Sunday, July 31, 2016

Relief specialist Turk Lown dies at 92, 44 1952 Topps 'survivors' left


The ninth oldest man on the list of surviving players who appeared in the 1952 Topps set, relief specialist Omar "Turk" Lown, died July 8 at the age of 92. Lown's's death brings the total of surviving players who appeared in the 1952 Topps baseball card set to 44.

Lown pitched 11 years in the major leagues; all but part of one season with one of the Chicago teams (1951-58 Cubs, 1958 Cincinnati), 1958-62 (White Sox).

Early in his career, Lown became a bullpen specialist. His last start came on Augh. 12, 1953. He pitched nearly 500 games as a reliever. He led the NL in games finished with 47 each in 1956-57, and 37 in 1959.

The SABR bioproject has a fine baseball biography of Lown, written by Adam Ulrey, at Turk Lown  bio.
Here's the current list of living players from '52 Topps.

PLAYER                     1952 TOPPS   BIRTH          TEAM
                        `           CARD NO.      DATE

Wally Westlake           38                    11/08/1920   SLC
Eddie Robinson           32                    12/15/1920   CWS
Sam Mele                    94                    01/21/1922   WSH
Gil Coan                      91                    05/18/1922   WSH
Red Schoendienst       91                    02/02/1923    SLC
Solly Hemus                196                  04/17/1923   SLC
Bob Kuzava                 85                    05/28/1923   NYY
Ed Fitz Gerald             236                  05/21/1924   PIT
Charlie Silvera             168                  10/13/1924   NYY
Irv Noren                     40                    11/29/1924   WSH
Wayne Terwilliger         7                      06/27/1925   BRO
Bobby Shantz              219                  09/26/1925   PHA
Bob Addis                    259                  11/06/1925   CHC
Ned Garver                 212                  12/25/1925   SLB
Ralph Branca              274                  01/06/1926   BRO
Bob Borkowski            328                  01/27/1926   CIN
Randy Jackson           322                  02/10/1926   CHC
Howie Judson             169                  02/16/1926   CWS
Bob Miller                    187                  06/16/1926   PHI
Bobby Morgan             355                  06/29/1926   BRO   
Johnny Groth              25                    07/23/1926   DET
Roy Sievers                 64                    11/18/1926   WSH
Carl Erskine                250                  12/13/1926   BRO
Carl Scheib                 116                  01/01/1927   PHA
Charlie Maxwell           180                  04/08/1927   BRS
Cloyd Boyer                280                  09/01/1927   SLC
Bob Kelly                     348                  10/04/1927   CHC
Tommy Brown             281                  12/06/1927   PHI
Dick Gernert                343                  09/28/1928   BRS
Joe Presko                  220                  10/07/1928   SLC
Bob Ross                    298                  11/02/1928   WSH
Joe DeMaestri             286                  12/09/1928   SLB
Curt Simmons             203                  05/19/1929   PHI
Ted Lepcio                  335                  07/28/1929   BRS
Ike Delock                   329                  11/11/1929   BRS
Del Crandall                162                  03/05/1930   BOS
Vern Law                     81                    03/12/1930   PIT
Johnny Antonelli          140                  04/12/1930   BOS
Dick Groat                   369                  11/04/1930   PIT
Bob Friend                  233                  11/24/1930   PIT
Willie Mays                  261                  05/06/1931   NYG
Tony Bartirome           332                  05/09/1932   PIT
Dick Brodowski           404                  07/26/1932  BRS
Bobby Del Greco         353                  04/07/1933   PIT

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