2024 Was Crazy || Part 2: I Speak
Edition #208
Happy New Year’s Eve. This post continues is ongoing series reviewing 2024! This post is a bit too long for email, so I’d recommend reading on the site.
2024 was the year of a lot of things.
It brought us the Olympics, it was a leap year, movies, the Dodgers finally won, etc.
But, it also brought us so many deaths. So many legendary sports stars and broadcasters… Gone. Heck, the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, died just yesterday at 100 years old.
So, because of this, I went on Twitter (I’m not calling it X), and I asked 2 questions.
Which athlete/broadcaster's death in 2024 made you super sad and why?
When you think of 2024, what sports player comes to mind first?
So, here’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to split this into 3 parts.
Dec. 30th: The People Answer The Questions.
Dec. 31st: I Answer The Questions and List The Deaths and Records.
Jan. 1st: The People Speak + Year’s Predictions.
Today, I’m going to be answering the questions, plus reviewing what many others said in our debut edition. Let’s begin, shall we?
Which athlete/broadcaster's death in 2024 made you super sad and why?
Three guys really shook me up. One was Rickey Henderson, two was Pete Rose, and three was Jerry West.
I’m no A’s fan, and I never got to see Rickey Henderson play a baseball game for the Oakland Athletics, but I do know the legacy he created. I do know all the records he broke. I do know what an ambassador he is to the game.
Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts are just some of my current favorite players, but I grew up learning about Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and one guy I learned all by myself, the first sports star I really tried to learn myself. That man would be Rickey Henderson.
The news didn’t take me aback as much as I thought it would. When it was announced, I was at a place with no service. I didn’t find out about the news until I went to Denny’s. I said it out loud, a few gasps around the restaurant, but I couldn’t believe what I just said myself. The great Rickey Henderson, is dead?
He was a trailblazer. The greatest MLB leadoff hitter of all time. My salute to Rickey Henderson.
If the A’s don’t name their next stadium, Henderson Field, I’m going to personally yell at John Fisher (even if it’s not his fault).
Pete Rose would be the next one.
I was never a huge Pete Rose guy when I was younger. While I knew about him, I always thought of him as a punk, a cheater, and someone who disembodied the MLB.
I will never support Pete Rose for what he’s done, because that’s just not what a sports legend or even player should do. Yes, many players on the White Sox have done it before. Yes, Willie Mays1 and Mickey Mantle associated themselves with casinos, but you’re different Pete!
I don’t have a backstory on Pete Rose, but banishing him from the MLB? Not putting him in the Hall of Fame? United States of America President-Elect Trump said, “The GREAT Pete Rose just died. He was one of the most magnificent baseball players ever to play the game. He paid the price! Major League Baseball should have allowed him into the Hall of Fame many years ago. Do it now, before his funeral!”
One of the only reasons I support Pete Rose, and will continue supporting Pete Rose, is just like President-Elect Trump said. He paid the price. He should be honored. I’m hoping that when Rob Manfred steps down, the MLB’s new commissioner will put Pete Rose on the HOF Ballot.
Finally, Jerry West.
While Warriors fans are supposed to be Lakers haters, there was a time (I’m scared to admit it), when I became a Lakers fan. I jumped on their bandwagon during the 2020 run. I don’t regret doing so, though. It helped me bring to like the Kobe Bryant accident.
That Youtube video. That YouTube video shined so much light. Jerry West is always a name that was in my head when thinking about basketball. I didn’t see him play, but it saddened me that such a legend could pass away like this. What a tribute.
It feels like all the people I’ve known, admired, and legends of the each sport, are all just slowly going away. It’s really really sad.
Let’s go to some happiness now!
When you think of 2024, what sports player comes to mind first?
Caitlin Clark and Shohei Ohtani. The two most obvious, but the two have really done some work to be the faces of sports in 2024.
Starting with Caitlin Clark. Oh my god is she good.
Clark led Iowa to a second straight appearance in the women's national championship game. During the season, she scored 31.6 points per game and broke the NCAA all-time scoring record with 3,951 career points.
Let’s get out of college for a second, because she steamrolled the WNBA too, just 6 weeks after school. She scored 20 points in here debut with the Indiana Fever, scoring more points than any rookie in WNBA history and a league record for assists, leading Indiana to a playoff berth. While they couldn’t get done, this is amazing progress for the Fever. If they can get one playoff berth in one season, imagine how many they could accomplish in 10 years with Clark.
Next is Shohei Ohtani. Yes, his $700 million mark was surpassed this season by Juan Soto2, but a 50/50 season? A home run, stolen base record? But, most of all, a World Series Championship? That all should and must be attributed to the Sports Square Player of the Year award.
All Shohei Ohtani wanted to do was win that World Series trophy. He wanted to win as many as possible. The Angels had it really lucky, making an even bigger name for themselves internationally with the Shohei Ohtani contract. They just couldn’t provide any championships. They couldn’t even provide a playoff berth. Ohtani wanted to taste success for once, and he got that with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Without Ohtani, the Dodgers would’ve never succeeded. The Dodgers were a team plagued with injuries once again, and that means they really need production from the offense, every single day. That’s what Ohtani provided.
The 50/50 season was the biggest thing that got him the award. It’s history guys. 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases! Are you kidding me?!
With that being said, here are the list of sports deaths this year. I hope you have a very nice New Year’s Eve!
Jan 1 Frank Ryan, American football quarterback (NFL C'ship 1964, 3 × Pro Bowl, NFL passing TD leader 1964, 66; Cleveland Browns), dies from complications of Alzheimer's disease at 87
Jan 1 Mario Boljat, Croatian soccer defender-midfielder (5 caps; Hajduk Split, Schalke 04), dies at 72
Jan 2 Alberto Festa, Portuguese soccer right-back (19 caps; FC Tirsense, FC Porto), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 84
