Lyle Alzado
Lyle Martin Alzado was born 4/3/1949 in Brooklyn, New York. He died 5/14/1992 at age 43 in Portland, Oregon from complications from brain cancer.
Defensive End
Yankton College
Denver Broncos 1971-1978
Cleveland Browns 1979-1981
Los Angeles Raiders 1982-1985
Johnny Bailey
Hank Bauer
Henry Albert Bauer was born on 7/31/1922 in East St Louis, IL. He died on 2/9/2007 at age 84 in Lenexa, KS from lung cancer.
Right Fielder
New York Yankees 1948-1959
Kansas City Athletics 1960-1961
Manager
Kansas City Athletics 1961-1962
Baltimore Orioles 1964-1968
Oakland Athletics 1969
3 time All-Star
8 time World Series Champion
Don Baylor
Bobby Bonds
Bobby Lee Bonds was born 3/15/1946 in Riverside, California. He died 8/23/2003 at age 57 in San Carlos, California from lung cancer and a brain tumor.
San Francisco Giants 1968-1974
New York Yankees 1975
California Angels 1976-1977
Chicago White Sox 1978
Texas Rangers 1978
Cleveland Indians 1979
St Louis Cardinals 1980
Chicago Cubs 1981
Gay Brewer
Eddie Brinkman
Edwin Albert Brinkman was born on 12/8/1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He died on 9/30/2008 at age 66 in Cincinnati from lung cancer.
Shortstop
Washington Senators / Texas Rangers (1961-1970)
Detroit Tigers (1971-1974)
St. Louis Cardinals (1975)
Texas Rangers (1975)
New York Yankees (1975)
1972 All-Star
1973 Gold Glove
Tom Brookshier
Thomas Jefferson Brookshier was born on 12/16/1931 in Roswell, New Mexico. He died on 1/29/2010 at age 78 from cancer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Defensive Back
University of Colorado
Philadelphia Eagles 1953-1961
2 time Pro Bowl
Philadelphia Eagles # 40 jersey retired
Lew Burdette
Selva Lewis Burdette, Jr. was born on 11/22/1926 in Nitro, West Virginia. He died on 2/6/2007 at age 80 in Winter Gardens, Florida from lung cancer.
Pitcher
New York Yankees (1950)
Boston / Milwaukee Braves (1951–1963)
St. Louis Cardinals (1963–1964)
Chicago Cubs (1964–1965)
Philadelphia Phillies (1965)
California Angels (1966–1967)
2 time All-Star (1957, 1959)
World Series Champion (1957)
World Series MVP (1957)
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb was born 12/18/1886 in Narrows, Georgia. He died 7/17/1961 at age 74 in Atlanta, Georgia from an unknown cause
Outfielder
Detroit Tigers 1905-1926
Philadelphia Athletics 1927-1928
Detroit Tigers Manager 1921-1926
Larry Costello
Lawrence Ronald Costello was born on July 2, 1931 in Minoa, NY. Died on December 11, 2001 at age 70 from cancer.
Niagara University
Philadelphia Warriors 1954
Syracuse Nationals
Philadelphia 76ers
Coach
East Syracuse-Minoa High School
Milwaukee Bucks
Chicago Bulls
Utica College
6 time All-Star
Won NBA titles as both a player and a coach.
Chuck Daly
Charles Jerome Daly was born on 7/20/1930 in St Marys, PA. He died on 5/9/2009 at age 78 in Jupiter, FL from pancreatic cancer.
Coach
Duke University (Assistant Coach)
Boston College 1969-1971
University of Pennsylvania 1971-1977
Cleveland Cavaliers 1981-1982
Detroit Pistons 1983-1992
New Jersey Nets 1992-1994
Orlando Magic 1997-1999
Crash Davis
Lawrence Columbus Davis was born on July 14, 1919 in Canon, GA. He died on August 31, 2001 at age 82 from stomach cancer.
Duke University
Philadelphia Athletics 1940-1942
U.S. Navy 1942-1946
Durham Bulls
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul DiMaggio was born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr. on 11/25/1914 in Martinez, CA. He died at age 84 from lung cancer on 3/8/1999 in Hollywood, FL.
