish circumstances when the first Millennial adults are in their mid-forties, which would be about 2030. Face it -- we got our first Generation-X President from the earliest birth-year of Generation X (1961) when he was 46. We elected our first GI President when the oldest members of the GI generation were turning 59.
GI pols had their virtues, if not also faults. Kennedy had a sex life that nobody could excuse today. LBJ was crude. Nixon was paranoid. Ford had inadequate preparation for the electoral process. Carter had his ideas of how things could be done and had no Plan B. Reagan was intellectually hollow. The elder Bush was politically stale. But as a rule they all believed that the blessings of capitalist productivity were for all to enjoy, and even the welfare state was intended to help children of the laziest and most incompetent parents to get a little. We will never fully understand what Anderson would have done as President, as his personality and agenda never made the limelight. If there should ever be a "John B. Anderson Memorial Library" it will be an undistinguished public library in Rockford, Illinois.
Intense, and exclusive partisanship is the way of American politics. Millennials are no less intense in partisanship than any other generation -- yet. But we are in a Crisis Era, and I expect the intense partisanship to be shattered in the Crisis. Through the 1T Americans will want pragmatism over ideology, quite possibly because intense ideology brought about the greatest dangers of the Crisis. We could even have two very different Parties from what we now have. Maybe the contemporary Hard Right will be discredited in an economic meltdown or a bungled war... and will be rejected forever.That could leave America with a Big Tent party that itself rifts into factions. If the two Parties resemble the CDU and SPD in Germany we will do well enough. Or perhaps we go to a parliamentary system and end up with as many as 30 parties that have some chance to win elections, and coalitions can be made with one of the two bigger parties and figures from several of the small parties.
But so far I have been speaking of things that have not happened yet. Anderson was a conservative who became a moderate, and we see little of that today. We are missing something important, and what we are missing could give us a nasty Crisis Era.
I suggest that if you want to discuss most of what is in this post, please take it elsewhere.
RE: Obituaries - pbrower2a - 12-06-2017
Michael I (Romanian: Mihai I [miˈhaj]; 25 October 1921 – 5 December 2017) reigned as the King of Romania from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930 and again from 6 September 1940 until his abdication on 30 December 1947.
Shortly after Michael's birth, his father Prince Carol had become involved in a controversial relationship with Magda Lupescu. In 1925, Carol was eventually pressured to renounce his rights to the throne and moved to Paris in exile with Lupescu. In 1927, Michael ascended the throne as Mihai l, following the death of his grandfather, Ferdinand I. As he was still a minor, a regency council was instituted which comprised his uncle, Prince Nicholas; the Patriarch Miron Cristea; and the president of the Supreme Court, Gheorghe Buzdugan. The council proved to be ineffective and in 1930, Carol returned to Romania and replaced his son as king, reigning as Carol II. As a result, Michael returned to being heir apparent to the throne and was given the additional title of Grand Voievod of Alba-Iulia.
Carol II was deposed in 1940, and Michael once again became king. Under the government led by the military dictator Ion Antonescu, Romania became aligned with Nazi Germany. In 1944, Michael participated in a coup against Antonescu, appointed Constantin Sănătescu as his replacement, and subsequently declared an alliance with the Allies. In March 1945, political pressures forced Michael to appoint a pro-Soviet government headed by Petru Groza. From August 1945 to January 1946, Michael went on a "royal strike" and unsuccessfully tried to oppose Groza's Communist-controlled government by refusing to sign and endorse its decrees. In November, Michael attended the wedding of his cousins, the future Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip of Greece in London. Shortly thereafter, on the morning of 30 December 1947, Groza requested a meeting with Michael where he was forced to abdicate. Michael was forced into exile, his properties confiscated, and his citizenship stripped. He married Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma in 1948 with whom he had five daughters and eventually settled in Switzerland.
Nicolae Ceaușescu's communist dictatorship was overthrown in 1989 and the following year Michael attempted to return to Romania, only to be arrested and forced to leave upon arrival. In 1992, Michael was allowed to visit Romania for Easter where he was greeted by huge crowds; a speech he gave from his hotel window drew an estimated one million people to Bucharest. Alarmed by Michael's popularity, the government refused to allow him any further visits. In 1997, after Iliescu's defeat by Emil Constantinescu in the presidential elections of the previous year, Michael's citizenship was restored and he was allowed to visit Romania again. Several confiscated properties, such as Elisabeta Palace, were eventually returned to his family.
