The Boston Red Sox lost a member of their 1975 pennant-winning team last week.
Don “Bear” Bryant, who served as the bullpen coach for the ’75 squad, died last Thursday at age 73 after a brief but serious illness, the team announced. He was Boston’s bullpen coach from 1974 to 1976.
Bryant spent seven seasons as a major league coach. He also appeared in 59 major league games as a player with the Chicago Cubs (1966) and Houston Astros (1969-70). The former catcher ended his playing career with three years in the Red Sox’s farm system, ultimately serving as a player/coach in 1973 for Triple-A Pawtucket under PawSox manager Darrell Johnson.
Bryant, who served as a coach at the 1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, caught Don Wilson’s no-hitter for the Astros on May 1, 1969.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