Jan 2 Ángel Castellanos, Spanish soccer defender (3 caps; Granada CF, Valencia CF 363 games), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 71
Jan 2 Cameron Dunkin, American boxing manager (Diego Corrales, Terence Crawford, Johnny Tapia, Kelly Pavlik, Timothy Bradley, Mikey Garcia), dies of pancreatic cancer at 67
Jan 2 Carmen Valero, Spanish athlete (IAAF World Cross Country C'ship gold 1976, 77; bronze 1975), dies from a stroke at 68
Jan 2 Daniel Revenu, French fencer (Olympic gold team foil 1968; bronze x 5; World C'ship gold 1971, 75), dies at 81
Jan 3 Billy Gardner, American baseball manager (Minnesota Twins 1981–85, KC Royals 1987) and second baseman (World Series 1954 NY Giants, 1961 Minnesota Twins), dies at 96
Jan 3 René Metge, French rally driver (Dakar Rally 1981, 84, 86), dies at 82
Jan 4 Rosie Reyes, Mexican tennis player (French C'ships women's doubles 1958 [Yola Ramírez]), dies at 84
Jan 5 Mário Zagallo, Brazilian soccer forward (33 caps; FIFA World Cup 1958, 62; Flamengo, Botafogo) and manager (Brazil FIFA World Cup 1970; Copa America 1997), dies at 92
Jan 6 Malcolm Price, Welsh rugby union centre (9 Tests Wales, 5 British & Irish Lions; Pontypool RFC) and rugby league centre (2 Tests GB; Oldham RLFC, Rochdale Hornets), dies at 86
Jan 7 Duncan Hales, New Zealand rugby union three-quarter (4 Tests; Canterbury RFU, Manawatu RFU), dies at 76
Jan 7 German soccer defender (103 caps; FIFA World Cup 1974; Bayern Munich 427 games; Ballon d'Or 1972, 76) and manager (FIFA World Cup 1990; Bayern Munich), dies at 78
Jan 8 Frans Janssens, Belgian soccer forward (2 caps; Belgian Man of the Season 1973–74 Lierse SK), dies at 78
Jan 8 J. P. R. Williams, Welsh rugby union fullback (55 caps Wales, 8 British & Irish Lions; Grand Slam 1971, 76, 78), dies from bacterial meningitis at 74
Jan 10 Bud Harrelson, American baseball shortstop (MLB All-Star 1970, 71; World Series 1969; Gold Glove 1971 New York Mets) and manager (NY Mets 1990, 91), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 79
Jan 12 Bev Dovey, English rugby union prop (2 Tests; Bristol RFC 184 games; Western Counties, Gloucestershire), dies at 85
Jan 13 Stephen Laybutt, Australian soccer defender (15 caps; Brisbane Strikers, Excelsior Mouscron, KAA Gent), dies from suicide at 46
Jan 14 Norm Snead, American football quarterback (Pro Bowl 1962, 63, 65, 72; NFL completion % leader 1972 NY Giants; Philadelphia Eagles), dies at 84
Jan 15 Georgios Darivas, Greek soccer forward (16 caps; Olympiacos 270 games) and manager (Olympiacos 1971, 75-76), dies at 97
Jan 15 Jorge Griffa, Argentine soccer defender (4 caps; CA Newell's Old Boys, Atlético Madrid 227 games), dies at 88
Jan 17 Bennie Muller, Dutch soccer midfielder (43 caps; AFC Ajax 341 games), dies at 85
Jan 17 Shawn Barber, Canadian athlete (World C'ship gold pole vault 2019; World Indoor Tour 2016), dies after long illness at 29
Jan 19 Jack Burke Jr, American golfer (US Masters, PGA C'ship 1956; Ryder Cup 1951, 53, 55, 59; 1973 [non-playing captain]), dies at 100
Jan 19 Lance Larson, American swimmer (Olympic gold 4x100m freestyle relay, silver 100m freestyle 1960; WR 100m butterfly 58.7s 1960), dies at 83
Jan 20 Doug Padgett, English cricket batsman (2 Tests, HS 31; Yorkshire CCC, MCC), dies at 89
Jan 22 Luigi Riva, Italian soccer striker (42 caps; Cagliari 315 games), dies from a heart attack at 79
Jan 23 Jean Petit, French soccer midfielder (12 caps; AC Monaco 428 games), dies at 74
Jan 26 Jimy Williams, American MLB baseball infielder (St. Louis Cardinals), coach (World Series Champ - Atlanta, 1995 & Philadelphia, 2008), and manager (Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox (AL Manager of the Year -1999), Houston Astros), dies at 80
Jan 28 Luis Tejada, Panamanian soccer striker (108 caps; Juan Aurich SA 154 games), dies from a heart attack at 41
Jan 28 Víctor Luna, Colombian soccer defender (21 caps; Atlético Nacional, América de Cali), dies from a heart attack at 64
Jan 29 Héctor Sanabria, Mexican soccer defender (7 caps; UNAM Pumas 1965-78) and manager (UNAM Pumas, CD Toluca, CD Veracruz), dies at 78
Jan 30 Abe Terry, English rugby league front rower (11 Tests; Challenge Cup 1961 St. Helens RLFC [216 games]), dies at 89
Jan 30 John Dodds, Australian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer (250cc world championship 1973 3rd; 4 x GP wins, 21 x podiums; European Formula 750 1974), dies at 80
Jan 31 Leif Eriksen, Norwegian soccer forward (4 caps; Vålerenga FC, Eidsvold Turn) and manager (Vålerenga FC, Jevnaker IF, Skeid), dies at 83
Jan 31 Terry Beasley, American College Football HOF wide receiver (Unanimous All-American 1971 Auburn University; NFL: San Francisco 49ers), dies at 73
Feb 1 American football player, actor (Rocky films (I-IV); Street Justice; The Mandalorian), and director, dies at 76
Feb 1 Michel Jazy, French athlete (WR 1 mile 3:53.6 1965; Olympic silver 1500m 1960), dies at 87
Feb 1 Mike Martin, American College Baseball HOF coach (all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I: Florida State Uni 1980-2019; Baseball America Coach of the Year 2012, 19), dies at 79
Feb 2 Francisco Jara, Mexican soccer forward (9 caps; CD Guadalajara 1960-71), dies at 82
Feb 2 Rich Caster, American football wide receiver-tight end (Super Bowl XVII Washington Redskins; Pro Bowl 1972, 74, 75 New York Jets), dies from Parkinson's disease at 75
Feb 2 Stefan Yanev, Bulgarian soccer midfielder (Cherno More Varna 228 games) and broadcaster (BNT; 17 books on Bulgarian football), dies at 84
Feb 4 Barry John, Welsh rugby union fly-half (25 Tests Wales, 5 British & Irish Lions; Cefneithin RFC, Llanelli RFC, Cardiff RFC, Barbarian FC), dies at 79
Feb 4 Giacomo Losi, Italian soccer defender (11 caps; AS Roma 386 games) and manager (Piacenza, ASG Nocerina, SS Juve Stabia), dies at 88
Feb 4 John Elford, Australian rugby league winger (4 Tests; Western Suburbs RLFC, NSW), dies at 76
Feb 4 Kurt Hamrin, Swedish soccer winger (31 caps; AIK, AC Milan, Fiorentina 289 games), dies at 89
Feb 5 Tsutomu Hanahara, Japanese freestyle wrestler (Olympic gold flyweight 1964), dies at 84
Feb 6 Don McKay, New Zealand rugby union winger (5 Tests; Auckland RU), dies at 86
Feb 6 Miguel Ángel, Spanish soccer goalkeeper (18 caps; Real Madrid 247 games), dies of ALS at 76
Feb 7 Luigi Arienti, Italian track cyclist (Olympic gold men's team pursuit 1960), dies at 87
Feb 9 Roland Grip, Swedish soccer defender (55 caps; IFK Östersund, AIK, IK Sirius), dies at 83
Feb 12 Zdenko Morović, Venezuelan soccer midfielder (5 caps; Deportivo Italia, CS Marítimo, Caracas FC), dies at 57
Feb 13 Datta Gaekwad, Indian cricket batsman and captain (11 Tests, 1 x 50; Baroda CC), dies at 95
