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Newsweek
4 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Former Mets Pitcher Traded for Hall of Fame Manager Passes Away
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. When the New York Mets traded pitcher Bill Denehy to the Washington Senators in November 1967, the man who went to Queens was not a player but a manager. Gil Hodges still had one year remaining on his contract to manage the Washington Senators. For the cost of Denehy and $100,000, the Mets acquired the skipper who would guide the team to a stunning World Series victory in 1969. More news: Former Phillies Pitcher, Longtime Coach Dies Unexpectedly at 63 As for Denehy, the hard-throwing right-hander saw his career undone by a shoulder injury, and drug and alcohol abuse that arose from ultimately futile efforts to treat his pain. Denehy, who died recenty at age 79, became a radio announcer, a minor league pitching coach, and a coach at the University of Hartford after his brief career as a major league pitcher ended. Peter Golenbock, his co-author on the book Rage: The Legend of "Baseball Bill" Denehy, confirmed Denehy's passing to Newsweek Sports. A New York Mets hat and glove sit on the steps of the dugout during the game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on August 4, 2015 in Miami, Florida. A New York Mets hat and glove sit on the steps of the dugout during the game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on August 4, 2015 in Miami, turning point of his career came in his fourth career major league start, a game on May 3, 1967 against the San Francisco Giants. Denehy sustained an injury to his right shoulder while throwing a slider to Willie Mays. More news: Yankees World Series Champion, St. Louis' Last AL All-Star, Dies at 97 "As I threw the ball I felt as though someone had stuck a knife into my shoulder," Denehy wrote in Rage. "The pain was awful." Although he continued in the game, so great was the pain in his rotator cuff that he needed multiple cortisone shots to avoid a long-term stint on the injured list. In Rage, Denehy credited the drug dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for helping him regain his career. The drug was later severely restricted by the FDA for human uses. More news: Former Braves, Red Sox Pitcher Dies Unexpectedly at 54 After the trade to Washington, Denehy would bounce between the majors and minors over the next decade. He spent time with the Senators, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Giants and Philadelphia Phillies organizations. In 49 major league games with the Mets, Senators, and Detroit Tigers from 1967-71, Denehy went 1-10 with a 4.56 ERA. More news: Legendary 2-Sport Star Whose Grandson Followed Him to MLB's Cardinals Dies In a biography about Denehy for the Society of American Baseball Research, Alan Cohen wrote that his "life after baseball was a roller-coaster of opportunities wasted, addictions encountered, and mischievous behavior." As a minor league pitching coach with the Red Sox, Denehy crossed paths with a young Roger Clemens. As the head coach for the University of Hartford, Denehy recruited future Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell to the baseball team, and helped him hone his unique batting stance. More news: Two-Time World Series Champion, Beloved Member of 1969 Mets, Passes Away Denehy was inducted into the Middletown (Conn.) Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. A multi-sport star in high school, Denehy also dabbled in golf instruction and authored a book on the topic in 2006. Toward the end of his life, Denehy lost his sight. He attributed his blindness to the many cortisone injections he received in response to his shoulder injury — a lasting but bittersweet reminder of his brief career as a pitcher. For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
Boston Globe
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Natick's Joe Coleman, the No. 3 pick in the inaugural amateur draft in 1965, dies at 78
The son and father of major leaguers, Coleman became the No. 3 pick in baseball's inaugural amateur draft in 1965 when he was selected by the Washington Senators. His father, also named Joe — who pitched in the majors from 1942-55 — negotiated a club-record $75,000 signing bonus. Born in Boston, Joe Coleman graduated from Natick High. He attended Ted Williams' baseball camps, where he learned how to throw a curveball and slider. The 6-foot-3-inch, 175-pound Coleman became the first player to reach the majors after being drafted when he debuted for the Senators on Sept. 28, 1965. He threw a four-hitter to beat the Kansas City Athletics 6-1. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up After the 1970 season, Coleman was traded to Detroit in a deal that sent Denny McLain to Washington. He enjoyed his greatest individual success with the Tigers, going 88-73 with a 3.82 ERA from 1971-76. Advertisement In 1971, he went 20-9 with a 3.15 ERA after recovering from a skull fracture that hospitalized him for two weeks. He was an All-Star the following season and made his only postseason appearance, striking out a then-playoff-record 14 batters to shut out the Oakland Athletics in Game 3 of the five-game American League Championship Series. The Tigers lost the series 3-2 and Oakland went on to beat Cincinnati in the World Series. Coleman's strikeout record stood for 25 years. Baltimore's Mike Mussina fanned 15 in the 1997 ALCS against Cleveland. Advertisement Coleman also pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, and Pittsburgh Pirates. In his final season, he made 10 relief appearance for the 1979 Pirates, who went on to win the World Series. For his career, he was 142-135 with a 3.70 ERA and 1,728 strikeouts in 484 appearances (340 starts). After retiring as a player, Coleman worked as a pitching and bullpen coach for the California and Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, and Seattle Mariners along with several minor-league clubs. 'He was a good man with a really good heart,' Casey Coleman said. 'Everywhere I went in professional baseball, I met pitchers he coached. Many gave him credit for making it to the big leagues.' Casey Coleman pitched in 58 major league games for the Cubs and Kansas City from 2010-14. In addition to Casey, Coleman is survived by his wife, Donna, daughter, Kristen, and three grandchildren.
