Where are they now? Former Sox players of days past

[maggsmaggs]

I was bored today so I looked up Kelly Wunsch, wondering where he had gone after baseball. And voila, I found out:

 

He builds homes, is a realtor and broadcasts some minor league baseball. He was always one of my favorites, so I am glad he is having ag reat life after baseball. Links below to his Linkedin (he actually lists baseball player, which I found funny) and his website.

 

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kelly-wunsch/6/690/607

http://kellywunschhomes.com

 

Who else of days past do you have an update for?

Edited September 9, 2010 by maggsmaggs

[greg775]

For blasts from the past.

 

I'd like to know what Bill Naharodny is doing.

Gary Peters.

Joe Horlen

Hoyt Wilhelm

Chet Lemon

Richie Zisk

Jim Spencer

J.C. Martin

Harry Caray's original color man who got fired for being too critical. He and Harry blasted the team during a rain delay and the color man was the fall guy.

Jim Essian

LaMarr Hoyt

Pete Ward

Bee Bee Richard

Jorge Orta

 

Where are they now?

[BigEdWalsh]

Well, for starters Hoyt Wilhelm has been dead for about ten years.

[greg775]

I did not know that. What was he doing afore his death?

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I did not know that. What was he doing afore his death?

 

Probably just lying around.

[greg775]

If he was smart he would have his own business teaching the knuckleball.

Guys like Wilhelm and Wakefield can pitch forever if they develop an effective flutterball.

[SoxAce]

Probably just lying around.

 

For some reason, I chuckled reading this.

[chetkincaid]

http://kellywunschhomes.com/About.html

 

Your link didn't work, so I fixed it for you.

[elrockinMT]

I did not know that. What was he doing afore his death?

 

living

[soxrwhite]

breathing

[elrockinMT]

I did not know that. What was he doing afore his death?

 

I apologize for making a funny about your inquiry. This is sjust asnipet of what I found on a website called The Baseball Biography Project: It had along and interesting bio on Wilhelm who I remember from his days with the Sox. He died in 2002

 

 

Hoyt managed in the Atlanta Braves' system for two years, spending 1973 with Greenwood of the Western Carolinas League and 1974 with Kingsport of the Appalachian League. He then spent 22 years coaching in the minors, most of them as a roving instructor for the Yankees.

 

Hoyt and Peggy settled after his playing career in Sarasota, Florida, and they lived there the rest of his life. The Wilhelms raised three children: Patti, Pam and Jim.

[elrockinMT]

If he was smart he would have his own business teaching the knuckleball.

Guys like Wilhelm and Wakefield can pitch forever if they develop an effective flutterball.

 

Hoyt was the best adn then there was Wilbur Wood and I think Eddie Fisher also threw the knuckler if I am not mistaken

[The Ginger Kid]

Harry Caray's original color man who got fired for being too critical. He and Harry blasted the team during a rain delay and the color man was the fall guy.

 

Where are they now?

You are referring to Jimmy Piersall, one time great outfielder. He did so much crazy s***, you should read about him. He once got kicked out of a game when he ran back and forth in CF while Ted Williams was at bat. He got in a fight with Billy Martin BEFORE a game, got ejected once and then went and changed clothes, got into a seat behind the plate and started heckling the ump! And that's just scratching the surface. After one rant on a telecast Harry turned to him and said, "Jimmy, you're nuts." and Piersall said "Yep, and I've got the papers to prove it." He was sent to the psychiatric ward a few times in his career.

[hogan873]

Kelly Dransfeldt now works as a stock portfolio advisor and gives market reports in Morris.

[hogan873]

Richie Zisk

Where are they now?

Richie Zisk is the hitting coach for the Daytona Cubs.

[LittleHurt05]

Jim Thome recently moved to Minneapolis and has been highly successful at his new job, at least thats what I have been hearing.

[Texsox]

Jim Thome recently moved to Minneapolis and has been highly successful at his new job, at least thats what I have been hearing.

 

 

damn you, I didn't want to laugh.

[hogan873]

Jim Thome recently moved to Minneapolis and has been highly successful at his new job, at least thats what I have been hearing.