Feb 13 Ken Ploen, American CFL HOF quarterback (CFL All-Star 1965; CFL West All-Star 1957, 59, 65 Winnipeg Blue Bombers), dies at 88
Feb 14 Don Gullett, American MLB baseball pitcher, 1970-78 (3 x World Series Champion - Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees), dies at 73
Feb 14 Jenny Staley, Australian tennis player (Australian C'ship singles 1954 runner-up; married to Lew Hoad), dies at 89
Feb 16 Ian McMillan, Scottish soccer inside forward (6 caps; Airdrieonians 301 games, Rangers 127 games) and manager (Airdrieonians 1970-76, 1985–86), dies at 92
Feb 16 Jan Sørensen, Danish soccer striker (11 caps; Club Brugge, FC Twente, Feyenoord, Ajax) and manager (Portimonense, Walsall FC), dies at 68
Feb 16 Joe Hindelang, American college baseball coach (USciences, Lafayette, Penn State Uni 1991-2004), dies at 78
Feb 16 Jorge Toro, Chilean soccer midfielder (29 caps; Colo-Colo, Sampdoria, Modena, Unión Española), dies at 85
Feb 17 Bill Francis, Welsh rugby league utility back (4 Tests Great Britain, 19 Wales; Wigan, St. Helens, Oldham), dies at 76
Feb 17 Lefty Driesell, American Basketball HOF coach (first to win 100+ games at 4 different NCAA Div I schools: Davidson College, Uni of Maryland, James Madison, Georgia State), dies at 92
Feb 17 Levan Tediashvili, Georgian freestyle wrestler (Olympic gold USSR 82kg 1972, 90kg 1976; World C'ship gold x 4), dies at 75
Feb 17 Mike Procter, South African cricket all-rounder (7 Tests, 41 wickets, BB 6/73; Gloucestershire CCC, Natal, Western Province, Rhodesia, Orange Free State), dies of cardiac arrest at 77
Feb 20 Andreas Brehme, German soccer defensive midfielder (86 caps; FIFA World Cup 1990; 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan), dies from cardiac arrest at 63
Feb 20 Vasile Dîba, Romanian sprint canoeist (Olympic gold K-1 500m 1976; ICF World C'ships 5 x gold), dies at 69
Feb 22 Artur Jorge, Portuguese soccer striker (16 caps; Académica, Benfica, Belenenses) and manager (Portugal, Switzerland, Cameroon; Porto), dies at 78
Feb 22 Jean-Guy Talbot, Canadian ice hockey defenceman (7 x Stanley Cup Montreal Canadiens; 6 x NHL All Star) and coach (St. Louis Blues, NY Rangers), dies at 91
Feb 23 Irene Camber, Italian fencer (Olympic gold foil individual 1952, bronze team foil 1960; World C'ship gold 1953 individual foil; team foil 1957), dies at 98
Feb 23 Rui Rodrigues, Portuguese soccer centre-back (12 caps; Académica, Benfica, Vitória Guimarães), dies at 80
Feb 23 Wilson Fittipaldi Jr, Brazilian auto racer (38 x F1 GP) and team owner (Fittipaldi F1 team), dies at 80
Feb 24 Chris Nicholl, Irish soccer centre-back (51 caps Northern Ireland; Aston Villa 210 games, Southampton 228 games) and manager (Southampton 1985–91, Walsall 1994–97), dies at 77
Feb 24 Stan Bowles, English soccer forward (5 caps; Queens Park Rangers 255 games, Leyton Orient, Brentford), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 75
Feb 24 Ulrik le Fevre, Danish soccer left winger (37 caps; Vejle Boldklub, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Club Brugge), dies at 77
Feb 29 Andy Russell, American football linebacker (Super Bowl IX, X; First-team All-Pro 1975; 7 x Pro Bowl; Pittsburgh Steelers), dies at 82
Mar 3 Chris Mortensen, American sports journalist (ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio), dies from throat cancer at 72
Mar 3 Roberto Fleitas, Uruguayan soccer coach (Uruguay: Copa América 1987; Nacional FC: Copa Libertadores & South American Coach of the Year 1988), dies at 91
Mar 4 Kees Rijvers, Dutch soccer midfielder (33 caps; NAC Breda, Saint-Étienne, Feyenoord) and manager (FC Twente, PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), dies at 97
Mar 4 Lewis Jones, Welsh rugby union outside back (10 Tests Wales, 3 British Lions; Neath, Llanelli) and rugby league utility (2 Tests Wales, 17 Great Britain; Leeds, Wentworthville), dies at 92
Mar 7 Minervino Pietra, Portuguese soccer right-back (28 caps; Belenenses, Benfica) and manager (Alverca, Juventude Évora, Estoril, Barreirense), dies at 70
Mar 8 Duncan Fearnley, English cricket entrepreneur (Duncan Fearnley cricket bats), dies at 83
Mar 9 Georgi Popov, Bulgarian soccer forward (22 caps; Botev Plovdiv 308 games) and manager (Botev Plovdiv, Maritsa Plovdiv), dies at 79
Mar 10 Sergey Diomidov, Uzbek gymnast (World C'ship gold USSR Parallel bars 1966; Olympic silver team 1964, 68; bronze vault 1968), dies at 80
Mar 11 Emilio Correa, Cuban boxer (Olympic gold welterweight 1972; World C'ship gold 1974), dies at 70
Mar 12 Bill Plummer, American baseball catcher (Cincinnati Reds, World Series 1975, 76) and coach (Seattle Mariners), dies from a heart attack at 76
Mar 12 Rolf Blättler, Swiss soccer midfielder who played 28 internationals; Grasshoppers, Lugano, FC St. Gallen, dies at 81
Mar 13 Stefan Abadzhiev, Bulgarian soccer forward who played 27 internationals (PFC Levski Sofia), dies at 89
Mar 14 Léon Semmeling, Belgian soccer midfielder who played 35 internationals; Standard Liège 449 games, dies at 84
Mar 14 Mal Lucas, Welsh soccer right-half who played 4 internationals; Leyton Orient FC, Norwich City FC, Torquay United FC, dies at 85
Mar 14 Walter Blum, American HOF jockey who won 4,382 races and was the US Champion Jockey by wins in 1963-64, dies from lung cancer at 89
Mar 15 Rolf Haikkola, Finnish athletics coach who assisted four-time Olympic gold medal winner Lasse Virén, dies at 96
Mar 17 Robin Hobbs, English cricket spin bowler who played 7 Tests, 12 wickets; Essex CCC, Glamorgan CCC), dies at 81
Mar 18 Kenjiro Shinozuka, Japanese rally driver who won the Dakar Rally 1997, dies of pancreatic cancer at 75
Mar 18 Ron Baynham, English soccer goalkeeper who played 3 internationals and 388 games for Luton Town, dies at 94
Mar 20 António Pacheco, Portuguese soccer winger who played 6 internationals; Benfica 162 games; and manager Atlético, Portimonense SC, dies from a heart attack at 57
Mar 20 Dumitru Macri, Romanian soccer defender who played 8 internationals (FC Rapid București) and coached Algeria (1974-75), dies at 92
Mar 20 Phil Lowe, English rugby league second rower who played 12 Tests for Great Britain and 5 England; Hull KR, Manly Warringah RLFC, dies at 74
Mar 20 Saeed Ahmed, Pakistan cricket batsman, who played 41 Tests, 5 x 100, HS 172, 22 wickets; Karachi, Lahore; dies at 86
Mar 21 Orlando Aravena, Chilean soccer midfielder who played 6 internationals (Deportes La Serena, Ñublense) and manager of Chile (1987-89), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 81
Mar 23 Paul Masnick, Canadian NHL ice hockey player (Montreal Canadiens, Stanley Cup 1953), dies at 92
