with many players from my childhood days having sadly passed away.
Ellis's best seasons were as an Indian in 1973 and 74 with career highs in homers and RBI with both seasons playing in over one hundred games, which Ellis would do only one other time in his career (1979 Texas).
Ellis was the Indians clubhouse enforcer for Gaylord Perry during Perry's standout years in Cleveland and is remembered for his two-punch knockout of Texas's Lenny Randle as Randle attempted to charge Perry on the mound after getting plunked by Perry.
Goodbye to Joel Horlen at the age of 84.
Horlen was an excellent pitcher that was stuck on weak-hitting White Sox teams that resulted in a career losing record (116-117) despite a career ERA of 3.11.
Horlen spent eleven of his twelve-year career with the White Sox and his numbers from 1964-68 were excellent as he never posted an ERA higher than 2.88, posted a 1.88 in 1964, and led the American League in 1967 with an ERA of 2.08, yet in those five seasons, only in two would Horlen finish with more wins than losses.
Horlen's 1967 season may have been good enough to win the Cy Young had Chicago slipped past Boston for the American League pennant but finished second to Boston's Jim Lonborg with a record of 19-7, the league-leading ERA, and thirteen complete games.
Horlen is the only player in baseball history to win a Pony League world title, a College World Series championship and a World Series.
Goodbye to Rayfield Wright at the age of 76.
The Hall of Fame offensive tackle spent his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys, winning two Super Bowls and making the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams on six occasions.
Wright was an athletic tackle on the right side during an era where the right tackle was more important than left ( as is currently considered more important) as the running game was used much more often and the right tackle was usually the lead blocker on sweeps and runs off tackle.
Goodbye to John Drew at the age of 67.
A two-time All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks, who averaged twenty-one points or more in five of his first seasons in the league, Drew is remembered more for his issues with drugs, which caused Drew to be the first player ever to be "banned for life" for multiple drug violations by then-commissioner David Stern.
It's too bad that's what is remembered about Drew, who was an excellent offensive player and was good enough to be traded for by the Utah Jazz for the third overall pick in the 1982 draft, which Atlanta would use on Dominque Wilkins.
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