As each year draws to a close, I have made it my job to look back and remember those lost to the baseball world. In 2025 there were 108 former Major League Baseball players who passed away as of December 28 per Baseball Almanac.
Some of these players were superstars of the sport. Many others were solid contributors remembered well by fans of their teams. A few received nothing more than the proverbial cup of coffee, a small taste of the big-league life.
Some of the more notable names lost to our game this year were Hall of Famers Dave Parker and Ryne Sandberg. Other familiar names included Sandy Alomar, Davey Johnson, Tommy Helms, Lee Elia, Mike Greenwell, Octavio Dotel, Randy Jones, Chet Lemon, Randy Moffitt, Diego Segui, and Jeff Torborg. And we also lost legendary Hall of Fame broadcaster and one of baseball’s most recognizable personalities, Bob Uecker.
The oldest was Tommy Brown, a utility player who appeared in nine seasons including seven with the Dodgers in 1944-45 and again from 1947-51. Brown was a member of the Dodgers 1947 and 1949 National League pennant winning squads. He wrapped his career by appearing in parts of two seasons each with the Phillies and Cubs. Brown passed away back on January 15th at age 97.
The youngest player to pass this year was Jesus Montero, a catcher and designated hitter who passed away on October 19th at just age 35. A native of Venezuela, Montero appeared in five seasons. He debuted in 2011, appearing in 11 games for the American East Division champion New York Yankees. Montero would go 2-2, scoring a run and driving in another, during his lone big-league postseason appearance that year in Game 4 of the ALDS vs Detroit. Montero went on to play with Seattle from 2012-15.
Larry Dolan, longtime owner of the Cleveland Indians/Guardians franchise passed away this year at age 94. Walt Jocketty, longtime baseball executive with the Saint Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, passed away at age 74. Tom Hicks owned the Texas Rangers from 1998-2010. He passed at age 79. Bill Neukom managing general partner of the San Francisco Giants from 2008-11, died this year at age 83.
The Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1989-92, Fay Vincent passed away at age 86 on January 19th. Vincent was a central figure in the early years of the Pete Rose gambling suspension. He led the game through the 1989 earthquake World Series, 1990 lockout, and 1993 expansion to Miami and Colorado.
In addition to remembering some of the bigger names lost to the game, I always shine a spotlight on one of those players who barely made a blip on the radar. This year, that player will be Verle Tiefenthaler.
WHO? You might ask. Well, you will learn as you move through this piece. Let’s take a look back at the careers of some of the legends, as well as Mr. Verle Matthew Tiefenthaler.
DAVE PARKER
“The Cobra” was one of the most dynamic middle-of-the-order offensive performers of the 1970’s and 1980’s. Parker was the National League Most Valuable Player in 1978 and a key member of the Pittsburgh Pirates 1979 ‘We Are Family’ World Series champions.
He was a 7x All-Star, 3x Gold Glover, and 3x Silver Slugger. Parker played his first 11 seasons 1973-83 with the Bucs, moved on to four seasons in Cincinnati, and wrapped his career by appearing in brief stints with the A’s, Brewers, Angels, and Blue Jays. He was the primary DH with Oakland’s 1989 World Series champions.
Parker was elected to the Hall of Fame this past year and enshrined posthumously after passing away on June 28that age 74. He had battled Parkinson’s disease since being diagnosed in 2012.
RYNE SANDBERG
“Ryno” was widely recognized as the greatest second baseman of his era spanning most of the 1980’s and into the mid-1990’s. After breaking in with the 1981 Phillies he was dealt to the Chicago Cubs and became a superstar over 15 seasons in Chicago between 1982 and 1997.
After sitting out the 1995 season “retired” he returned for those two final mostly productive years. Sandberg was the 1984 NL MVP, a 10x All-Star, 9x Gold Glover, and 7x Silver Slugger.
Sandberg was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. He passed away on July 29th at age 65 after battling metastatic prostate cancer for the previous two years.
BOB UECKER
“Mr. Baseball” was widely known to both fans of the game and the general public from his numerous hilarious appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson dating back to the 1970’s as well as Lite Beer from Miller (“Hey, I must be in the front row!”) commercials in the 1980’s. He also starred in the sitcom “Mr. Belvedere” from 1985-90 and in the “Major League” films.
But Uecker was also an institution inside of the sport. He played for six seasons 1962-67 with three organizations beginning with the Braves in Milwaukee 1962-63 and ending with that organization in Atlanta in 1967. A backup catcher throughout his career, “Uke” also appeared with Saint Louis and Philadelphia, winning a World Series with the Cardinals in 1964.
Upon his retirement, Uecker became a broadcaster with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1971 and served in that role for more than four decades. In 2001 he was elected to the National Radio Hall of Fame and two years later was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick Award. Uecker passed away back on January 16th at age 90 of small-cell lung cancer.
VERLE TIEFENTHALER
Tiefenthaler was born and died in Carroll, Iowa and was incredibly only the second-most famous big-leaguer from that small town. Ken Henderson also came from Carroll and enjoyed a 15-year career between 1965-80.
Tiefenthaler graduated from St. Bernard’s High School and then signed with the New York Giants as an amateur free agent. He remained with the Giants organization in their minor league system as the organization moved west from New York to San Francisco.
A right-handed pitcher who batted left-handed, Tiefenthaler rose to the Giants Triple-A club at Tacoma by 1961. There he won 13 games with a 3.92 ERA over 56 relief appearances. That led to his being dealt to the Chicago White Sox as the player to be named later from an earlier five-player deal between the two clubs that included former World Series hero Don Larsen going to San Francisco.
Tiefenthaler would make his only three big-league appearances with the Chisox in August of 1962. The 25-year-old did not enjoy much success. He allowed four earned runs on six hits across 3.2 official innings, striking out one and walking seven. During his debut at White Sox Park vs the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, August 19, Tiefenthalar recorded his lone career strikeout, fanning the first batter he faced, Mike Roarke. However, three batters later he gave up a massive grand slam to right field by Bill Bruton.
Tiefenthaler lasted one more season at Triple-A Indianapolis before retiring. In 1999, Tiefenthaler was inducted into the Iowa Baseball Hall of Fame. He passed away on May 28th at age 87.
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MATT VEASEY 