A farewell to the Yankees we lost in 2024

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Set Number: X32021 TK1

Some were always linked to the Yankees, while others passed through like ships in the night. We pay tribute regardless.

Barring any dramatic buzzer-beating news, we have arrived at Pinstripe Alley's final post of 2024. As we have for the past few years, we are dedicating it to the former Yankees we've lost since the ball dropped in Times Square 365 days ago.

Below is the outline of details of this exercise, excerpted from December 31, 2022:

In this post, I'll quickly run through the Yankees we lost this year with at least some form of extended reading if you have any interest (the work of Sam Gazdziak at RIP Baseball is much appreciated here). Are some of these players mostly anonymous? Of course. But they were still someone's brother, father, uncle, grandfather — you name it. If by some off-chance those relatives or friends stumble upon this corner of the internet, know that they are appreciated and remembered.

As I also wrote back then, these men wore Yankees pinstripes, just like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Thurman Munson, and all the other legends who are no longer with us. Even if it was just for a day, imagine how amazing a feeling that must have been.


Doug Bird (RHP)
March 5, 1950 - September 24, 2024
Yankees career: 1980-81
NYY statistics: 39 G, 5 GS, 8-1, 104 IP, 2.68 ERA, 45 K, 3.70 FIP, 1.298 WHIP

Matt covered Bird's passing during the October 27th news roundup:

MLB Trade Rumors | Nick Deeds: Former MLB pitcher Doug Bird recently passed away. A right-hander who mostly spent his time in the 'pen, Bird pitched from the Yankees from 1980-81 and also did battle with the Yankees in the 1976, '77, and '78 ALCS matchups when he was a member of the Royals (perhaps most famously giving up Thurman Munson's '78 Monument Park bomb). We send our best wishes to his family and friends.

Rocky Colavito (RF)
August 10, 1933 - December 10, 2024
Yankees career: 1968
NYY statistics: 39 G, .220/.330/.451, 20 H, 2 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 141 OPS+
MLB honors: 9x All-Star (1959, 1961-62, 1964-66)

Josh covered Colavito's passing during the December 11th news roundup:

MLB.com | Chris Haft: We end the news on a sad note, as nine-time All-Star Rocky Colavito passed away at age 91. A Bronx native with a rifle of an arm, Colavito signed with Cleveland and cut his teeth there en route to a 14-year career from 1955-68 that saw the outfielder hit .266/.359/.489 with an excellent 374 homers and a 132 wRC+. He also joined Yankees legend Lou Gehrig as one of just 18 players in MLB history to belt four bombs in one game, turning the trick on June 10, 1959. The final five homers of his career came in pinstripes, as Colavito returned home to New York for 39 games at the end of '68. He also became a minor trivia answer, as he was the last Yankees position player to win a game on the mound. Rest in peace, Rocky.

Bud Daley (RHP)
October 7, 1932 - October 15, 2024
Yankees career: 1961-64
NYY statistics: 80 G, 26 GS, 18-16, 271 IP, 3.89 ERA, 154 K, 4.02 FIP, 1.358 WHIP
MLB honors: 2x World Series champion (1961-62, both with NYY), 4x All-Star (1959-60)

Matt covered Daley's passing during the October 20th news roundup:

Davis Funeral Home: In some sad news, former Yankees pitcher Bud Daley passed away this week at the age of 92. Daley played in pinstripes from 1961-64, helping the Bronx Bombers win both the 1961 and '62 World Series titles. A swingman who previously made All-Star teams with the Kansas City Athletics, Daley pitched eight career World Series innings in those Yankee years, never allowing a run, and going down as the winning pitcher in the series-clinching Game 5 victory over the Reds in 1961.

Mike Ferraro (RHP)
August 18, 1944 - July 20, 2024
Yankees career: 1966, 1968 (player); 1979-82, 1987-91 (coach)
NYY statistics: 33 G, .165/.207/.183, 19 H, 1 3B, 20 OPS+

Madison covered Ferraro's passing during the July 25th news roundup:

Finally, we end with the news that former Yankee Mike Ferraro passing away at the age of 79. Ferraro was a brief member of the 1966 and '68 teams, and later became a minor league coach from 1974-78. He then coached under multiple managers with the big-league Yanks from 1979-82 and again in the late '80s. The team honored him with a moment of silence before Wednesday's game, and we send our condolences as well to his family and loved ones.

