In Memoriam

As part of opening-day ceremonies Friday, the White Sox did a video presentation to honor former players who’d died over the past year.  That was nice.  Showing reaction shots of current players who couldn’t possibly have known Joe Stanka or Don Eddy was dumb.

 

I remember Eddy from high school.  He was part of an earlier rebuild, you could say.  As a 22-year old starter in 1969, he posted an 18-3 record for the Appleton Foxes and appeared to be on his way.  Eddy moved up to Triple A the next season while Appleton welcomed the likes of Bucky Dent, Terry Forster, Rich Gossage and Lamar Johnson.  There wasn’t a bum in that bunch.

 

Something happened to Eddy, injury or ceiling, unlike another player honored.  After their World Series loss to the Dodgers in 1959, the Sox decided to trade John Romano, a young catcher, along with Norm Cash and Bubba Phillips in a deal that brought Minnie Minoso back to the South Side.  Veteran catcher Sherm Lollar then got old fast while Romano hit 91 homers for the Indians over five seasons before the Sox reacquired him in 1965 along with two rookies, Tommy John and Tommie Agee.  Two years later, the Sox traded Romano to St. Louis in exchange for a pitcher and a young outfielder by the name of Walt Williams.

 

I’m not aware that any Chicago media outlet noted the passing of Eddy at age 71 last October or Romano at age 84 in February.  Their loss, and ours.