I mentioned** Addie Joss** in another thread, a great MLB pitcher in the first decade of the 20th century, who died young. He made it into the Hall of Fame, but it took some bending of the rules; if he had played a few more seasons, he’d probably be added far earlier.
I got to thinking about other athletes who died while still young enough to be able to play at a major league level.
Ed Delahanty was 35 when he died, falling off a bridge and down Niagara Falls after he had been kicked off a train for being drunk.
Ernie Davis was the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and number one draft pick in the NFL (the first black athlete to be either), but died of leukemia before playing a game. His number was retired by Cleveland.
Kenny Hubbs Chicago Cubs second baseman and rookie of the year and Gold Glove winner as a rookie in 1962 died in a plane crash a year or two later.
Thurman Munson Yankee catcher died in a plane crash.
Joe Roth All-American quarterback at UC Berkley died 3 months after last college game from cancer.
Wayne Estes All American basketball player at Utah State University was second in the nation in scoring behind Rick Barry in 1965. After scoring 48 points in his last college game he was out with friends and happened upon an auto accident. He was electrocuted when he walked into a downed power line. The way I heard it the line hit him in the forehead so had he been a playmaking guard he might have survived.
Payne Stewart winner of 3 major championships on the PGA tour died in a plane crash at 42.
Darryl Kile a relief pitcher for Houston died of coronary disease at 33, two years after winning 20 games.
Just remembered Lyman Bostock outfielder for Minnesota finished fourth in batting in his first full season, second the next year, went to Angles as a free agent and was murdered just before the next season ended (1978.)
Eugene “Big Daddy” Lipsomb was a 6’6" 300 pound defensive tackle in the NFL, before that became the standard, who never attended college but was drafted by the Rams after serving in the Marines. He was said to be the fastest interior lineman in the league. He played 3 years there and then 5 in Baltimore where he was twice selected for the Pro Bowl and voted Best lineman both times. He then played 2 years for the Steelers where he was a fan favorite. While in Pittsburgh he wrestled in the off-season. He died at 31 of a heroin overdose in Baltimore. The coroner said he had enough heroin in his system to kill five people. Everyone who knew him claimed he was not a drug user and in fact was said to be afraid of needles.
German national team goalkeeper Robert Enke committed suicide by jumping in front of an express train outside Hannover in the lead-up to the 2010 World Cup. He was 32. I think he was in the mix to be the starting keeper.
Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed by a drunk driver three years ago at the age of 22, along with 2 other passengers in the car. He had been the starting pitcher hours before. The drunk fled the scene but was later caught. He got 51 years for second-degree murder.
Patriots DE Marquise Hill drowned in Lake Pontchartrain a few years ago at 24.
Distance runner Steve Prefontaine died at 24 in a car accident.
Elizabeth Busche was on the winning women’s team at last year’s U.S. Junior curling championship, and played at the world championship in Sweden. She died two months later of cancer.
Walt Bond, a first basemen for Cleveland, Houston, and Minnesota died of leukemia in 1967 at age 29.
Tony Lema, winner of a dozen PGA tournaments including the Open in 1964, died in a plane crash at age 32. Ironically, the plane crashed into a water hazard on a golf course.
The '60s was not a good decade for athletes flying in private aircraft.
If you consider Auto Racers athletes (I do), the sport is full of them.
On the track, there was Dale Earnhart (49), Neil Bonnett (47) – possibly stretching the definition of “too young,” but still not their time; Fireball Roberts (35), Ayrton Senna (34), Dan Wheldon (33), Adam Petty (19)… the list goes on.
Some off-track deaths include Alan Kulwicki at 38 in a plane crash, just months after winning the NASCAR championship, and Davey Allison at 32, who crashed his own helicopter.
Ray Chapman, Cleveland infielder, killed by a pitch in 1920.
Darryl Kile, by the way, was actually a starting pitcher for the Cardinals when he died, not a reliever for Houston (he had pitched for the Astros earlier in his career).
Another Houston pitcher, Don Wilson, died young too in the early seventies while still an active (and good) player.