Billy Gardner (3B)
July 19, 1927 - January 3, 2024
Yankees career: 1961-62
NYY statistics: 45 G, .210/.275/.290, 21 H, 5 2B, 1 HR, 55 OPS+
MLB honors: 2x World Series champion (1961-62, both with NYY)

Madison covered Gardner's passing during the January 9th news roundup:

Star Tribune | Joel Rippel: Finally, we end on a somber note with the passing of Billy Gardner. Gardner was 96 years old, and won a ring as part of the championship 1961 Yankees squad that witnessed the M&M brothers chase history. He played 41 games as a backup infielder and was on the squad in October; he was traded to the Red Sox early the next year but was technically on the '62 World Series winners as well. Following a 10-year career, Gardner went into the coaching ranks and spent four years managing the Twins from 1981-85, helping mold the eventual 1987 & 1991 champions that won under Tom Kelly. Our condolences go out to his family.

Don Gullett (LHP)
January 6, 1951 - February 14, 2024
Yankees career: 1977-78
NYY statistics: 30 G, 30 GS, 18-6, 203 IP, 3.59 ERA, 144 K, 3.72 FIP, 1.340 WHIP
MLB honors: 4x World Series champion (1975-78, last two with NYY)

Our old friend Andrés covered Gullett's passing during the February 15th news roundup:

MLB.com | Mark Sheldon: Don Gullett, best known for playing on four consecutive World Series champions from 1975 to 1978, passed away on Wednesday at age 73. He signed with the Yanks as a free agent ahead of the 1977 campaign after seven highly successful seasons with the "Big Red Machine" era Cincinnati Reds. He went 14-4 with a 3.58 ERA for the 1977 Yanks, and while he was limited to 44.2 innings in 1978, he posted a 3.63 ERA that year before injuries curtailed his career.

Rickey Henderson (LF/CF)
December 25, 1958 - December 20, 2024
Yankees career: 1985-89
NYY statistics: 596 G, .288/.395/.455, 663 H, 119 2B, 16 3B, 78 HR, 326 SB, 135 OPS+
MLB honors: Hall of Fame (2009); MLB record holder for stolen bases (1,406) and runs scored (2,295); 3,000 Hit Club; 2x World Series champion (1989, 1993); MVP (1990); ALCS MVP (1989); Gold Glove (1981); Silver Slugger (1981, 1985 [with NYY], 1990); 10x All-Star (1980, 1982-88 [1985-88 with NYY], 1990-91)

The sad thing is that even that long list of accolades doesn't quite do justice to the baseball world losing the legendary Rickey. Although he was most famous in Oakland, he graced the Bronx in his prime too and was so explosive that he made our Top 100 Yankees series from last offseason at No. 40 — despite playing just four and a half years in New York. I memorialized him with a full writeup on December 21st, and Josh had an excerpt in the following morning's news:

ESPN | Howard Bryant & Jeff Passan: Rickey Henderson passed away yesterday at the age of 65. Widely regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter ever, Rickey was a singular force in the sport, spending a quarter of a century at its highest level, including five years with the Yankees. He's the all-time leader in stolen bases and runs scored, and one of the most colorful, dynamic and entertaining figures in the history of baseball. We didn't just lose one of the very best of all time, we also lost possibly the coolest.

Whitey Herzog (OF/1B, minors)
November 9, 1931 - April 15, 2024
Yankees career: 1949-52, 1955 (all in minors)
NYY statistics: Never played in majors with NYY
MLB honors: Hall of Fame manager (2010): World Series champion manager (1982); NL pennant-winning manager (1982, 1985, 1987); NL Manager of the Year (1985)

A Hall of Fame skipper with the Cardinals, Dorrel "Whitey" Herzog got his start in professional baseball with the Yankees. Few remember this chapter of his career, and even we never chronicled it. So please enjoy this excerpt from Adam Foldes' excellent SABR biography on Herzog:

After graduating in 1949 Herzog bypassed college and signed a contract with the New York Yankees. Another Yankees recruit that year was Mickey Mantle. Herzog was recommended by scout Lou Maguolo and cross-checked by Tom Greenwade. In his first year in the minors, playing for the Yankees' Class-D Sooner State League team in McAlester, Oklahoma, Herzog hit .279; the following year he hit .351. While at McAlester he acquired the nickname Whitey, bestowed on him by a sportscaster in the McAlester because his light blond hair resembled that of a pitcher on the Yankees, Bob "White Rat" Kuzava.
In 1951 Herzog hit a combined .276 for Class-C Joplin and Class-B Piedmont. The next season, 1952, after playing for Quincy in the Three-I League and Beaumont in the Double-A Texas League, he reached Triple A with Kansas City in the American Association. After the season, with the Korean War still raging, he was drafted into the US Army and spent two years in the Corps of Engineers...
Discharged from the Army, Herzog played in 1955 for the Yankees' Triple-A team in Denver. In 149 games he hit .289 with 21 home runs and 98 runs batted in. After his success in 1955, Herzog hoped to spend the 1956 season with the Yankees. He made the majors, but with the Washington Senators. On April 2 Herzog was traded to the Senators in a seven-player deal that saw pitcher Mickey McDermott and shortstop Bobby Kline head to the Yankees.