Center Fielder
New York Yankees 1936-1942 & 1946-1951
3 time MVP
13 time all-star
New York Yankees retired jersey # 5 in 1952
Pat Dobson
Patrick Edward Dobson, Jr. was born on 2/12/1942. He died 11/22/2006 at age 64 in San Diego, CA from leukemia.
Pitcher
Detroit Tigers 1967-1969
San Diego Padres 1970
Baltimore Orioles 1971-1972
Atlanta Braves 1973
New York Yankees 1973-1975
Cleveland Indians 1976-1977
In 1971, he went 20-8 with a 2.90 ERA and was one of four 20-game winners for the Baltimore Orioles. The three other pitchers were Mike Cuellar, Jim Palmer and Dave McNally.
Larry Doby
Lawrence Eugene Doby was born on December 13, 1923 in Camden, South Carolina. He died on June 18, 2003 at age 79 in Montclair, New Jersey from cancer.
Center Fielder
Newark Eagles 1942-1943, 1946
Cleveland Indians 1947-1955, 1958
Chicago White Sox 1956-1957, 1959
Detroit Tigers 1959
Manager
Chicago White Sox 1978
7 time All-Star
1948 World Series champion
Cleveland Indians #14 retired
Doby was the second African American to play a game in the major leagues and the first to play a game in the American League.
John Ferguson
John Bowie Ferguson, Sr. was born on 9/5/1938 in Vancouver. He died on 7/14/2007 at age 68 in Windsor, Ontario from prostate cancer.
Montreal Canadiens 1963-1971
Winnipeg Jets General Manager 1978-1989
Ottawa Senators Player Personnel Director 1992-1995
San Jose Sharks Special Assistant
Won 5 Stanley Cup Championships with the Canadiens.
Cal Gardner
Calvin Gardner was born on 10/30/1924 in Manitoba. He died on 10/10/2001 at age 76 from cancer.
New York Rangers 1946-1948
Toronto Maple Leafs 1948-1952
Chicago Black Hawks 1952-1953
Boston Bruins 1953-1957
Gardner played 12 seasons in the NHL and won 2 Stanley Cup Championships. He is the father of Dave Gardner and Paul Gardner who both played in the NHL in the 70’s.
Ray Getliffe
Ray Getliffe was born on 4/3/1914 in Galt, Ontario. He died on 6/15/2008 at age 94 in London, Ontario from liver cancer.
Boston Bruins
Montreal Canadiens
Won 2 Stanley Cup Championships
In 1943, while playing for the Canadiens, he once scored 5 goals in a single game.
Pancho Gonzales
Ricardo Alonso Gonzales was born 5/9/1928 in Los Angeles, California. He died 7/3/1995 at the age of 67 from cancer in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Professional Tennis Player
Gonzales won 4 amateur Grand Slam titles and 12 professional Grand Slam titles. He was ranked #1 for 9 years during the 50s and 60s.
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin Greenberg was born 1/1/1911 in New York.He died 9/4/1986 at age 75 in Beverly Hills from cancer.
First Baseman
Detroit Tigers 1930-1941 & 1945-1946
Pittsburgh Pirates 1947
5 time All-Star
2 time World Series champion
2 time American League MVP
Detroit Tigers jersey #5 retired
Tony Gwynn
George Halas
George Stanley Halas was born on 2/2/1895 in Chicago, IL. Died on 10/31/1983 at age 88 in Chicago from pancreatic cancer.
University of Illinois
Founder, Owner & Coach
Decatur Staleys 1920
Chicago Staleys 1921
Chicago Bears 1922-1983
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963
John Hanna
John Hanna was born on 4/5/1935 in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He died on 11/20/2005 at age 70 of cancer.
New York Rangers
Montreal Canadiens
Philadelphia Flyers
Craig “Ironhead” Heyward
Craig William Heyward was born on 9/26/1966. He died on 5/27/2006 at age 39 from brain cancer.
