3 Players Gone Too Soon

[Cody Christie]

Kirby Puckett is the most remembered Twins player to pass away earlier than expected. As Twins Daily celebrates Black History Month, here are three African American players that passed away in the prime of their careers. 

 

Herman Hill, CF
Died: December 14, 1970
It’s incredible to consider what Hill could accomplish and overcome in his life. His parents worked as sharecroppers in the Deep South, and he was one of 15 siblings. His family eventually moved north, like many African Americans at the time. Hill missed two years of school due to illness as a younger child, so he was older than his peers. He tried out for the Baltimore Orioles as an eighth-grader, but he went to high school and became a three-sport star. His best tool was his speed, which held true during his professional career.  

He made his professional debut in the Twins organization as a 20-year old in rookie ball. Because of his age, he moved quickly through the system before debuting at age-23 in 1969. That season at Triple-A, he hit .300 and got on base over 34% of the time. He was primarily used as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement that season as he went 0-for-2 in his plate appearances, but he was able to score four runs. In 1970, he played in 27 big-league games and recorded his first hits at the MLB level. He went to Venezuela to participate in the winter league season that winter. On December 14, 1970, Hill drowned in Venezuela, a tragic end to a budding young career. 

Lyman Bostock, OF
Died: September 24, 1978
Lyman Bostock was a rising star in the Twins organization that looked like he would eventually challenge teammate Rod Carew for AL Batting Titles. In his first two big-league seasons, he hit .323 and .336, which ranked him fourth and second in those seasons. During the 1977 campaign, he finished second in average (.336), fourth in runs scored (104), and seventh in on-base percentage (.389). At the season’s end, he ranked in the top-10 for WAR and in the top-4 for Offensive WAR. He hit free agency at the right time and eventually signed with the Angels for five years and $2.3 million. 

Bostock struggled in his first season with the Angels and even donated some of his salary to local charities because he believed he hadn’t earned it. On September 24th, he went 2-for-4 with a double in his final big-league game against the White Sox. Just hours later, Bostock was shot and killed as a passenger in a vehicle in his hometown of Gary, Indiana. He was in his age-27 season at the time with a bright career in front of him. 

Walt Bond, OF
Died: September 14, 1967
Bond was a monster of a man. He was 6-foot-7 and weighed nearly 230 pounds. According to Baseball-Reference, he was the tallest man to play center field in major league history until Aaron Judge tied him in 2018. He debuted with Cleveland in 1960, but he wouldn’t earn a full-time role until his age-26 season with Houston. In two seasons for the Colt .45s, he hit .258/.322/.397 (.719), including a 20 homer season in 1964. 

His first season in the Twins organization was 1966, and he dominated at the Triple-A level. In 122 games, he batted .316/.385/.529 (.914) with 38 extra-base hits and a 42-to-36 strikeout to walk ratio. Minnesota called him up in 1967 for a cup of coffee, and he responded by going 5-for-16 (.313) with two extra-base hits in 10 games. Leukemia cut his season short that year, and he passed away in September at the age of 29.

Do you have any memories of these former Twins players? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

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[mikelink45]

Thank you for this look at three tragic figures.  Of course we can add Puckett to the gone too soon list.  That is a long list.

The Twins minor leaguers also include Ryan Costello who went to Auckland in hopes of switching to Australian league baseball and died at 23 in his room of natural causes and Yorman Landa of the Fort Myers Miracles who died in a car accident at age 22.   

Baseball has had a number of tragedies like Ray Chapman being killed by a pitch, and Roy Halladay, Roberto Clemente and Thurman Munson in plane crashes.  It is good to look back on these stories.  Here is a list of baseball players who died too soon.

[TopGunn#22]

I always love these retrospectives.  I was in 6th & 7th grade when Herman Hill was being hyped as a top prospect.  I was kinda fast as a youth, so I always liked the FAST guys.  Hill's nickname was "Beep Beep" (like a car horn tooting for you to get out of the way).  His death, happening during the winter just kind of took me by surprise and I remember how disappointed I was.  I was hoping Hill would be the next Cesar Tovar.  

Bostock was an All-Time Fav. of mine.  I was a teenager when he burst onto the scene and he was fun to watch.  What a smooth LH batting stroke.  It was almost like the Good Lord said, "Lyman, Twins fans will never forget you, but I've got important work for you to do up here in heaven for me."  As unusual as it was to hear about Hill's death, Bostock dying during the season, visiting family while on an off day was stunning.  I was in college at the time and it was just deflating.  It was a lesson in how unfair and unpredictable life could be.

I was just too young to remember a lot about Walter Bond, but was a big fan of his son who went on to star for the Gopher Basketball team years later.  

[RJA]

Thanks for the article, Cody.  It is good to remember these players as they were members of our baseball family of players and fans.  It is a way to keep their memories alive.  Stories like these always remind me to be thankful for every day I have on this earth.  

[Seth Stohs]

50 minutes ago, TopGunn#22 said:

I was just too young to remember a lot about Walter Bond, but was a big fan of his son who went on to star for the Gopher Basketball team years later.  

Not his father, but I did have to look and I found this video of Walter doing some motivational speaking and it is awesome! 

 

[wavedog]

Thanks for the article - I have no recollection of Walter Bond - that was before my baseball following time.   I don't remember Herman Hill playing either although I just double-checked and I have the baseball card of Herman that is shown in the article.   Didn't realize he had died down in Venezuela.  Bostock, I do remember and what a great hitter he was for the Twins.  Was sorry to see him go to the Angels but then we would not pay much for players back then so it was not surprising.    Sorry that all these men died so young.  

[gil4]

Walt Bond/"Died of leukemia (diagnosed 1962) in September 1967."

It seems like a lot of progress has made in the treatment of leukemia.   Former Twin Danny Thompson died of Leukemia in 1976. I knew at least three people who died of it in the 1980s. Since then. I haven't heard of any.

Is the impression mistaken? Is it just that I am no longer in the age bracket that's hardest hit? (My kids are in the bracket now that I was in then, and I haven't heard of any of their friends having it.)  

[GNess]

Lyman Bostock could flat out ht and was a special talent. Great article.

[Dman]

I was young but I thought Bostock was superman.  Robbing home runs and always getting on base.  Every time I listened on the radio he seemed to be impacting the game one way or another. Every time he was up to bat it felt like he would get a hit. I was so disappointed when he left for the Angels.  I didn't really follow him after he left as I didn't watch or listen to the Angels but when I heard he died I was crushed.  I couldn't believe it and it seemed so senseless as well.  I for one will never forget him.

[Rosterman]

Yep, Danny Thompson, who played out the season, hung up his spikes, and passed on.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Thompson_(baseball)

 

[Nine of twelve]

On 2/7/2022 at 8:00 AM, TopGunn#22 said:

I was just too young to remember a lot about Walter Bond, but was a big fan of his son who went on to star for the Gopher Basketball team years later.  

Walt Bond the baseball player died on 9/14/1967. Walter Bond the basketball player was born on 2/1/1969. Moreover, I heard the latter Walter Bond speak once, and I seem to recall him mentioning that his parents were present at his first NBA game.