Mar 23 Peter Angelos, American lawyer and baseball executive (majority owner of the Baltimore Orioles, 1993-2024), dies at 94 [1]
Mar 25 Ian Heads, Australian sports journalist, commentator and author who was rugby league's foremost historian (Rugby League Week), dies at 81
Mar 26 André Van Herpe, Belgian soccer midfielder who played 7 internationals; ARA La Gantoise 1952-62, dies at 90
Mar 27 Choi Dae-Shik, South Korean soccer midfielder who played 15 internationals; Daewoo Royals, LG Cheetahs, Oita Trinita, dies at 59
Mar 28 Larry Lloyd, English soccer defender (4 caps; Liverpool, Nottingham Forest) and manager (Wigan Athletic, Notts County), dies at 75
Mar 28 Natalya Melyokhina, Russian road cyclist (UCI Road World C'ship gold USSR women's team time trial 1987), dies at 61
Mar 29 Péter Juhász, Hungarian soccer left-back (26 caps; Újpesti Dózsa FC, Tatabanyai Banyasz SC), Borsodi Volán SC, dies at 75
Mar 31 Rob Kaman, Dutch kickboxer who was 4 x WKA world champion, dies at 63
Apr 1 Vontae Davis, American football cornerback (Pro Bowl 2014, 15; Indianapolis Colts), dies at 35
Apr 2 Larry Lucchino, American baseball executive (President/CEO Boston Red Sox; World Series 2004, 07, 13), dies from heart failure at 78
Apr 3 Sándor Müller, Hungarian soccer midfielder (17 caps; Vasas SC 310 games), dies at 75
Apr 4 Pat Zachry, American baseball pitcher (World Series & NL Rookie of the Year 1976 Cincinnati Reds; MLB All Star 1978 NY Mets), dies at 71
Apr 5 John Louis, English motorcycle speedway rider (54 caps England, 4 Great Britain; World Pairs C'ship 1976), dies at 82
Apr 6 Pat Hennen, American motorcycle racer (first US rider to win a 500cc GP 1976), dies at 70
Apr 7 Jerry Grote, American baseball catcher (MLB All-Star 1968, 74, World Series 1969; New York Mets), dies of respiratory failure at 81 [1]
Apr 7 Joe Kinnear, Irish soccer defender (26 caps Republic of Ireland; Tottenham) and manager (Wimbledon, Luton Town, Newcastle United), dies from vascular dementia at 77
Apr 8 Keith Barnes, Australian rugby league fullback (17 Tests, 10 as captain; Balmain RLFC), dies at 89
Apr 8 Ron Lord, Australian soccer goalkeeper (10 caps; Sydney Prague), dies at 94
Apr 9 André Boniface, French rugby union outside back (48 Tests; Stade Montois Rugby; IRB HOF), dies at 89
Apr 9 Jack Alabaster, New Zealand cricket spin bowler (21 Tests, 49 wickets; Otago), dies at 93
Apr 10 American College/Pro Football HOF running back (Heisman Trophy 1968 USC; NFL MVP 1973; 5 × First-team All-Pro & Pro Bowl; Buffalo Bills), broadcaster, and actor; found responsible Brown/Goldman deaths 1994, dies of prostate cancer at 76 [1]
Apr 10 Ted Toleman, British motor sport executive (founder Toleman Racing F1 team), dies at 86
Apr 12 Don Donoher, American College Basketball HOF coach (University of Dayton 1964-89), dies at 92
Apr 12 Olga Connolly-Fikotova, Czech-American discus thrower (Olympic gold, 1956), dies at 91
Apr 14 American baseball pitcher (2 x no hitters 1969, 71 Chicago Cubs; MLB All Star 1972-73, World Series 1972-74 Oakland A's), dies of heart disease at 78 [1]
Apr 14 Steve Sloan, American college football coach (Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Duke), dies at 79
Apr 15 Bernd Hölzenbein, German soccer forward (40 caps West Germany, winner FIFA World Cup 1974; Eintracht Frankfurt all-time top scorer 160 goals), dies at 78
Apr 15 Derek Underwood, England cricket spin bowler (86 Tests, 297 wickets @ 25.83, BB 8/51; Kent CCC), dies from dementia at 78
Apr 15 Whitey Herzog, American Baseball HOF manager (World Series 1982, NL Manager of the Year 1985 St Louis Cardinals; Texas Rangers, California Angels, KC Royals), dies at 92
Apr 16 Carl Erskine, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1954; World Series 1955; 2 x no-hitters; Brooklyn/LA Dodgers; Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award), dies at 97 [1]
Apr 16 Rodney Gould, British motorcycle road racer (FIM 250cc World C'ship 1970; 10 x GP wins), dies at 81
Apr 17 Per Henriksen, Norwegian soccer central defender (10 caps; Viking FK 180 games), dies at 72
Apr 17 Raman Subba Row, English cricket batsman (13 Tests, 3 x 100, HS 137; Surrey CCC, Northamptonshire CCC), dies at 92
Apr 18 Wally Harris, Canadian ice hockey referee (6 x Stanley Cup series; first NHL Director of Officiating), dies at 88
Apr 19 Bill Tobin, American football executive (GM Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts), dies at 83
Apr 19 Leighton James, Welsh soccer winger (54 caps; Burnley 335 games), dies at 71
Apr 20 Roman Gabriel, American College Football HOF and NFL quarterback (NC State Uni; NFL MVP & First-team All-Pro 1969; 4 x Pro Bowl; LA Rams, Philadelphia Eagles), dies at 83
Apr 22 Al Shaver, Canadian Hockey HOF sportscaster (Minnesota North Stars WCCO Radio, KSTP-AM, WAYL-AM), dies at 96
Apr 22 Brian Tobin, Australian tennis executive (President International Tennis Federation 1991-99; International Tennis HOF), dies at 93
Apr 22 Charlie Hurley, Irish soccer centre half (40 caps Republic of Ireland; Sunderland 402 games), dies at 87
Apr 23 Francisco Rodríguez, Venezuelan boxer (Olympic gold men's light flyweight 1968), dies at 78
Apr 23 Yukio Kasaya, Japanese ski jumper (Olympic gold 1972), dies at 80
Apr 24 John O'Shea, Welsh rugby union prop (5 Tests Wales, 1 British & Irish Lions; Cardiff RFC 213 games), dies at 83
Apr 24 Terry Hill, Australian rugby league utility (9 Tests; NSW 14 games; Manly 126 games), dies from a heart attack at 52
Apr 26 Dave O'Sullivan, New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse trainer (Japan Cup 1989; Cox Plate 1990; NZ Derby 1990, 93; NZ Racing HOF), dies at 90
Apr 29 Dingaan Thobela, South African boxer (WBO lightweight title 1990-92, WBA lightweight title 1993, WBC super-middleweight title 2000), dies at 57
Apr 29 Luis Mendoza, Venezuelan soccer midfielder (15 caps; Deportivo Galicia, Deportivo Italia), dies at 78
Apr 29 Mykhaylo Fomenko, Ukrainian soccer defender (24 caps USSR; Dynamo Kyiv 173 games) and manager (Ukraine 2012-16), dies at 75
Apr 29 Wally Dallenbach Sr., American auto racer (Champ Car Series 1973 runner-up; Motorsports HOF of America), dies at 87
May 1 Terry Medwin, Welsh soccer forward (30 caps; Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur), dies at 91
May 2 Peter Oosterhuis, British golfer (British Open 1974, 82 runner-up; Ryder Cup x 6; Harry Vardon Trophy 1971-74), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 75
May 2 Sjoukje Dijkstra, Dutch figure skater (Olympic gold women's singles 1964; World C'ship gold 1962, 63, 64), dies at 82
May 3 Imerio Massignan, Italian road cyclist (Tour de France Mountains classification 1960, 61), dies at 87