Very nice.

[SI1020]

You are referring to Jimmy Piersall, one time great outfielder. He did so much crazy s***, you should read about him. He once got kicked out of a game when he ran back and forth in CF while Ted Williams was at bat. He got in a fight with Billy Martin BEFORE a game, got ejected once and then went and changed clothes, got into a seat behind the plate and started heckling the ump! And that's just scratching the surface. After one rant on a telecast Harry turned to him and said, "Jimmy, you're nuts." and Piersall said "Yep, and I've got the papers to prove it." He was sent to the psychiatric ward a few times in his career.

As far as I can tell he spent time at least twice in a psychiatric hospital. In the middle of the 1952 season he spent 7 weeks in the Westborough State Hospital in Massachusetts. In 1960 while with the Indians the team physician ordered psychiatric care for him after a series of bizarre indicents including throwing the ball at Bill Veeck's new exploding scoreboard after catching the final out in game two of a doubleheader on Memorial Day. Piersall's struggles with his personal demons are chronicled in his autobiographical work Fear Strikes Out. It was made into a movie with Anthony Perkins of Psycho fame starring as Piersall and Karl Malden as his overbearing father. Piersall was less than pleased with the movie.

Edited September 9, 2010 by SI1020

[BigEdWalsh]

As far as I can tell he spent time at least twice in a psychiatric hospital. In the middle of the 1952 season he spent 7 weeks in the Westborough State Hospital in Massachusetts. In 1960 while with the Indians the team physician ordered psychiatric care for him after a series of bizarre indicents including throwing the ball at Bill Veeck's new exploding scoreboard after catching the final out in game two of a doubleheader on Memorial Day. Piersall's struggles with his personal demons are chronicled in his autobiographical work Fear Strikes Out. It was made into a movie with Anthony Perkins of Psycho fame starring as Piersall and Karl Malden as his overbearing father. Piersall was less than pleased with the movie.

Several years later I was at a game when Piersall threw a ball at the scoreboard again. But it was before the game during batting practice. He must have hated that scoreboard. I forget who he was playing for but I remember when he hit his 100th career homer and ran around the bases backwards to celebrate.

[greg775]

You are referring to Jimmy Piersall, one time great outfielder. He did so much crazy s***, you should read about him. He once got kicked out of a game when he ran back and forth in CF while Ted Williams was at bat. He got in a fight with Billy Martin BEFORE a game, got ejected once and then went and changed clothes, got into a seat behind the plate and started heckling the ump! And that's just scratching the surface. After one rant on a telecast Harry turned to him and said, "Jimmy, you're nuts." and Piersall said "Yep, and I've got the papers to prove it." He was sent to the psychiatric ward a few times in his career.

 

Good stuff.

But I'm actually not referring to Jimmy.

Harry had another color man who took the fall for the two being very critical. He wasn't a former player, either.

The two had a great conversation during a rain delay and after the season that color man never came back.

[elrockinMT]

La Marr Hoyt made this interesting quote in the Sporting News that I found checking on Hoyt. I also think he got busted for drugs either after leaving baseball or while with the Padres

 

"Aw, in the summer when it'shot, I'll throw a few 'natural spitters' - just use the sweat that's runnin' down my forehead. No big deal; it's all legal. I don't use any foreign substance - just sweat. I'm not going to live and die with the pitch; it's too hard on your arm. But if it's hot and I’m tired, I'll use it. It's just sweat. It's legal." - La Marr Hoyt in The Sporting News (April 22, 1985)

 

I'll just add this from what I found:

Other Resources

 

A right-handed pitcher, Hoyt had two fine seasons with the Chicago White Sox, climaxing with the AL's Cy Young Award in 1983, when he led the league in victories with a 24-10 record. He had also led in victories with a 19-10 record in 1982.

 

The White Sox won the AL Western Division in 1983 and Hoyt pitched them to a 2-1 victory in the first game of the league championship series against the Baltimore Orioles, but Chicago lost the next three games and Baltimore took the pennant.

