Last updated: June 19, 2008

Houston's baseball club is, by MLB standards, a very young one: the 2007 season was only its 46th. Still, over the years, the franchise has lost a number of players, including the tragic deaths of Jim Umbricht in 1963 of cancer, and Don Wilson in 1975 of carbon monoxide poisoning. Both were active players at the time of their deaths, and their numbers were later retired by the club.

This page is dedicated to the memory of all former Colt .45s and Astros players who have since passed on.

You can view the player details in the chronological order of their passing, or select alphabetically from the following:

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Umbricht Full name: James Umbricht Nickname: Big Jim Born: 9/17/30, Chicago, IL Died: 4/8/64, Houston, TX; cancer. Career: PIT (1959-61); HOU (1962-63) Jersey retired: #32, 4/12/65 Notes: First jersey number to be retired by Houston His ashes were spread over the Astrodome construction site by his brother Ed from a private airplane as his parents and teammates looked on.

(c) Houston Astros

Jay Dahl Full name: Jay Steven Dahl Born: 12/6/45, San Bernadino, CA Died: 6/20/65, Salisbury, NC; auto accident. Career: HOU (1963) Notes: Starting pitcher for Colt .45s "All-Rookie Team" against the Mets, 9/27/63.

(c) Houston Astros

Walt Bond Full name: Walter Franklin Bond Born: 10/19/37, Denmark, TN Died: 9/14/67, Houston, TX; leukemia Career: CLE (1960-62), HOU (1964-65), MIN (1967) Notes: One of the last alums of the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs

(c) Houston Astros

Johnny Weekly Full name: Johnny Weekly Born: 6/14/37, Waterproof, LA Died: 11/24/74, Walnut Creek, CA; auto accident Career: HOU (1962-64)

(c) Houston Astros

Don Wilson Full name: Donald Edward Wilson Born: 2/12/45, Monroe, LA Died: 1/5/75, Houston, TX; carbon monoxide poisoning Career: HOU (1966-74) All-Star: 1971 Jersey retired: #40, 4/13/75 Notes: Pitched two no-hitters for Houston: 6/18/67, 2-0 victory over the Braves in Houston 5/1/69, 4-0 victory over the Reds in Cincinnati

(c) Houston Astros

Nellie Fox Full name: Jacob Nelson Fox Nickname: Mighty Mite, Little Nel Born: 12/25/27, St. Thomas, PA Died: 12/1/75, Baltimore, MD; skin cancer. Career: PHI-A (1947-49); CHW (1950-63); HOU (1964-65) All-Star: 1951-61, 1963 Hall of Fame: Inducted 1997, Veterans Committee Notes: Brought to Houston to mentor rookie second-baseman Joe Morgan. 1959 World Series MVP for "Go-Go" Chicago White Sox.

(c) Houston Astros

Dick "Turk" Farrell Full name: Richard Joseph Farrell Nickname: Turk Born: 4/8/34, Boston, MA Died: 6/10/77, Great Yarmouth, England; auto accident. Career: PHI (1956-61); LA (1961); HOU (1962-67); PHI (1967-69) All-Star: 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965 Notes: Houston's first All Star Famous for his practical jokes. Once sneaked a baby alligator into the whirlpool in the Colt .45s' clubhouse

(c) Houston Astros

Ron Willis Full name: Ronald Earl Willis Born: 7/12/43, Willisville, TN Died: 11/21/77, Memphis, TN; brain tumor Career: STL (1966-69); HOU (1969); SD (1970)

(c) Houston Astros

Al Cicotte Full name: Alva Warren Cicotte Nicknames: Bozo, because of the brand of ice cream he favored. Count Dracula, because he favored black suits, often with a cape. Born: 12/23/29, Melvindale, MI Died: 11/29/82, Westland, MI.  No cause reported. Career: NYY (1957), WAS (1958), DET (1958), CLE (1959), STL (1961), HOU (1962) Notes: Great-nephew of Eddie Cicotte, who was banned from baseball in the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal.

