The Boston Red Sox lost a member of their family Monday.
Former Sox slugger Don Baylor died at the age of 68 after battling multiple myeloma. His family confirmed the news.
“Don passed from this earth with the same fierce dignity with which he played the game and lived his life,” his wife, Rebecca, said in a statement.
“Don was a dear friend,” former Red Sox star Dwight Evans, who played with Baylor in 1986 and 1987, said via the team.
“In the short time we had, he was probably the best teammate I ever played with. We traveled with Don and his wife Becky in the offseason. To me, he was a great baseball man. The game will definitely miss him. All he cared about was what was right for the game and great for the game. He played the game hard, he played the game well. He’ll be missed, no question, but he’ll be remembered as one of the great ones, not only as a player, but as a person.”
Baylor hit 47 home runs, tallied 151 RBI and walked 102 times in two seasons with the Red Sox from 1986 through 1987. The 1979 American League MVP smashed 31 homers and collected 94 RBI during Boston’s memorable 1986 campaign.
“Don Baylor was one of the most intimidating players to ever play the game,” Marty Barrett, who played with Baylor in Boston in 1986 and 1987, said, via the Red Sox.
“Once he became a teammate I realized he was a gentle giant. He calmly went about his business in a truly professional manner. He was a huge presence in our lineup that everyone benefited from. Baseball will miss him.”
Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