May 3 László Hammerl, Hungarian sport shooter (Olympic gold 50m rifle prone 1964; silver 1968; bronze rifle three 1964), dies at 82
May 4 Dagoberto Fontes, Uruguayan soccer forward (13 caps; Defensor SC), dies at 80
May 5 César Luis Menotti, Argentine soccer manager (Argentina Winner FIFA World Cup 1978) and striker (11 caps; CA Rosario Central), dies from anemia at 85
May 6 Hootie Ingram, American college football coach (Clemson Uni 1970-72) and executive (AD Florida State Uni 1981–89, Alabama 1989–95), dies at 90
May 6 Joel Collier, American football coach (HC Buffalo Bills 1966-68; DC Denver Broncos 1972–88), dies at 91
May 6 Judy Devlin Hashman, English-American badminton player (World Team Championship gold US - 1957, 1960, 1963, 1966), dies at 88
May 8 Jimmy Johnson, American Pro Football HOF cornerback (4 × First-team All-Pro; 5 × Pro Bowl; SF 49ers), dies at 86
May 9 Jon Urbanchek, American swimming coach (US Olympic Team 1988, 92, 96, 2000, 04; HC University of Michigan 1982-2004; ISHOF), dies at 87
May 11 Ron Ellis, Canadian ice hockey right wing (Summit Series 1972; Stanley Cup 1967, 4 x NHL All Star; Toronto Maple Leafs), dies at 79
May 12 Ron Lynch, Australian rugby league forward (12 Tests; NSW 17 games, Parramatta 194 games), dies at 84
May 13 Lucien Mias, French rugby union lock (29 Tests; RC Narbonne, SC Mazamet), dies at 93
May 15 Tates Locke, American basketball coach (Army, Clemson University, Indiana State Uni), dies at 87
May 17 Sid Going, New Zealand rugby union halfback (29 Tests; Northland RU), dies at 80
May 19 Jim Otto, American Pro Football HOF center (AFL C'ship 1967; 9 × First-team All-AFL & AFL All-Star; 3 x Pro Bowl; Oakland Raiders), dies at 86
May 20 Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, German soccer defender (47 caps West Germany; 1. FC Köln, AC Milan 222 games), dies at 85
May 22 David Wilkie, Scottish swimmer (Olympic gold 200m breaststroke 1976; World C 'ship gold 200m breaststroke 1973, 75, 100m 1975), dies from cancer at 70
May 22 Petri Sulonen, Finnish soccer defender (10 caps; TPS 319 games), dies from ALS at 60
May 24 Derek Morgan, English rugby union executive (President RFU 2023-24) and No. 8 (9 Tests; Northumberland RU), dies at 88
May 26 Chip Kell, American College Football HOF center (University of Tennessee; CFL Edmonton Eskimos), dies of pneumonia at 75
May 27 American Basketball Hall of Fame center (NBA C'ship 1977, 1986; NBA Finals MVP 1977; Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics), dies from cancer at 71 [1]
May 28 Butch Johnson, American archer (Olympic gold team 1996, bronze 2000), dies at 68
May 29 Manfred Wolke, German boxer (Olympic gold GDR welterweight 1968), dies at 81
May 31 Amaral, Brazilian soccer defender (40 caps; Guarani, Corinthians, Leones Negros UdG), dies from cancer at 69
Jun 2 Carl Cain, American basketball player (Olympic gold, 1956), dies at 89
Jun 2 Larry Allen, American Pro Football HOF guard/tackle (Super Bowl XXX Dallas Cowboys; 6 × First-team All-Pro; 11 × Pro Bowl; SF 49ers), dies at 5
Jun 2 Rob Burrow, English rugby league halfback (England 15 Tests, GB 5 Tests; Super League C'ships 2004, 07, 08, 09, 11, 12, 15, 17; Leeds Rhinos), dies of MND at 41
Jun 4 John Todd, Australian Football HOF coach (6 × WAFL Premierships; AFL: West Coast Eagles) and half-forward (Sandover Medal 1955), dies at 86
Jun 4 Parnelli Jones, American auto racer (Indianapolis 500, 1963) and team owner (Indy 500 1970, 71; USAC National C'ships 1970, 71, 72), dies at 90
Jun 7 Jean-Kasongo Banza, DR Congo soccer forward (25 caps; VfLWolfsburg, MSV Duisburg), dies at 49
Jun 8 Chet Walker, American Basketball HOF forward (7 x NBA All-Star; NBA C'ship 1967 Philadelphia 76ers; Chicago Bulls), dies at 84
Jun 8 Frank Arnold, American college basketball coach (Brigham Young University 1975-83, University of Hawaii 1985-87), dies at 89
Jun 9 Frank Carroll, American figure skating coach (Linda Fratianne, Michelle Kwan, Evan Lysacek; World Figure Skating HOF), dies from cancer at 85
Jun 9 Ralph Caulton, New Zealand rugby union wing (16 Tests; Wellington RFU), dies at 87
Jun 10 Homer Rice, American football coach (University of Cincinnati, Rice University, Cincinnati Bengals) and administrator (Athletic Director - North Carolina, Rice, Georgia Tech), dies at 97
Jun 11 Terry Allcock, English footballer (Norwich City), dies at 88
Jun 12 Bob Harris, American sportscaster (announcer Duke University men's basketball & football 1976-2017), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 81
Jun 13 Tommy Banks, English soccer left-back (6 caps; Bolton Wanderers 233 games), dies of complications of dementia at 94
Jun 15 Enrique Pinder, Panamanian boxer (undisputed WBA, WBC, The Ring bantamweight titles 1972-73), dies at 76
Jun 16 Bob Schul, American athlete (Olympic gold - 5,000m, 1964), dies at 86
Jun 22 Donald Scott, Scottish rugby union outside back (10 Tests; South District, Edinburgh District), dies at 96
Jun 23 Hugo Villanueva, Chilean soccer defender (21 caps; Universidad de Chile 133 games), dies at 85
Jun 27 Landry Nguémo, Cameroonian soccer defensive midfielder (41 caps; Nancy, Bordeaux, Saint-Étienne), dies in a car accident at 38
Jun 27 Manuel Fernandes, Portuguese soccer striker (31 caps; Sporting CP 218 games) and manager (Vitória Setúbal), dies at 73
Jun 28 Dudu, Brazilian soccer midfielder (13 caps; Palmeiras 134 games) and manager (Palmeiras), dies at 84
Jun 28 Marty Pavelich, Canadian ice hockey left winger (Stanley Cup & NHL All Star 1950, 52, 54, 55 Detroit Red Wings), dies from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at 96
Jun 28 Orlando Cepeda, Puerto Rican Baseball HOF first baseman (11 × MLB All-Star; World Series & NL MVP 1967 St. Louis Cardinals; NL Rookie of the Year 1958 SF Giants), dies at 86 [1]
Jun 28 Yves Herbet, French soccer midfielder (16 caps; Nancy 100 games) and manager (FC Martigues, Bahrain, Angers), dies at 78
Jul 1 Jack Rowell, English rugby union coach (England 1994-97 29 games; 8 x John Player/Pilkington Cups, 5 x League C'ships Bath RUFC), dies at 87
Jul 3 David Hofmans, American thoroughbred racehorse trainer (Belmont Stakes 1997 Touch Gold; 3 x Breeders Cup races), dies at 81
Jul 5 Nikolay Korolkov, Russian equestrian (Olympic gold USSR team jumping, silver individual jumping 1980), dies at 77
Jul 5 American tennis player (Wimbledon 1953, US Nat C'ship 1954; 5 x Grand Slam doubles titles), dies at 100
Jul 10 Bob Banks, Australian rugby league five-eighth (15 Tests, 2 World Cup; Queensland 26 games), dies at 94
Jul 11 Monte Kiffin, American football coach (Super Bowl XXXVII TB Buccaneers DC; NCAA C'ship 1970, 71 University of Nebraska DC), dies at 84