Much more here.
RE: Obituaries - pbrower2a - 12-14-2017
State legislators rarely get my attention in obituaries, but you will see why I have this one. Apparent suicide in shame, and about a topic ripping American life.
A hint: the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s is long over, and Americans are much less tolerant of abusive forms of sexual indulgence.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky State Rep. Dan Johnson, who was under investigation for alleged sexual molestation, died of a "probable suicide," the Bullitt County coroner said.
Bullitt County Sheriff Donnie Tinnell said Johnson drove onto the bridge over the Salt River on Greenwell Ford Road in Mt. Washington, parked on the north side of it and shot himself in front of his car. His body was found on the bank of the river, just past the bridge.
Just before 5 p.m. Wednesday, Johnson posted the following message on his Facebook page:
Quote:The accusations from NPR are false GOD and only GOD knows the truth, nothing is the way they make it out to be. AMERICA will not survive this type of judge and jury fake news . Conservatives take a stand. I LOVE GOD and I LOVE MY WIFE, who is the best WIFE in the world,My Love Forever ! My Mom and Dad my FAMILY and all five of my kids and Nine grandchildren two in tummies and many more to come each of you or a total gift from GOD stay strong, REBECCA needs YOU . 9-11-2001 NYC/WTC, PTSD 24/7 16 years is a sickness that will take my life, I cannot handle it any longer. IT Has Won This Life . BUT HEAVEN IS MY HOME. “PLEASE LISTEN CLOSELY, Only Three things I ask of you to do,if you love me is (1)blame no person,Satan is the accuser, so blame the Devil himself. (2) Forgive and Love everyone especially yourself .(3)most importantly LOVE GOD. P.S. I LOVE MY FRIENDS YOU ARE FAMILY ! GOD LOVES ALL PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT !The coroner said police were alerted after someone saw that Facebook post by Johnson. Officers then pinged Johnson's phone and found his body.
On Tuesday, Johnson held a press conference at his church on Bardstown Road, where he denied the molestation allegations. According to court documents obtained by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, the alleged molestation took place on New Year's Eve in 2012. The alleged victim, who was 17 at the time, told authorities that she was staying in a living area of the Heart of Fire City Church where Johnson was pastor, when Johnson, who had been drinking a lot, approached her, kissed her and fondled her under her clothes.
Michael Skoler, the president of Louisville Public Media, which owns the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, released a statement after Johnson's death:
Quote:"All of us at Louisville Public Media are deeply sad to hear that State Representative Dan Johnson has died, apparently of suicide. We grieve for his family, friends, church community and constituents.Johnson was never criminally charged.
Our Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting released a report on Johnson this week. Our aim, as always, is to provide the public with fact-based, unbiased reporting and hold public officials accountable for their actions.
As part of our process, we reached out to Representative Johnson numerous times over the course of a seven-month investigation. He declined requests to talk about our findings."
Gov. Matt Bevin tweeted a statement Wednesday night, saying his "heart breaks for (Johnson's) family."
http://www.wdrb.com/story/37062873/kentucky-state-rep-dan-johnson-commits-suicide-on-bridge-in-mt-washington
RE: Obituaries - pbrower2a - 12-14-2017
Mayor of my favorite city:
Edwin Mah Lee (李孟賢; May 5, 1952 – December 12, 2017) was an American politician and attorney who served as the 43rd mayor of San Francisco, and was the first Asian American to hold the office. He was city administrator before being appointed mayor.[1]
On January 11, 2011, Lee was appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve out the remaining term of former Mayor Gavin Newsom after Newsom resigned to take office as Lieutenant Governor of California. On November 8, 2011, Lee won the election to serve a full term as mayor. He was re-elected in 2015.
More here at Wikipedia.
RE: Obituaries - Eric the Green - 12-14-2017
(12-14-2017, 12:54 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: State legislators rarely get my attention in obituaries, but you will see why I have this one. Apparent suicide in shame, and about a topic ripping American life.
A hint: the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s is long over, and Americans are much less tolerant of abusive forms of sexual indulgence.
