72 JULY 2019 • BASEBALLAMERICA.COM
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Obituaries
JAMES “JIM” ANDERSON, a first baseman who played in the New York-Penn,
Midwest and Northern leagues for the Tigers organization in 1959 and ’60, died May
17 in Yardley, Pa. He was 78.
WILLIAM “BILL” BUCKNER, a 1981 all-star and the 1980 National League batting
champion who played for the Dodgers, Cubs, Red Sox, California Angels and Royals
over 22 big league seasons from 1969-90, died May 27 in Vallejo, Calif. He was 69.
An outfielder and first baseman during his career, Buckner played in more than
2,500 major league games, hitting .289/.321/.408 with 174 home runs, 1,208 RBIs and
183 stolen bases. He finished inside the top 10 in NL MVP voting in both 1981 and
1982, and he led the league in doubles in 1981 and 1983. He hit over .300 in eight dif-
ferent seasons, including a career-best .324 in 1980.
Traded from the Cubs to the Red Sox in the middle of the 1984 season, Buckner
started all 162 games for the 1985 Red Sox at first base. He was plagued by a leg injury
toward the end of the 1986 season, and he is infamously remembered for a 10th-in-
ning error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the Mets, a series in which the
Red Sox went on to lose in seven games.
After brief stints with the Angels (1987-88) and Royals (1988-89), Buckner returned
to Boston in 1990, becoming just the 21st player in history to play in the majors in four
different decades.
JAMES “JIMMY” BUSBY, a first baseman who played in the Western Carolinas,
Texas and Carolina leagues for the Pirates organization from 1975-78 and also in
the Inter-American League for the Caracas Metropolitanos in 1979, died May 18 in
Augusta, Ga. He was 65.
FOR THE RECORDGARY CAFEGO, a catcher who played in the Cocoa
Rookie and Midwest leagues for the Twins organization
in 1964, died May 9 in Mount Juliet, Tenn. He was 74.ROLANDO CAMARERO, a second baseman who
played in the Pacific Coast League for the Kansas City
Athletics organization in 1967 surrounded by 15 sea-
sons n the Mexican League from 1963-76 and 1979,
died April 3 in Tecamachalco, Mexico. He was 75.LARRY CARY, a righthander who pitched in the
Appalachian, Western Carolina, Florida State and
Northern leagues for the Pirates and Kansas City
Athletics organization from 1959-62, died May 19 in
Augusta, Ga. He was 78.RONALD COLLIE, a righthander who pitched in
the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York and Appalachian
leagues for the Phillies organization from 1954-55, died
May 24 in Rockingham, N.C. He was 84.ROBERT CONNELLY, a righthander who pitched in
the Appalachian, Western Carolinas and Florida State
leagues for the White Sox and Yankees organizations
from 1962-64, died March 8 in Amarillo, Texas. He was
76.RONALD “RON” COX, a minor league corner
infielder who played for the Cardinals, Pirates, Tigers,
Washington Senators, Reds and Phillies organizations
from 1962-71, died May 24 in Chesapeake, Va. He was
78.JUAN CRUZ, a middle infielder who played in the
California, Midwest, Eastern and Texas leagues for the
Athletics and California Angels organizations from
1981-85, died April 11 in Fort Myers, Fla. He was 56.RONALD “CHIN” DADALT, a minor league umpire
in the 1950s who also played in the Colonial League for
the Stamford Pioneers in 1948, died May 24 in Stafford
Springs, Conn. He was 93.BILLY DASHNER, a minor league outfielder who
played for the Indians, Dodgers, Reds, Phillies, Tigers
and Orioles organizations from 1954-62, died April 20 in
Las Vegas. He was 85.RANDEY DORAME, a minor league lefthander who
pitched in the Dodgers and Rockies organizations from
1999 to 2001 and also spent parts of six seasons in
the Mexican League from 1998 to 2008, died May 5 in
Reynosa, Mexico. He was 40.DAVID FARMER, a minor leaguer who played in
the Nebraska State and Georgia-Florida leagues for the
Kansas City Athletics organization in 1956, died May 20
in Inman, S.C. He was 85.GRADY HARDIMAN, a righthanded reliever who
pitched in the Gulf Coast League for the Pirates in 1973,
died March 17 in Columbus, Ohio. He was 65.WILLIAM “BILL” HARDY, a minor league shortstop
who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers organization in
1942 and ’46, died June 3 in Indianapolis. He was 97.FRANK HEAD, a righthander who pitched in the
Mountain States League for the New York Giants organi-
zation in 1952, died May 29 in East Alton, Ill. He was 87.ROBERT “BOB” HOUK, a minor leaguer who played
in the Mountain States League for the Middlesboro
Athletics in 1952, died May 17 in Louisville. He was 87.TOM KING, a minor league righthander who pitched
in the Pirates organization from 1953-55 and 1958, died
on May 2. He was 85.KAROL KWAK, a minor league outfielder who
played for the Boston Braves, Cardinals, St. LouisBrowns, and Orioles organization died April 28 in
Illinois. He was 89.ARNOLD “BARRY” LATMAN, an all-star righthander
who pitched for the White Sox, Indians, Angels and
Astros from 1957-67, died April 28 in Richmond, Texas.