Jul 12 Khalid "Billy" Ibadulla, Pakistani cricket batsman (4 Tests; 1 x 100, HS 166; Warwickshire, Otago) and broadcaster (TVNZ), dies at 88
Jul 13 Iliya Valov, Bulgarian soccer goalkeeper (30 caps; Botev Vratsa 180 games, Karşıyaka SK), dies from lung disease at 62
Jul 14 Jacoby Jones, American football wide receiver (Super Bowl XLVII, First-team All-Pro, Pro Bowl 2012 Baltimore Ravens), dies at 40
Jul 15 Norm Hewitt, New Zealand rugby union hooker (9 Tests; Hawke's Bay; Wellington Hurricanes 66 games), dies of motor neurone disease at 55
Jul 16 David Morrow, Australian Rugby League HOF broadcaster (ABC, 2GB), dies from cancer at 71
Jul 16 Joe Bryant, American NBA and European League basketball player, 1975-92 (Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers, Houston Rockets and 5 European teams), coach, and father of Kobe, dies after suffering a stroke at 69
Jul 18 Abner Haynes, American football running back (AFL MVP 1960; First-team All-AFL 1960, 61, 62; Kansas City Chiefs), dies at 86
Jul 19 Kevan Gosper, Australian sports executive (president Australian Olympic Committee 1985–1990; chairman Australian Institute of Sport 1980–85), dies at 90
Jul 19 Ray Reardon, Welsh snooker player (World Champion 1970, 73, 74, 75, 76, 78; Pot Black 1969, 78), dies from cancer at 91
Jul 21 Richie Sandoval, American boxer (Lineal and WBA Bantamweight Champion 1984-86), dies at 63
Jul 22 Carolyn Schuler, American swimmer (Olympic gold 100m butterfly, 4x100m medley relay WR 4:41.1 1960), dies at 81
Jul 22 Mark Carnevale, American golfer (PGA Tour Rookie of the Year 1992) and broadcaster (Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio), dies at 64
Jul 26 Geir Karlsen, Norwegian soccer goalkeeper (31 caps; Rosenborg, Dunfermline, Vålerengen, Odd), dies at 75
Jul 27 Carlos Alvarado, Costa Rican soccer goalkeeper (25 caps; LD Alajuelense), dies at 96
Jul 27 Luis Galarza, Bolivian soccer goalkeeper (17 caps; C The Strongest, CSCD Blooming) and manager (Real Potosí, C The Strongest), dies at 73
Jul 27 Murray Costello, Canadian ice hockey executive (oversaw foundation Canadian women's team and IIHF Women's World C'ship 1990), dies at 90
Jul 29 Józef Szmidt, Polish athlete (Olympic gold triple jump 1960, 64; first to reach 17m; WR 17.03m 1960), dies from cancer at 89
Jul 31 Anshuman Gaekwad, Indian cricket batsman (40 Tests, 2 x 100, HS 201; Baroda) and coach (India; Champions Trophy 2000 runner-up), dies of blood cancer at 71
Aug 1 Bertrand Fourcade, French rugby union coach (Italy 1989-93, France Universities 1996-2000; Lourds RFC), dies at 81
Aug 1 Craig Shakespeare, English soccer coach (WBA, Leicester CIty) and midfielder (Walsall 284 games), dies from cancer at 60
Aug 1 Zdeněk Prokeš, Czech soccer defender (17 caps Czechoslovakia; Bohemians Praha 294 games), dies at 71
Aug 2 Tommy Cassidy, Irish soccer midfielder (24 caps Northern Ireland; Newcastle United 180 games, Burnley), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 73
Aug 4 Graham Thorpe, English cricket batsman (100 Tests, 16 x 100, HS 200no; 82 ODIs; Surrey CCC), dies from suicide at 55
Aug 4 Steve Kragthorpe, American football coach (Uni of Tulsa 2003-06, Uni of Louisville 2007-09), dies from Parkinson's disease at 59
Aug 5 Adílio, Brazilian soccer manager (Flamengo 2003-07) and midfielder (1 cap; Flamengo 177 games), dies of pancreatic cancer at 68
Aug 5 Vyacheslav Ivanov, Russian rower (Olympic gold USSR single sculls 1956, 60, 64; World C'ship gold 1962), dies at 86
Aug 8 Puerto Rican golfer (Senior Tournament Players C'ship 1986, PGA Senior C'ship 1987), dies at 88
Aug 8 Jorge Rodríguez, Mexican soccer midfielder (40 caps; CD Toluca 201 games), dies of Evans syndrome at 56
Aug 10 Galina Zybina, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR women's discus 1952; 15 x WRs 1952-58), dies at 93
Aug 12 Ramiro Blacut, Bolivian soccer forward (23 caps; Club Bolívar, Ferro Carril Oeste, Bayern Munich) and manager (Bolivia 1979–81, 2004-05), dies at 80
Aug 15 Jim McLaughlin, Irish soccer striker (12 caps Northern Ireland; Shrewsbury Town 297 games) and manager (Dundalk, Derry City), dies at 83
Aug 15 Lars Björn, Swedish International Ice Hockey Fed HOF defenceman (217 caps; World C'ship gold 1953, 57; Olympic bronze 1952; Djurgårdens IF), dies at 92
Aug 16 Scott Bloomquist, American late model dirt race car driver (National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame), dies in a plane crash at 60 [1]
Aug 17 Hans Eijkenbroek, Dutch soccer midfielder (18 caps; Sparta 299 games) and manager (Roda JC, AZ '67, Haarlem), dies at 84
Aug 18 Franciszek Smuda, Polish soccer manager (Poland 2009-12; Widzew Łódź, Wisła Kraków; Polish Coach of the Year 1996, 97, 99, 2008), dies at 76
Aug 20 Al Attles, American Basketball HOF coach (NBA C'ship 1975 GS Warriors; NBA All-Star Game HC 1975, 76) and point guard (GS Warriors), dies at 87
Aug 20 Humberto Maschio, Argentine-Italian soccer forward (13 caps Argentina, 2 Italy; Racing Club, Bologna, Atalanta) and manager (Argentina 1969, Costa Rica 1972), dies at 91
Aug 21 Ken Miller, American football coach (CFL: Saskatchewan Roughriders 2008-11), dies at 82
Aug 21 Nick Mileti, American sports entrepreneur & franchise owner (Cleveland: Indians, Cavaliers, Crusaders; Cleveland Arena, Coliseum at Richfield; radio station WWWE AM/1100), dies at 93
Aug 21 Paquito, Spanish soccer manager (Villarreal CF, Valencia CF, Rayo Vallecano SAD) and midfielder (9 caps; Valencia 212 games), dies at 86
Aug 23 Peter Lundgren, Swedish tennis coach (Marat Safin, Marcelo Ríos, Grigor Dimitrov, Stanislas Wawrinka) and player (World #25 1987), dies at 59
Aug 24 Christoph Daum, German soccer manager (Romania 2016-17; VfB Stuttgart, 1. FC Köln, Bayer Leverkusen, Beşiktaş, Austria Wien, Fenerbahçe), dies at 70
Aug 24 Don Wert, American baseball third baseman (MLB All Star & World Series 1968 Detroit Tigers), dies at 86
Aug 24 George Rhoden, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 4x400m relay 1952), dies at 97
Aug 26 Sven-Göran Eriksson, Swedish soccer manager (England 2001-06; Roma, Fiorentina, Benfica, Sampdoria, Lazio, Manchester City, Leicester City), dies at 76
Aug 29 Adolfo Calisto, Portuguese soccer left-back (15 caps; Benfica 300 games) and manager (CD Alcains), dies at 80
Aug 29 Johnny Gaudreau, American ice hockey left wing (7 x NHL All-Star; Calgary Flames; Columbus Blue Jackets), dies in a traffic accident at 31
Aug 30 Robertas Žulpa, Lithuanian swimmer (Olympic gold USSR 200m breaststroke 1980), dies at 64
Aug 31 Sol Bamba, Ivorian soccer centre-back (46 caps; Hibernian, Leicester City, Leeds United, Cardiff City), dies from cancer at 39
Sep 2 Aleksandr Medved, Ukrainian freestyle wrestler (Olympic gold USSR heavyweight 1964, 68, 72; World C'ship gold x 7), dies at 86
