Sports MLB Players With Ties To Connecticut, Regional Teams Who Died In 2024 Of the 101 former big league players who died during the year, many had connections to Connecticut, the Red Sox, the Yankees or the Mets.
Former Boston Red Sox star pitcher Luis Tiant autographs a baseball for a fan several years ago. He died in October at age 83. (Tim Jensen/Patch)
CONNECTICUT — The calendar has turned to 2025, pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Major League Baseball training camps in a few weeks, and the Baseball Writers Association of America will be announcing the results of its Hall of Fame balloting on Jan. 21.
Early tracking, with just under 25 percent of the ballots known publicly, indicates the possibility of four former New York stars making it to Cooperstown this summer. Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki had been named on each of the 87 ballots already counted, while pitcher C.C. Sabathia had been checked off on over 90 percent of the returns. Those two ex-Yankees are currently joined by former Mets Billy Wagner and Carlos Beltran, who had each been selected by more than the required 75 percent of voters. Whoever ultimately passes muster with the writers will join Dave Parker and the late Dick Allen, who were elected last month by a veterans’ committee. A big disappointment for area fans, however, was the bypassing of former standout pitcher Luis Tiant once again.
Tiant, 83, died Oct. 18 without realizing his dream of making the Hall of Fame in his lifetime. At a public appearance in August, this author had the chance to speak with the popular former hurler, ending the conversation by saying,