Bill Nunn, a scout for the Pittsburgh Steelers whose deep knowledge of football programs at historically black colleges helped many overlooked players find their way to the Steelers and to stardom as part of the team’s dynasty in the 1970s, died on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. He was 89.
The cause was complications of a stroke, his daughter, Lynell Nunn, said.
Before joining the Steelers, Nunn had been sports editor at The Pittsburgh Courier, an African-American newspaper that gave extensive coverage to sports at black colleges. Beginning in 1950, the paper named a black college all-American football team and held an annual awards ceremony.
Times obit His genial, well-informed and occasionally tongue-twisted presence
accompanied all of Mets history, from the verbal high jinks of Casey
Stengel and the fielding high jinks of Marv Throneberry to the arrival
of the fireballer Tom Seaver and the miraculous World Series
championship of 1969, from the thrilling 1986 Series victory over the
Red Sox to the dispiriting Subway Series loss to the Yankees in 2000 and
the Madoff-poisoned, injury-riddled ill fortune of recent seasons.
Kiner, who hit 369 homers, playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1947.Associated Press
Over
half a century of Met broadcasts, while sharing the microphone with
Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy and Tim McCarver — whom he once called Tim
MacArthur — among many others, Kiner proved himself especially valuable
in explaining the nuances of hitting, and though occasionally criticized
for a flat affect and a penchant for phrase-bungling — “On Father’s Day
we again wish you all happy birthday!” — he was known as an amusing
raconteur who was generally well prepared with both facts and stories,
and his intended wit was often as memorable as his unintended humor.
“Two-thirds
of the earth is covered by water,” he declared about an especially
fleet outfielder. “The other third is covered by Garry Maddox.” Cutting
to a commercial after mistaking McCarver’s name for that of the World
War II general, he said: “MacArthur once said ‘I shall return,’ and
we’ll be back after this.”
Smooth as silk.
Malaprops Were Part of the Charm of Kiner, an Enduring Met “He once dropped a name on us, Frenchy Bordagaray, which I couldn’t
pronounce or make any reference to,” said Howie Rose, his former partner
on cable TV. “But I did a little homework and learned about his career.
When I hear younger fans criticize older broadcasters for their
references to players from past generations, I wonder, ‘Do you have an
ounce of curiosity?’ ”
His
lack of pretension and his wit and amiability made “Kiner’s Korner,”
his postgame show, required viewing, even if it looked like public
access programming. In its debut from the Polo Grounds, Mets Manager
Casey Stengel forgot to remove his microphone as he left the interview
and brought the set down.
“Hold
up the cue cards because we have to get to commercial so I can get off
the air,” Kiner recalled telling his production assistant during an
interview in 2012.
Another
story from McCarver. He and Kiner were calling a Mets game in
Philadelphia. Walking through the press box were Jamie Lee Curtis and
her husband, Christopher Guest.
“They’re
huge Phillies fans, and they came in and were introduced to us,”
McCarver said. “But Ralph wants a moment with her because he had once
dated her mother, Janet Leigh. So he sheepishly approaches her and says,
‘Jamie Lee, my name’s Ralph Kiner, and you were just introduced to us
and I wanted to tell you that I used to date your mother.’ And she
throws her arms around his neck and says, ‘Daddy!’ ”
Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press. Jim Bibby in 1979.
Jim Bibby, Who Pitched for Pirates in World Series, Dies at 65
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — Jim Bibby, who pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1979 World Series, died here on Tuesday. He was 65 and lived in Madison Heights, Va. His death was confirmed by Community Funeral Home. The cause was not disclosed.
Bibby played 12 years in the majors, starting in 1972. In 1973 he pitched the first no-hitter in Texas Rangers history, beating Oakland, 6-0. He was a member of the Pittsburgh team that won the 1979 World Series, starting two games against Baltimore, including the deciding seventh game.
Bibby’s best season was 1980, when he went 19-6 and was a member of the National League All-Star team. He also played for St. Louis and Cleveland, compiling a career record of 111-101 and a 3.76 earned run average.
Bibby came from an athletic family. Henry Bibby, his brother, played basketball for the Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers and coached the University of Southern California team; he is now an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies of the N.B.A. His nephew Mike Bibby plays for the Atlanta Hawks.
In addition to his brother, he is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and two daughters, Tamara Bibby and Tanya McClain.
After retiring from the majors, Bibby was the pitching coach for the Lynchburg minor league team for 15 years. He retired after spending a year with the Pirates’ Nashville affiliate in 2000.