Sep 4 Luis Ayala, Chilean tennis player (French Open mixed doubles 1956), dies at 91
Sep 5 Rebecca Cheptegei, Ugandan Olympic marathon runner, dies of her injuries after being set alight by her boyfriend at 33 [1]
Sep 6 Horst Weigang, German soccer goalkeeper (12 caps East Germany; Lokomotive Leipzig, Rot-Weiß Erfurt), dies at 83
Sep 6 Paul Goldsmith, American auto and motorcycle racer (USAC stock car champion 1961-62; 127 NASCAR starts, 9 wins), dies at 98
Sep 9 Carroll Dawson, American basketball coach (Baylor University 1973-77) and executive (GM Houston Rockets 1996-2006), dies at 86
Sep 9 Cecília Gáspár, Hungarian soccer midfielder and captain (28 caps; TSV Crailsheim, SGS Essen), dies at 39
Sep 9 Jean-Claude Berejnoï, French rugby union prop (27 caps; SC Decazeville, SC Tulle), dies at 85
Sep 10 Eligio Martínez, Bolivian soccer defender (14 caps; Club The Strongest 1981-91), dies at 69
Sep 10 Roberto Chale, Peruvian soccer midfielder (48 caps; Universitario), dies at 77
Sep 11 Joe Schmidt, College-Pro Football HOF linebacker (10 x Pro Bowl; 8 x First-team All-Pro; NFL C'ship 1953, 57; Detroit Lions) and coach (Detroit Lions 1967-72), dies at 92
Sep 14 Otis Davis, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m WR 44.9, 4x400m relay WR 3:02.2 1960), dies at 92
Sep 15 Gheorghe Mulțescu, Romanian soccer midfielder (16 caps; Jiul Petroșani 239 games) and manager (Dinamo București, Samsunspor), dies at 72
Sep 16 István Juhász, Hungarian soccer midfielder (23 caps; Ferencváros; Olympic gold 1968), dies at 79
Sep 16 Robert Dill-Bundi, Swiss track cyclist (Olympic gold Individual pursuit 1980; World C'ship gold Keirin 1984), dies at 65
Sep 16 Robert Lansdorp, American tennis coach (Tracy Austin, Pete Sampras, Lindsay Davenport, Maria Sharapova), dies at 85
Sep 18 Rolf Wolfshohl, German road cyclist (Vuelta a España 1965; World Cyclo-cross C'ship 1960, 61, 63), dies at 85
Sep 18 Salvatore Schillaci [Totò], Italian soccer striker (16 caps; Messina, Juventus), dies from atrial arrhythmia at 59
Sep 21 Mercury Morris, American football running back (Super Bowl VII, VIII, Pro Bowl 1971, 72, 73; Miami Dolphins; San Diego Chargers), dies at 77
Sep 22 Brian Huggett, Welsh golfer (British Open 1965 runner-up; Harry Vardon Trophy 1968; 10 x European Senior Tour titles), dies at 87
Sep 28 Jacques Teugels, Belgian soccer defender (13 caps; RSC Anderlecht, RWD Molenbeek), dies at 78
Sep 30 Dikembe Mutombo, Congolese Basketball HOF center (8 x NBA All-Star; 4 × NBA Defensive Player of the Year; Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets), dies of brain cancer at 58 [1]
Sep 30 Marko Valok, Serbian soccer striker (6 caps Yugoslavia; Partizan 470 games) and manager (Partizan, Yugoslavia, Burma), dies at 97
Sep 30 American baseball infielder (17 × MLB All-Star; NL MVP 1973; World Series MVP 1975, 76 Cincinnati Reds, 1980 Philadelphia Phillies) and manager (Cincinnati Reds 1984-89; banned for gambling), dies at 83 [1] [2] [3] [4]
Sep 30 Věra Černá, Czech gymnast (World C'ship gold balance beam 1979), dies at 61
Oct 2 Guido Carlesi, Italian road cyclist (Tour de France 1961 runner-up), dies at 87
Oct 2 Susie Maxwell Berning, American golfer (US Women's Open 1968, 72-73, Western Open 1965), dies at 83
Oct 4 Anatoliy Konkov, Ukrainian soccer midfielder (47 caps USSR; Dynamo Kyiv 193 games) and manager (Ukraine, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit Leningrad), dies at 75
Oct 4 Billy Shaw, American Pro Football HOF guard (AFL C'ship 1964, 65; 7 × All-AFL; 8 × AFL All-Star; Buffalo Bills), dies from hyponatremia at 85
Oct 4 Greg Landry, American football quarterback (First-team All-Pro & Pro Bowl 1971; NFL Comeback Player of the Year 1976; Detroit Lions), dies at 77
Oct 4 Willi Giesemann, German soccer defender (14 caps FRG; VfL Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich, Hamburger SV), dies at 87
Oct 6 Johan Neeskens, Dutch soccer midfielder (49 caps; Ajax, Barcelona, NY Cosmos) and manager (FC Zug, NEC), dies from a heart attack at 73
Oct 7 Brian Hastings, New Zealand cricket batsman (31 Tests, 4 x 100, HS 117no; Canterbury), dies at 84
Oct 8 Don Marshall, Canadian ice hockey left-wing (Stanley Cup 1956, 57, 58, 59, 60 Montreal Canadiens; 7 x NHL All-Star), dies at 92
Oct 8 Luis Tiant, Cuban baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1968, 74, 76; Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox HOF), dies at 83 [1]
Oct 8 Pat Fischer, American football cornerback (First-team All-Pro 1964, 69; Pro Bowl 1964, 65, 69; St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Redskins), dies at 84
Oct 9 August Pabst Jr., American auto racer (USAC Road Racing C'ship 1959; SCCA National Sports Car C'ship 1960), dies at 90
Oct 9 Dieter Burdenski, German soccer goalkeeper (12 caps West Germany; Werder Bremen 479 games), dies at 73
Oct 10 Brian Lockwood, English rugby league utility forward (16 Tests GB, 3 England; Castleford, Canterbury-Bankstown, Balmain, Wakefield Trinity, Hull KR), dies at 78
Oct 10 Peter Cormack, Scottish soccer midfielder (9 caps; Hibernian; Liverpool 125 games) and manager (Partick Thistle FC), dies at 78
Oct 11 Branko Rašović, Montenegrin soccer defender (10 caps Yugoslavia; Partizan Belgrade, Borussia Dortmund), dies at 82
Oct 11 Kevin Bowring, Welsh rugby union coach (Wales 1995-98), dies from a heart attack at 70
Oct 11 Ronnie Dawson, Irish rugby union hooker & captain (27 Tests Ireland, 6 British & Irish Lions; Wanderers FC, Leinster), dies at 92
Oct 14 Whit Tucker, Canadian Football HOF wide receiver (Grey Cup 1968, 69 Ottawa Rough Riders; CFL All-Star 1967), dies at 83
Oct 15 Bud Daley, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1961, 62 NY Yankees; 4 x MLB All Star KC Athletics), dies at 92
Oct 16 Patti McGee, American skateboarder (first female pro skateboarder; first Women's US C'ship 1964; first woman inducted IASC Skateboarding HOF), dies of a stroke at 79
Oct 20 Georges Aillères, French rugby league forward & captain (34 Tests; Toulouse Olympique, FC Lézignan Sangliers), dies at 89
Oct 22 Annelie Ehrhardt, German athlete (Olympic gold GDR 100m hurdles WR 12.59 1972), dies at 74
Oct 22 Mexican Baseball HOF pitcher (NL Cy Young Award & Rookie of the Year 1981; 6 x MLB All Star; World Series 1981, 88 LA Dodgers), dies from liver cancer at 63 [1]
Oct 25 Bill Hay, Canadian Hockey HOF centre (Calder Memorial Trophy 1960; NHL All Star 1960, 61; Stanley Cup 1961 Chicago Black Hawks) and executive (CEO Calgary Flames), dies at 88
Oct 30 Pedro Sarmiento, Colombian soccer midfielder (37 caps; Atlético Nacional 346 games, América de Cali SA), dies from polycythemia at 68