Latman made his major league debut as a 21-year-
old on Sept. 10, 1957, completing three scoreless
innings against the Red Sox. In 159 appearances (80
starts) over his 11-year big league career, Latman went
59-68, 3.91 with 829 strikeouts and 489 walks in 1,219
innings.
Latman was selected to the All-Star Game as a mem-
ber of the 1961 Indians, a season in which he finished
13-5, 4.02 with five saves in 108 strikeouts in 176.2
innings.FRANK LUCCHESI, a major league manager for the
Phillies (1970-72), Rangers (1975-77) and Cubs (1987)
who also spent more than two decades as a minor
league manager, died June 8 in Arlington, Texas. He
was 92.
Over his seven year managerial career in the majors,
Lucchesi led the Phillies, Rangers and Cubs to a com-
bined record of 316-399.
As a minor league manager, Lucchesi accumulated
1,319 wins in more than 2,600 career games. Before his
managerial career, Lucchesi played in the minors for the
Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Orioles and Phillies organiza-
tions from 1945-57.JOHN “SATCH” LUTHERN, a pitcher who played
in the Wisconsin State, Provincial, Eastern and Tri-State
leagues for the Indians organization from 1953-56, died
May 26 in Masury, Ohio. He was 85.GEORGE MANN, a minor leaguer who played in the
Alabama-Florida League for the Reds organization in
1955, died Feb. 13 in Boerne, Texas. He was 84.WILLIAM “BILLY” MARRS, a minor leaguer who
played in the Nebraska State League for the Kansas
City Athletics organization in 1956, died May 21 in
Spotsylvania, Va. He was 84.WALTER MASSEY, a minor leaguer who played in
the Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League for the White
Sox organization in 1952, died May 23 in Disputanta, Va.
He was 84.LARRY MCCUNE, a righthander who pitched in the
Georgia-Florida League for the Reds organization in
1956, died May 31 in Beavercreek, Ohio. He was 82.EDWARD MCMAHON, a shortstop who played in
the Ohio-Indiana League for Reds organization in 1949,
died Oct. 13, 2018 in Pittsfield, Mass. He was 87.JOSEPH “JOE” MILLER, a minor leaguer who
played in the Gulf Coast League for the Astros organiza-
tion in 1977, died May 19 in Hypoluxo, Fla. He was 63.RONALD “RON” MINNICH, a minor league
righthander reliever who pitched for the St. Louis
Browns organization in 1952 and for the Orioles organi-
zation in 1954, died on May 13. He was 85.JAMES “JIM” NEUFELDT, a minor league center
fielder who played for the Cardinals organization from
1948-53 and also played in the Texas League for the
Oklahoma City Indians from 1954-55, died recently in
Fort Myers, Fla. He was 91.HARRY NILES, a second baseman who played in
the Georgia-Florida League for the Milwaukee Braves
organization in 1958, died June 7 in New Brunswick,
Canada. He was 82.ROBERT OLSON, a minor league righthander who
pitched for the Orioles, Washington Senators and Reds
organizations from 1961-65, died Sept. 21, 2018, in LOUIS REQUENA/MLB PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES; BETTMANN VIA GETTY IMAGESThe Dodgers drafted Bill Buckner out of Napa
(Calif.) High in 1968 and he spent his first eight
major league seasons in Los Angeles. He enjoyed
his career highlights after joining the Cubs in
1977, winning the NL batting title in 1980
and making the all-star team in 1981.