Cleaning out the Inbox: Passings

   It's time for us to pay our respects to a few people of note who have recently passed away.

Goodbye to Mickey Lolich at the age of 85.

The portly lefthander won three games in the 1968 World Series for the Detroit Tigers' upset win over the St.Louis Cardinals, winning the Series MVP for his efforts.

Lolich led the American League in wins (25) and strikeouts in 1971, made three All-Star teams, and won fourteen games or more every season from 1964 through 1974.

Lolich finished his career with 217 wins and a 3.44 ERA after he played his final three seasons with the Mets and Padres.

Goodbye to Sonny Jurgensen at the age of 91.

A fourth-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1957, Jurgensen would win an NFL title ring as Norm Van Brocklin's backup in 1960.

After being traded to Washington in 1964 for Norm Snead, Jurgensen would hit his prime, leading the league in passing yards three times (he led the league twice as an Eagle) and throwing 179 touchdown passes in his years in Washington.

Jurgensen was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983 and is a member of both Washington and Philadelphia's team Halls.

Jurgensen was a longtime member of Washington's radio crew and worked in Washington media for decades.

Goodbye to Barry Wilburn at the age of 62.

Wilburn is one of only ten (as of 2025) players to have won a Super Bowl (Washington) and a Grey Cup (Saskatchewan) in a career spanning 1985-99.

Wilburn led the NFL in interceptions in 1987, picking off nine passes and being named All-Pro.

Wilburn also holds the Washington team record for longest interception return when he intercepted a Minnesota pass in 1987 and returned it 100 yards for a score.

Goodbye to King T.Leatherbury at the age of 92.

One of the "Big Four" in Maryland horse racing in the 1960s and 70s, Leatherbury is fifth all-time in victories in American racing.

With Richard Dutrow, Bud Delp, and John Tammaro, Leatherbury dominated Maryland racing through "claiming" (buying horses in special races) ,,earning him the title "King of the Claimers".

Leatherbury was named to the Racing Hall of Fame in 2015.

Goodbye to Elroy Face at the age of 97.

The "fireman" for the 1960 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates, Face led the National League in saves three times and finished second on three more.

In 1959,  Face finished 18-1 with all decisions in relief, and to this day, Face s the all-time Pirates leader in appearances and saves.

Face saved three of the four Pirate wins over the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series, except for the famous Bill Mazeroski walk-off home run in game seven.

Face spent all but a year and a half of his sixteen-year career with Pittsburgh, moving to Detroit and expansion Montreal in 1968 and 69 to finish his career.