But how abusive was what Johnson did? He wasn't charged with a crime. She was 17, yes that was wrong. However, was he abusing his power? If someone is drunk, is he responsible for his actions? Not enough shame to die for, IMO. Maybe the shame was imposed by his religion. I feel sad for him.
(and I doubt he'll be replaced by a liberal, but who knows these days.....)
Too bad the sexual revolution is over. Yes, abuse of power to appease one's own indulgence needs to be over too.
RE: Obituaries - Eric the Green - 12-14-2017
(12-14-2017, 12:58 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: Mayor of my favorite city:
Edwin Mah Lee (李孟賢; May 5, 1952 – December 12, 2017) was an American politician and attorney who served as the 43rd mayor of San Francisco, and was the first Asian American to hold the office. He was city administrator before being appointed mayor.[1]
On January 11, 2011, Lee was appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve out the remaining term of former Mayor Gavin Newsom after Newsom resigned to take office as Lieutenant Governor of California. On November 8, 2011, Lee won the election to serve a full term as mayor. He was re-elected in 2015.
More here at Wikipedia.
A really good guy. Quite a shock.
RE: Obituaries - pbrower2a - 12-16-2017
Frank Lary, star pitcher of one of the greatest teams to ever get shut out of post-season play (1961 Detroit Tigers)
Former Detroit Tigers teammates fondly recalled pitching star Frank Lary, who died Wednesday night at age 87 in Northport, Ala.
Lary was a fun-loving character nicknamed “Taters”, "Mule” and most famously, “The Yankee Killer” for his dominance over the perennial world champion New York Yankees
“It’s really tough when you lose one of your teammates” said Al Kaline, upon his return from the baseball winter meetings. ”Frank was a great guy and a real character with that strong Alabama accent.”
Lary, who often played guitar singing country songs, may have been channeling some century-old Civil War sentiments when he once quipped to a Detroit writer, "Me being a Southern boy, I never thought Yankees was too smart."
Former teammate and pitcher Paul Foytack was stunned when he heard that Lary had died.
“Taters was such a good man and had a wonderful sense of humor," Foytack said. "I remember once in a pregame meeting we were talking about a certain hitter that we didn’t want to beat us. Someone said 'we should just walk him.' Frank said, ‘Hell, why don’t we just hit him.' "
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Lary, the sixth of seven sons of a farmer and fiddle maker, grew up in a two-bedroom house in Northport just a few miles from Tuscaloosa, where he would later help lead the Alabama Crimson Tide to the College World Series his sophomore year.
Signed by the Tigers in 1950, Lary toiled in the minors and served in the Army before joining Detroit in 1954. From 1955 to 1961, the two-time All Star and ’61 Gold Glove winner led the American League in wins (117), complete games (115), innings pitched (1,799.2), games started (242) and batters faced (7,569).
Armed with a nasty slider, a curve, sinker and fastball, the stocky right hander first earned the nickname “the Yankee Killer” during a stretch from 1957 to 1959 in which he posted a 13-1 record against the Bronx Bombers. In 1958, he beat New York seven times, something no pitcher had done since 1916. Over the course of his career Lary compiled a record of 28-13 against New York.
“He really was a different pitcher against the Yankees. Frank had a strong slider and Mickey Mantle always had a tough time against him,” said Kaline.
Lary’s greatest year was in 1961, when he posted a 23-9 record and a 3.24 ERA while finishing third in Cy Young voting behind the Yankees' Whitey Ford and the Braves' Warren Spahn.
Lary, who served up Roger Maris homers Nos. 31, 52, and 57 that season as the Yankee slugger surpassed Babe Ruth’s single season home run record with 61 dingers, also provided hitting heroics of his own in the Bronx.
“In the game at Yankee Stadium (May 12) when I went into the stands to protect my dad from a fan, Frank won it with a home run in the top of the ninth inning,” said Rocky Colavito. “He really was the 'Yankee Killer.' They hated each other. That was a helluva lineup he faced over those years and the Yankees wanted to beat him so bad.”
[url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/2017/12/16/remembering-detroit-tigers-yankee-killer-frank-lary/958396001/?src=rss](Detroit Free Press)
RE: Obituaries - pbrower2a - 12-22-2017
Dick Enberg, age 82, versatile and excellent sportscaster.