Nov 2 (William) "Dub" Jones, American football halfback, 1948-55 (Pro Bowl 1951, 1952; First Team All Pro 1951; Cleveland Browns) and coach (Cleveland Browns 1963-68), dies at 99 [1]
Nov 5 John Dempsey, Irish soccer centre back (19 caps Republic of Ireland; Fulham 149 games, Chelsea 166 games), dies at 78
Nov 5 Marise Chamberlain, New Zealand athlete (Women's mile WR 1962–67 2:01.4; Olympic bronze 800m 1964), dies at 88
Nov 6 Don Bosseler, American College Football HOF fullback (University of Miami; Pro Bowl 1959 Washington Redskins), dies at 88
Nov 6 Phyllis O'Donnell, Australian surfer (first Women's World Surfing Champion 1964), dies at 87
Nov 8 Rachid Mekhloufi, Algerian soccer striker (4 caps France, 10 Algeria; Saint-Étienne 294 games) and manager (Algeria 1971–72, 75–79), dies at 88
Nov 9 American auto racer (Winston Cup champion 1983; Daytona 500 1978, 82, 88), dies at 86
Nov 10 Dallas Long, American athlete (Olympic gold Shot put 1964; WR x 6), dies at 84
Nov 10 Derrick Grant, Scottish rugby union flanker (14 Tests; Hawick RFC) and coach (Scotland 1985-88), dies at 86
Nov 11 Gerry Faust, American College football coach (University of Notre Dame 1981-85; University of Akron 1986-94), dies at 89
Nov 11 John Robinson, American College Football HOF coach (University of Southern California 1976–82, 93–97; NCAA C'ship 1978; LA Rams 1983–91), dies from pneumonia at 89
Nov 12 Michael Hübner, German track cyclist (World C'ship gold Sprint 1986 GDR, 90, 92 FRG; Keirin 1990, 91, 92; Team sprint 1995), dies at 65
Nov 13 Luis Ernesto Tapia, Panamanian soccer forward (77 caps; Alianza FC, Provincia de Panama Metro), dies from a heart attack at 80
Nov 15 Béla Károlyi, Hungarian Romanian-American gymnastics coach (Nadia Comăneci, Mary Lou Retton, Kerri Strug), dies at 82 [1]
Nov 19 Roy Christian, New Zealand rugby league centre (32 Tests; Auckland RL, Otahuhu RLFC), dies at 81
Nov 21 Kathleen Wharton, New Zealand rugby league second-rower (14 Tests; NRLW NZ Warriors), dies at 41
Nov 21 Mohammad Nazir, Pakistani cricket spin bowler (14 Tests, BB 7/99; Pakistan railways CC, Punjab Uni CC), dies at 78
Nov 22 Gianfranco Dalla Barba, Italian fencer (Olympic gold Sabre, team 1984; bronze 1988), dies from cardiac arrest at 67
Nov 22 Sue Pitt, American swimmer (WR 200m butterfly 2:29.1 1963), dies from glioblastoma at 76
Nov 23 Jean Jourden, French cyclist (UCI World C'ship gold Road race 1961), dies at 82
Nov 24 Rico Carty, Dominican baseball outfielder (MLB All-Star & NL batting champion 1970 Atlanta Braves), dies at 85
Nov 25 Ernie McMillan, American football offensive tackle (Pro Bowl 1965, 67, 69, 70; Second-team All-Pro 1966, 67; St. Louis Cardinals), dies at 86
Nov 26 Jan Furtok, Polish soccer striker (36 caps; GKS Katowice, Hamburger SV, Eintracht Frankfurt), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 62
Nov 27 Maria Alexandru, Romanian table tennis player (World C'ship gold women's doubles 1961, 1973, 1975), dies at 84
Nov 27 Mary McGee (née Connor), American motorsport pioneer (sports car racer, 1957-64; first woman to compete in motorcycle road racing & motocross events in US, 1960-76 and 2000-12; FIM Legend), dies at 87 [1] [2]
Nov 28 Bill Battle, American college football coach (Uni of Tennessee 1970-76) and executive (athletic director Uni of Alabama 2013-17), dies at 82
Nov 30 Lou Carnesecca, American collegiate HOF basketball coach (St. John's University, 1965-70 and 1973-92), dies at 99
Dec 1 Ian Redpath, Australian cricket batsman (66 Tests, 8 x 100, HS 171; Victoria), dies at 83
Dec 1 Terry Griffiths, Welsh snooker player (World pro champion 1979; World amateur champion 1975), dies at 77
Dec 2 Don Ohl, American basketball guard (5 x NBA All-Star 1963–67; Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets), dies at 88
Dec 2 Israel Vázquez, Mexican boxer (WBC, IBF, Lineal Super bantamweight champion 2004-09), dies from sarcoma at 46
Dec 2 Lucjan Brychczy, Polish soccer striker (58 caps; Legia Warsaw 368 games), dies at 90
Dec 2 Neale Fraser, Australian tennis player (3 x Grand Slam singles, 11 x doubles winner) and coach (Australian Davis Cup team x 4 winner), dies at 91
Dec 3 Ecaterina Oancia, Romanian rowing cox (Olympic gold quad sculls 1984; World C'ship gold Eight, Coxed four 1987; Eight 1989), dies at 70
Dec 5 Bill Melton, American baseball third baseman. 1968-77 (MLB All-Star & AL home run leader, 1971; Chicago White Sox, and 2 other teams) and broadcaster,1998-2020 (NBC, Comcast, Chicago White Sox), dies at 79
Dec 5 John Williams, South African rugby union lock (13 Tests; Northern Transvaal RFU), dies from leukaemia at 78
Dec 6 Vitaliy Dyrdyra, Ukrainian sailor (Olympic gold USSR Tempest Class 1972), dies at 86
Dec 8 Nikos Sarganis, Greek soccer goalkeeper (58 caps; Olympiacos 144 games, Panathinaikos), dies at 70
Dec 10 American baseball outfielder (MLB All-Star x 9; AL HR leader 1959, AL RBI leader 1965 Cleveland Indians), dies at 91
Dec 11 Syd Hynes, English rugby league centre (13 Tests GB, 4 England; Leeds 366 games) and coach (Leeds 1975-81), dies at 80
Dec 12 Jim Tunney, American football official (Super Bowl VI, XI, XII; record 29 post-season assignments), dies at 95
Dec 16 Dick Van Arsdale, American basketball guard (NBA All Star 1969, 70, 71; New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns), dies at 81
Dec 17 Rik Van Looy, Belgian cyclist (World Road Race champion 1960, 61; Tour de France Points classification 1963), dies at 90
Dec 18 Dietmar Constantini, Austrian soccer manager (Austria 2009-11; Austria Wien, Tirol Innsbruck, Mainz 05), dies from dementia at 69
Dec 18 Fred Lorenzen, American auto racer (Daytona 500 1965; USAC Stock Car Champion 1958, 59; World 600 Winner 1963, 65), dies from dementia at 89
Dec 18 Klaus Wolfermann, German athlete (Olympic gold FRG javelin 1972; WR 94.08m 1973), dies at 78
Dec 20 George Eastham, English soccer midfielder (19 caps; Newcastle United, Arsenal, Stoke City) and manager (Stoke City 1977-78), dies at 88
Dec 20 American Baseball HOF outfielder, 1979-2003 (10 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1989 Oakland A's, 1993 Toronto Blue Jays; AL MVP 1990; MLB stolen bases record 1,406), dies from pneumonia at 65 [1]
Dec 20 Thierry Jacob, French boxer (WBC super bantamweight champion 1992), dies at 59
Dec 25 Bill Bergey, American NFL linebacker, 1969-80 (5 x Pro Bowl, Philadelphia Eagles; Cincinnati Bengals), dies of cancer at 79
Willie Mays was not on my list because while I felt super sad that he passed away, I never really had a connection with him in any sort of way.
I did not include Juan Soto as an answer to this one because he did not have a record season in any form, even with the fact he scored a $765 million contract.