In my post about Norm Van Lier, I wrote, “Can you think of anyone that was more passionate about or loved the Bulls more than Norm? Doubtful.” I put doubtful because I had one person in mind: Johnny “Red” Kerr.

How important was Kerr to the history of the franchise? From the Trib:

“Perhaps the best ambassador the Bulls will ever have, Kerr’s nickname, “Red” — for his hair color — couldn’t have been more appropriate. In many ways, Kerr was Mr. Bull: the first coach in franchise history, NBA Coach of the Year that 1966-67 season, later the club’s business manager and finally its television and radio analyst for 33 years.”

We’ll miss you, Red. R.I.P. Johnny ‘Red’ Kerr.

I had the privilege of working with Norm a few times and he was the real deal. A nice guy with a zest for life. Can you think of anyone that was more passionate about or loved the Bulls more than Norm? Doubtful. R.I.P. Norm. You will be missed but not forgotten.

“He was the most giving, unconditionally compassionate man anyone ever came across,” (former teammate Tim) Flannery said. “Everybody’s got Dave Smith stories. Usually it’s him reaching into his pocket and pulling out $100 to give to someone selling newspapers for a quarter.”

Smith had a non-descript season and a half with the Cubs at the end of his career. But when you think about tough closers of the 80′s, his name will always come up.

R.I.P. Dave Smith.

From WaPo:

“Paul Benedict, 70, an American actor who played the British neighbor Harry Bentley on the CBS sitcom “The Jeffersons” in the 1970s and 1980s, was found dead Dec. 1 at his home on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. The cause of death is under investigation”

Mr. Bentley was a hilarious character and Paul Benedict played it perfectly. He also turned me on to one of life’s great pleasures: having someone walk on your back. R.I.P., Mr. Bentley.

Foster was a solid pitcher for the Cubs, and I remember we had high hopes for him after his rookie year. He had 32 wins for the Cubs from 1994-1998.

It’s kind of odd that Foster is the second Cubs starter from the 1997 rotation to have passed away recently. Geremi Gonzalez was the other.

R.I.P. Kevin Foster.

A government official in Venezuela says former major league pitcher Geremi Gonzalez is dead after being hit by lightning in the South American country.

Emergency management official Herman Bracho says the 33-year-old pitcher was at the beach in western Venezuela and was on a pier when lightning struck him on Sunday night.

I worked for the Cubs in 1997 when he made his MLB debut, then known as “Jeremi”. Rigs was the manager then and it was also the year of the infamous 0-14 start. He was a very nice kid and one of the few bright spots that year. Arm injuries derailed what looked like a promising big league career.

R.I.P. Geremi Gonzalez.