Running Back
University of Pittsburgh
New Orleans Saints 1988-1992
Chicago Bears 1993
Atlanta Falcons 1994-1996
St Louis Rams 1997
Indianapolis Colts 1998
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was born on 8/2/1932. He died on 12/13/2006 at age 74 from prostate cancer.
A founder of the American Football League and Major League Soccer
Kansas City Chiefs Owner
Jim Johnson
Jim Johnson was born on May 26, 1941 in Maywood, Illinois. He died on July 28, 2009 at age 68 from melanoma.
University of Missouri 1959-1962 (Quarterback)
Buffalo Bills 1963-1964 (Tight End)
Coach
Notre Dame 1977-1983
Oklahoma Outlaws (USFL) 1984
Jacksonville Bulls (USFL) 1985
Arizona Cardinals 1986-1993
Indianapolis Colts 1994-1997
Seattle Seahawks 1998
Philadelphia Eagles 1999-2008
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was born on 7/13/1935 in Los Angeles, CA. He died on 5/2/2009 at age 73 in Bethesda, MD from cancer.
Quarterback
Pittsburgh Steelers 1957
Calgary Stampeders 1959
San Diego Chargers 1960-1962
Buffalo Bills 1962-1969
U.S. House of Representatives 1973-1989
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade Landry was born on 9/11/1924 in Mission, Texas. He died on 2/12/2000 at age 75 in Dallas, Texas from leukemia.
Cornerback
University of Texas Longhorns
New York Yankees 1949
New York Giants 1950-1955
Dallas Cowboys Head Coach 1960-1988
3rd most wins all time for an NFL coach. His 20 career playoff wins
3rd most wins all time for an NFL coach. His 20 career playoff wins
are the most of any coach in NFL history. He was NFL Coach of
the Year in 1966 and NFC Coach of the Year in 1975.the Year in
1966 and NFC Coach of the Year in 1975.
Charlie Leigh
Charlie Leigh was born on 10/29/1945 in Halifax, Virginia. He died on 10/26/06 at age 60 of lung cancer in Albany, New York
Kick Returner
Cleveland Browns 1968 & 1969
Miami Dolphins 1971-1974*
Green Bay Packers 1974
*Member of 1972 Miami Dolphins Perfect Season
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas Lombardi was born on 6/11/1913. He died on 9/3/1970 at age 57 from cancer.
Green Bay Packers Head Coach
NFL Hall of Fame
Dick Lynch
Richard Dennis Lynch was born on 4/29/1936 in Oceanside, NY. He died on 9/24/2008 at age 72 from leukemia.
Defensive Back
Notre Dame
Washington Redskins 1958
New York Giants 1959-1966
Jim Mandich
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was born on September 10, 1934 in Hibbing, Minnesota. He died on December 14, 1985 at age 51 in Houston, Texas from lymphoma.
Outfielder
Cleveland Indians 1957-1958
Kansas City Athletics 1958-1959
New York Yankees 1960-1966
St Louis Cardinals 1967-1968
Won a gold glove in 1960
Hit 61 homers in 1961
Played in 7 all-star games
Played on 7 world series teams
2 time MVP
Bob Matheson
Robert Matheson was born on 11/25/44 in Boone, NC. He died on 9/5/94 at age 49 at Duke University Hospital from complications of Hodgkin’s Disease.
Linebacker
Duke University
Cleveland Browns 1967-1970
Miami Dolphins 1971-1979*
*Member of the 1972 Miami Dolphins Perfect Season
Tug McGraw
Frank Edwin McGraw, Jr. was born on 8/30/1944. He died 1/5/2004 at age 59 from brain cancer.
Pitcher
New York Mets 1965-1974
Philadelphia Phillies 1975-1984
Tug McGraw is the father of country music superstar Tim McGraw.
Al McGuire
Al McGuire was born on September 7, 1928 in New York. He died on January 26, 2001 at age 72 in Milwaukee, WI from leukemia.