Newsweek
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Tigers All-Star, First Draft Pick to Appear in an MLB Game, Passes Away
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The MLB Draft will celebrate its 60th anniversary next week, a tradition that traces to 1965. Joe Coleman wasn't the first player selected in the inaugural draft, but the pitcher taken third overall by the Washington Senators was the first-ever draft pick to reach the major leagues, less than four months after he was drafted out of Natick (Mass.) High School. Coleman, whose father and son also played in the major leagues, died Wednesday at age 78. More news: Yankees World Series Champion, St. Louis' Last AL All-Star, Dies at 97 A right-handed pitcher, Coleman played 15 seasons at the MLB level for the Senators (1965-70), Detroit Tigers (1971-76), Chicago Cubs (1976), Oakland Athletics (1977-78), Toronto Blue Jays (1978), San Francisco Giants (1979) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1979). American baseball pitcher Joe Coleman, of the Washington Senators, pictured at RFK Stadium in Washington, May 2, 1969. American baseball pitcher Joe Coleman, of the Washington Senators, pictured at RFK Stadium in Washington, May 2, 1969. UPI/Coleman retired with a career record of 142-135 and a 3.70 ERA. He twice won 20 games for the Tigers, in 1971 and 1973, and made his only career All-Star team in 1972. The Senators used Coleman sparingly in his first two seasons following his rapid promotion. From 1967-70, he was a stalwart in the Washington rotation, going 40-50 with a 3.57 ERA. More news: Former Cubs, Cardinals Outfielder Who Made St. Louis History Passes Away Coleman was traded to the Tigers in a memorable multi-player trade that sent former Cy Young Award winner Denny McLain to Washington in October 1970. He went on to enjoy the best years of his career in Detroit. Although the Tigers lost to the A's in the 1972 American League Championship Series, Coleman tossed a complete game shutout in his only career postseason appearance — a potential elimination game — in Game 3 of the series. More news: Former Red Sox, Indians, Angels Pitcher Passes Away Overall, Coleman went 88-73 with a 3.82 ERA in 203 regular-season games (201 starts) for the Tigers. After retiring as a player, Coleman enjoyed a long career as a coach and scout. He was the St. Louis Cardinals' pitching coach under Joe Torre from 1991-94, and held the same role for the California Angels in 1996. He later worked as the Angels' bullpen coach, and a minor league pitching coach for the Rays, Tigers and Marlins. More news: Former Braves, Red Sox Pitcher Dies Unexpectedly at 54 The Marlins awarded Coleman as their "Player Development Person of the Year" in 2013, and kept him on as a senior advisor after he retired from full-time coaching. "He was a good man with a really good heart," his son, Casey Coleman, told The Intelligencer. "Everywhere I went in professional baseball, I met pitchers he coached. Many gave him credit for making it to the big leagues." The Colemans — Casey, Joe, and the elder Joe Coleman, who pitched for three teams from 1942-55 — are the first three-generation family of pitchers in MLB history. For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
San Francisco Chronicle
10-07-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Joe Coleman, No. 3 pick in the first MLB draft who pitched for Senators and Tigers, dies at 78
Joe Coleman, a lanky right-hander who won 142 games in 15 major league seasons and was an All-Star in 1972 with Detroit, died Wednesday morning, his son said. He was 78. Casey Coleman said his father died in his sleep in Jamestown, Tennessee. The son and father of major leaguers, Coleman became the No. 3 pick in baseball's inaugural amateur draft in 1965 when he was selected by the Washington Senators. His father, also named Joe — who pitched in the majors from 1942-55 — negotiated a club-record $75,000 signing bonus. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Coleman became the first player to reach the majors after being drafted when he debuted for the Senators on Sept. 28, 1965. He threw a four-hitter to beat the Kansas City Athletics 6-1. After the 1970 season, Coleman was traded to Detroit in a deal that sent Denny McLain to Washington. He enjoyed his greatest individual success with the Tigers, going 88-73 with a 3.82 ERA from 1971-76. In 1971, he went 20-9 with a 3.15 ERA after recovering from a skull fracture that hospitalized him for two weeks. He was an All-Star the following season and made his only postseason appearance, striking out a then-playoff-record 14 batters to shut out the Oakland Athletics in Game 3 of the five-game American League championship series. The Tigers lost the series 3-2 and Oakland went on to beat Cincinnati in the World Series. Coleman's strikeout record stood for 25 years. Baltimore's Mike Mussina fanned 15 in the 1997 ALCS against Cleveland. Coleman also pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates. In his final season, he made 10 relief appearance for the 1979 Pirates, who went on to win the World Series. For his career, he was 142-135 with a 3.70 ERA and 1,728 strikeouts in 484 appearances (340 starts). After retiring as a player, Coleman worked as a pitching and bullpen coach for the California and Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners along with several minor-league clubs. 'He was a good man with a really good heart,' Casey Coleman said. 'Everywhere I went in professional baseball, I met pitchers he coached. Many gave him credit for making it to the big leagues.' ___
Al Arabiya
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Joe Coleman, No. 3 pick in the first mlb draft who pitched for senators and tigers, dies at 78
Joe Coleman, a lanky right-hander who won 142 games in 15 major league seasons and was an All-Star in 1972 with Detroit, died Wednesday morning, his son said. He was 78. Casey Coleman said his father died in his sleep in Jamestown, Tennessee. The son and father of major leaguers, Coleman became the No. 3 pick in baseball's inaugural amateur draft in 1965 when he was selected by the Washington Senators. His father – also named Joe – who pitched in the majors from 1942-55 – negotiated a club-record $75,000 signing bonus. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Coleman became the first player to reach the majors after being drafted when he debuted for the Senators on Sept. 28, 1965. He threw a four-hitter to beat the Kansas City Athletics 6-1. After the 1970 season, Coleman was traded to Detroit in a deal that sent Denny McLain to Washington. He enjoyed his greatest individual success with the Tigers, going 88-73 with a 3.82 ERA from 1971-76. In 1971, he went 20-9 with a 3.15 ERA after recovering from a skull fracture that hospitalized him for two weeks. He was an All-Star the following season and made his only postseason appearance, striking out a then-playoff-record 14 batters to shut out the Oakland Athletics in Game 3 of the five-game American League championship series. The Tigers lost the series 3-2 and Oakland went on to beat Cincinnati in the World Series. Coleman's strikeout record stood for 25 years. Baltimore's Mike Mussina fanned 15 in the 1997 ALCS against Cleveland. Coleman also pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, and Pittsburgh Pirates. In his final season, he made 10 relief appearance for the 1979 Pirates, who went on to win the World Series. For his career, he was 142-135 with a 3.70 ERA and 1,728 strikeouts in 484 appearances (340 starts). After retiring as a player, Coleman worked as a pitching and bullpen coach for the California and Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, and Seattle Mariners along with several minor-league clubs. 'He was a good man with a really good heart,' Casey Coleman said. 'Everywhere I went in professional baseball, I met pitchers he coached. Many gave him credit for making it to the big leagues.' Casey Coleman pitched in 58 major league games for the Cubs and Kansas City from 2010-14. Born in Boston, Joe Coleman graduated from Natick High. He attended Ted Williams baseball camps where he learned how to throw a curveball and slider. In addition to Casey, Coleman is survived by his wife, Donna, daughter Kristen, and three grandchildren.