 

After a 13-18 record in 1984, Hoyt was traded to the NL's San Diego Padres. He was 16-8 in 1985, but slipped to 8-11 the following year.

 

In 1987, Hoyt was suspended from major league baseball for a year because of three arrests for drug use. He spent 45 days in prison and was then invited to try out with the White Sox in 1988.Shortly afterward, however, he was arrested again and convicted of possession of marijuan and cocaine.

 

Edited September 9, 2010 by elrockinMT

[knightni]

Peters is 73 and living in Florida. He's presently active in B.A.T. (Baseball Assistance Team), which helps older retired players with money and medical assistance.

[elrockinMT]

Peters is 73 and living in Florida. He's presently active in B.A.T. (Baseball Assistance Team), which helps older retired players with money and medical assistance.

 

 

He and Joel Horlen were my favorite pitchers with the Sox

[elrockinMT]

I took this from Joel Horlen's bio

 

In 1964 he earned a spot in the starting rotation, posting a 13-9 record and setting career bests in earned run average (1.88; 2nd in the American League only to Dean Chance's 1.65) and strikeouts (138). He also led the majors by allowing only 6.07 hits per 9 innings, bettering Sandy Koufax's National League-leading 6.22. In the next 42 years, only 8 right-handed pitchers bettered that ratio in a season. He also led the AL in Walks + Hits per IP (WHIP) (.935).

 

That year his White Sox battled the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles for the pennant, but finished second, one game behind the Yankees and one game ahead of the Orioles.

 

In 1965 he was 2nd in the league in shutouts (4), and was 3rd in walks/9 IP (1.60). In 1966 he led the league in wild pitches (14), was 6th in hit batsmen (6), and was 2nd in ERA (2.43).

 

Horlen’s best season was in 1967; he finished 19-7 and led American League pitchers with a 2.06 ERA and 6 shutouts, was 2nd in W-L percentage (.731), 4th in wins, complete games (13), and walks/9 IP (2.02), and 7th in innings pitched (258). He also led the AL in Walks + Hits per IP (WHIP) (.953). He was named to the American League All-Star team for the only time in his career, but did not pitch in the game. The highlight of Horlen’s season was a clutch performance on September 10 as the White Sox were involved in a four-way pennant race with the Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Detroit Tigers; he no-hit the Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader at Comiskey Park. Not until the Tigers' Jack Morris no-hit the White Sox in 1984 would another no-hitter be pitched in a White Sox home game, and the next no-hitter by a White Sox in a White Sox home game wouldn't be pitched until 2007, by Mark Buehrle at U.S. Cellular Field. He should have won the Cy Young that year IMO

Horlen recorded victories in his next three starts, the next one coming five days later against the Twins. However, on September 27, which would be known by White Sox fans as “Black Wednesday,” the lowly Kansas City Athletics swept a doubleheader from the White Sox and effectively eliminated Eddie Stanky's "Hitless Wonders" (as the team was known because no regular batted above .250) from pennant contention. Horlen lost the second game, with 21-year-old Catfish Hunter shutting out the White Sox 4-0. On an interesting note, the two games were the last played by the Athletics in Kansas City; they would move to Oakland for the start of the 1968 season. The White Sox finished fourth, three games behind the Red Sox who, after finishing next to last in 1966, won the pennant on the final day, finishing one game ahead of the Twins and Tigers.

 

Horlen finished runner-up to Jim Lonborg, the star of the Red Sox staff, in the American League Cy Young Award balloting, and 4th in MVP voting.

 

In 1968 he led the AL in hit batsmen (14). In 1970 he was 5th in walks/9 IP (2.14).

 

In spring training of 1972, two weeks after voting unanimously in favor of a strike, the White Sox released Horlen, who had been the Sox’ player representative.

 

[edit] Oakland Athletics (1972)

He later signed with Oakland, and pitched mostly in relief as the Athletics won the World Series — the first in franchise history since 1930.

 

[edit] After the major leagues

In 1989, Horlen played for the St. Lucie Legends of the Senior Professional Baseball Association.[2]

 

[edit] Personal life

Horlen is a convert to Judaism.[1][2]