St. John’s University 1947-1951
New York Knicks 1951-1953
Baltimore Bullets 1954
Dartmouth College Ass’t Coach 1955-1957
Belmont Abbey College Head Coach 1957-1964
Marquette University Head Coach 1964-1977
TV broadcaster
Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992
Dave McNally
Dave McNally was born on 10/31/1942. He died 12/1/2002 at age 60 of lung cancer in Billings, MT.
Pitcher
Baltimore Orioles 1962-1974
Montreal Expos 1975
McNally won more than 20 games for 4 consecutive seasons and was one of four 20-game winners for the 1971 Orioles (Pat Dobson, Jim Palmer, and Mike Cuellar were the other three).
McNally is the only pitcher in Major League history to have hit a grand slam and thereby win his own game in the World Series (1970).
Sam Mills
Bobby Murcer
Bobby Ray Murcer was born 5/20/1946 in Oklahoma City, OK. He died 7/12/2008 at age 62 in Oklahoma City from brain cancer.
Outfielder
New York Yankees 1965-1974 & 1979-1983
San Francisco Giants 1975-1976
Chicago Cubs 1977-1979
New York Yankees Sportscaster
5 time All-Star
1972 Gold Glove
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was born on 1/26/1925 in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He died on 9/26/2008 at age 83 in Westport, CT from lung cancer.
Race Car Driver / Actor
Johnny Oates
Johnny Lane Oates was born on 1/21/1946 in Sylva, NC. He died on 12/24/2004 at age 58 in Richmond, VA from brain cancer.
Catcher
Baltimore Orioles 1970-1972
Atlanta Braves 1973-1975
Philadelphia Phillies 1975-1976
Los Angeles Dodgers 1977-1979
New York Yankees 1980-1981
Manager
Baltimore Orioles 1991-1994
Texas Rangers 1995-2001
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland Owens was born 9/12/1913. He died 3/31/1980 at age 66 from lung cancer.
Track & Field
Floyd Patterson
Floyd Patterson was born on 1/4/1935. He died on 5/11/2006 at age 71 from Alzheimer’s & prostate cancer.
Professional Boxer
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was born 7/25/1954 in Columbia, MS. He died 11/1/1999 at age 45 in South Barrington, IL from liver cancer.
Running Back
Jackson State University
Chicago Bears 1975-1987
Known as “Sweetness,” Payton was one of the most prolific running backs in football history. Payton, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, once held the League’s record for most career rushing yards, touchdowns, carries, and many other categories. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of
Fame in 1993.
Brian Piccolo
Louis Brian Piccolo was born 10/31/1943 in Pittsfield, MA. He died on 6/16/1970 at age 26 from cancer.
Running Back
Wake Forest
Chicago Bears 1966-1969
The movie, Brian’s Song, tells the story of the friendship between Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers.
Dave Pureifory
David Pureifory was born on 7/12/1949 in Pensacola, FL. He died on 3/5/2009 in Ann Arbor, MI at age 59 from Cancer.
Defensive End
Eastern Michigan University
Green Bay Packers 1972-1977
Cincinnati Bengals 1978
Detroit Lions 1978-1982
Bobby Riggs
Robert Larimore Riggs was born 2/25/1918 in Los Angeles, California. Died 10/25/1995 at age 77 from prostate cancer in Encinitas, California.
Professional Tennis Player
Riggs won 6 amateur Grand Slam titles and 4 professional Grand Slam titles He was ranked # 1 in 1946 and 1947. Riggs later became popular when he challenged the two best female tennis players, Margaret Court and Billie Jean King, in order to prove that male athletes were better than female athletes no matter the age (he was 55 years old). He beat Court but lost to Billie Jean King.
Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
David Smalley
David Smalley died on June 1, 2007 at age 72 in Annapolis, MD from cancer.
Navy basketball coach.
Larry Smith
Larry Smith was born on 9/12/1939 in Van Wert, OH. He died on 1/28/2008 at age 68 in Tucson, AZ from Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.