Ken Holtzman (LHP)
November 3, 1945 - April 14, 2024
Yankees career: 1976-78
NYY statistics: 44 G, 35 GS, 12-10, 238.1 IP, 4.64 ERA, 58 K, 4.30 FIP, 1.506 WHIP
MLB honors: 5x World Series champion (1972-74 & 1977-78, last two with NYY), 2x All-Star (1972-73)

Matt covered Holtzman's passing during the April 16th news roundup:

MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: Former Yankee pitcher Ken Holtzman passed away recently at the age of 78. While most known for his time with the Cubs and Athletics, Holtzman spent three years with the Yankees, and helped them to the 1977 World Series title, although he did not appear in the series.

Rudy May (LHP)
July 18, 1944 - October 19, 2024
Yankees career: 1974-76, 1981-83
NYY statistics: 184 G, 102 GS, 54-46, 841.2 IP, 3.12 ERA, 586 K, 3.04 FIP, 1.183 WHIP

Peter covered May's passing during the October 24th news roundup:

For the second day in a row, we must unfortunately end the news with the death of a participant in the 1981 World Series. Tuesday featured the loss of Dodgers icon Fernando Valenzuela, and on Wednesday, author Jeff Pearlman revealed that former Yankees lefty Rudy May had passed away as well. He was 80 years old and spent seven seasons with the Yanks across two separate stints, leading the AL in ERA in 1980 as a swingman of sorts and pitching on the '80 and '81 playoff teams. May pitched to 3.12 ERA and 120 ERA+ in 841.2 innings in pinstripes, and also spent time with the Expos, Angels, and Orioles.
Take five minutes out of your day and watch Jeff's TikTok, as it's more than just reported on the man's passing. Jeff knew him well and offered stories from both his career and life beyond the field. Our thoughts are with Rudy May's family and loved ones.

Fritz Peterson (LHP)
February 8, 1942 - October 19, 2023*
Yankees career: 1966-74
NYY statistics: 288 G, 265 GS, 109-106, 1,857.1 IP, 3.10 ERA, 893 K, 3.10 FIP, 1.146 WHIP
MLB honors: All-Star (1970 with NYY)

*Note: Peterson died in October 2023, but since his passing wasn't known to the public until 2024, he didn't appear in last year's edition.

Andrés covered Peterson's passing during the April 13th news roundup:

New York Post | Michael Blinn: Fritz Peterson, one of the best Yankees pitchers of the post-Mickey Mantle era, has passed away. During our offseason Top 100 Yankees series, our own Esteban Rivera covered his colorful life story (which includes the famous family swap with fellow Yankee Mike Kekich) and his baseball career, which was full of achievements. We had him as the 76th-best Yankee in franchise history.
While Peterson didn't win any World Series due to the fallow period of the CBS Era Yankees, he was a terrific southpaw with a 3.10 ERA in a Yankees uniform and an All-Star Game under his belt, in 1970. He battled prostate cancer later on and sadly revealed an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis in 2018, which ultimately claimed his life. Rest in peace, Fritz.

Lenny Randle (UT)
February 12, 1949 - December 29, 2024
Yankees career: 1979
NYY statistics: 20 G, .179/.238/.179, 7 H, 16 OPS+

The most recent loss, Josh covered Randle just this morning:

Mets Insider Blog | Jay Horwitz: As they say, a melancholy happy trails to Lenny Randle, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 75. An infielder who saw parts of a dozen seasons at the MLB level from 1971-82 and was perhaps most remembered for his amusing blooper blowing a ball foul at the Kingdome, Randle spent the most time with the Rangers and Mets. He did, however, spend the last two months of the '79 campaign with the Yankees. As recounted by Jon Bois in his Mariners documentary, Randle also had a fun second act as an otherworldly hitter in Italian baseball. Rest in peace, Lenny.

Luis Tiant (RHP)
November 23, 1940 - October 8, 2024
Yankees career: 1979-80
NYY statistics: 55 G, 55 GS, 21-17, 332 IP, 4.31 ERA, 188 K, 3.80 FIP, 1.301 WHIP
MLB honors: 3x All-Star (1968, 1974, 1976)

Josh covered the iconic El Tiante's passing during the October 9th news roundup:

New York Times | Bruce Weber: We received news yesterday that Luis Tiant, the trailblazing Cuban right-handed pitcher, passed away at the age of 83. Tiant pitched for 19 years, best known for his truly excellent work with Boston and Cleveland (seriously look up his 1968, which was overshadowed by Detroit's Denny McLain), although he did spent 1979 and 1980 in the Bronx — surely bittersweet after being a part of the 1978 Red Sox collapse. Tiant was a giant for Latin baseball, and he will be missed.

Special thanks to SABR, Sam Gazdziak, Adam Foldes, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

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