Coach
Tulane University 1976-1979
University of Arizona 1980-1986
University of Southern California 1987-1992
University of Missouri 1994-2000
Gordon Solie
Jonard Frank Labiak was born on 1/26/1929 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He died on 7/27/2000 at age 71 in New Port Richey, Florida from throat cancer. Solie was possibly the most famous voice of wrestling. He was a play-by-play announcer for the World Championship Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling, Championship Wrestling of Florida, and others.
Tommy Spinks
Thomas Allen Spinks was born on 10/29/1948 in Shreveport, LA. He died on 8/26/2007 at age 58 in Arlington, TX from
Cancer.
Wide Receiver
Louisiana Tech University
Minnesota Vikings 1970
Ken Stabler
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon Stengel was born on 7/30/1890. He died on 9/29/1975 at age 85 from cancer.
Outfielder
Brooklyn Dodgers 1912-1917
Pittsburgh Pirates 1918-1919
Philadelphia Phillies 1920-1921
New York Giants 1921-1923
Boston Braves 1924-1925
Coach
Brooklyn Dodgers 1934-1936
Boston Braves 1938-1943
New York Yankees 1949-1960
New York Mets 1962-1965
Walt Sweeney
Wayman Tisdale
Wayman Lawrence Tisdale was born on 6/9/1964 in Fort Worth, TX. He died on 5/14/2009 at age 44 in Tulsa, Oklahoma from cancer.
Power Forward / Center
University of Oklahoma
Indiana Pacers 1985-1989
Sacramento Kings 1989-1994
Phoenix Suns 1994-1997
In 1997, Tisdale became the first Oklahoma player in any sport to have his jersey number retired. Tisdale won a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics as a member of the U.S. Basketball team. He was elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
Dan Turk
Daniel Anthon Turk was born on 6/25/1962. He died on 12/24/2000 at age 38 from testicular cancer.
Center
Pittsburgh Steelers 1985-1986
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1987-1988
Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders 1989-1996
Washington Redskins 1997-1999
Gene Upshaw
Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr. was born on August 15, 1945 in Robstown, Texas. He died on August 20, 2008 at age 63 in Lake Tahoe, California of pancreatic cancer.
Guard
Texas A&M
Oakland Raiders 1967-1981
Executive Director of the NFL Players’ Association (NFLPA).
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
7 time pro bowl selection
2 time super bowl champion
John Vukovich
John Christopher Vukovich was born on 7/31/1947 in Sacramento, CA. He died on 3/8/2007 at age 59 from Brain Cancer.
3rd Baseman / Manager
Philadelphia Phillies 1970-1971 & 1976
Milwaukee Brewers 1973-1974
Cincinnati Reds 1975
Chicago Cubs (Coach) 1982-1987
Philadelphia Phillies (Coach) 1988-2004
1975 World Series Champion
Jimmy Walker
James Walker was born on 4/8/1944 in Amherst, VA. He died on 7/2/2007 at age 63 in Kansas City, MO from Lung Cancer.
Guard
Providence
Detroit Pistons 1967-1972
Houston Rockets 1972-1973
Kansas City Kings 1973-1976
2 time all star
Bill Walsh
William Ernest Walsh was born on 11/30/1931. He died on 7/30/2007 at age 75 from leukemia.
Oakland Raiders Running Backs Coach 1966
Cincinnati Bengals Receivers Coach 1968-1975
San Diego Chargers Offensive Coordinator 1976
Stanford Cardinals Head Coach 1977-1978
San Francisco 49ers Head Coach 1979-1988
Stanford Cardinals Head Coach 1992-1994
Bill Wirtz
William Wadsworth Wirtz was born on 10/5/1929 in Detroit, MI. He died on 9/26/2007 in Chicago, IL at age 77 from Cancer.
Chicago Blackhawks Owner
Ernie Wright
Ernest Henry Wright was born on 11/6/1939 in Toledo, OH. He died on 3/20/2007 at age 67 from Cancer.
Offensive Tackle
Ohio State University
Los Angeles Chargers 1960
San Diego Chargers 1961-1967 & 1972
Cincinnati Bengals 1968-1972
Garo Yepremian
Kay Yow