(c) Topps

Billy Goodman Full name: William Dale Goodman Born: 3/22/26, Concord, NC Died: 10/1/84, Sarasota, FL; cancer Career: BOS-A (1947-57); BAL (1957); CHW (1958-61); HOU (1962) All-Star: 1949, 1953 Notes: 1950 AL batting champion Played five games in the World Series for the 1959 Chicago White Sox in a losing effort against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

(c) Topps

Howie Reed Full name: Howard Dean Reed Nickname: Diz Born: 12/21/36, Dallas, TX Died: 12/7/84, Corpus Christi, TX. No cause reported. Career: KC (1958-60), LA (1964-66), CAL (1966), HOU (1967), MON (1969-71)

(c) Houston Astros

Dick Drott Full name: Richard Fred Drott Nickname: Hummer Born: 7/1/36, Cincinnati, OH Died: 8/16/85, Glendale Heights, IL; stomach cancer. Career: CHC (1957-61); HOU (1962-63)

(c) Houston Astros

Don McMahon Full name: Donald John McMahon Born: 1/4/30, Brooklyn, NY Died: 7/22/87, Los Angeles, CA; heart attack. Career: MIL-N (1957-62); HOU (1962-64); CLE (1964-66); BOS-N (1966-67); CHW (1967-68); DET (1968-69); SF (1969-74) All-Star: 1958

(c) Houston Astros

Aurelio Monteagudo Full name: Aurelio Faustino (Cintra) Monteagudo Nickname: Monty Born: 11/19/43, Caribarien, Cuba Died: 11/10/90, Saltillo, Mexico; auto accident Career: KC (1963-66); HOU (1966); CHW (1967); KC (1970); CAL (1973) Notes: Son of major-leaguer Rene Monteagudo

(c) Houston Astros

Pete Runnels Full name: James Edward Runnels (b. James Edward Runnells) Born: 1/28/28, Lufkin, TX Died: 5/20/91, Pasadena, TX; stroke Career: WAS (1951-57), BOS (1958-62), HOU (1963-64) All-Star: 1959, 1960, 1962 Honors: Texas Sports Hall of Fame, 1982 Two-time AL Batting Champion: 1960 (.320), and 1962 (.326)

(c) Houston Astros

George Brunet Full name: George Stuart Brunet Nickname: Lefty Born: 6/8/35, Houghton, MI Died: 10/25/91, Poza Rica, Mexico; heart attack Career: KC (1956-60), MIL (1960-61), HOU (1962-63), BAL (1963), CAL (1965-69), SEA (1969), WAS (1970), PIT (1970), STL (1971) Notes: Played minor league ball in the Mexican League into his fifties.

(c) Houston Astros

Ron Davis Full name: Ronald Everette Davis Born: 10/21/41, Roanoke Rapids, NC Died: 9/5/92, Houston, TX.  No cause reported Career: HOU (1962, 1966-68); STL (1968); PIT (1969) Notes: Appeared in two games for Cardinals in 1968 World Series

(c) Houston Astros

Aurelio Lopez Full name: Aurelio Alejandro (Rios) Lopez Nickname: Señor Smoke Born: 9/21/48, Tecamachalco, Mexico Died: 9/22/92, Matehuala, Mexico; auto accident. Career: KC (1974), STL (1978), DET (1979-85), HOU (1986-87) All-Star: 1974, 1983

(c) Houston Astros

Johnny Temple Full name: John Ellis Temple Born: 8/8/27, Lexington, NC Died: 1/9/94, Anderson, SC; pancreatitis Career: CIN (1952-59), CLE (1960-61), BAL (1962), HOU (1962-63), CIN (1964) All-Star: 1956-57, 1959, 1961 Notes: Part of baseball's first inter-league trade (in 1960 from Cincinnati to Cleveland for Billy Martin and Cal McLish)

(c) Houston Astros

Gordon Jones Full name: Gordon Bassett Jones Born: 4/2/30, Portland, OR Died: 4/25/94, Lodi, CA; cause unknown Career: STL (1954-56); NYG/SF (1957-59); BAL (1960-61); KC (1962); HOU (1964-65)

(c) Houston Astros

Cecil Upshaw Full name: Cecil Lee Upshaw Born: 10/22/42, Spearnsville, LA Died: 2/7/95, Lawrenceville, GA; heart attack Career: ATL (1966-73); HOU (1973); CLE (1974); NYY (1974); CHW (1975) Notes: Pitched three games in 1969 NLCS

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Pendleton Full name: James Edward Pendleton Nickname: The Guv'nor Born: 1/7/24, St. Charles, MO Died: 3/20/96, Houston, TX; heart attack Career: MIL-N (1953-56); PIT (1957-58); CIN (1959); HOU (1962)

(c) Houston Astros

Gary Geiger Full name: Gary Merle Geiger Born: 4/4/37, Sand Ridge, IL Died: 4/24/96, Murphysboro, IL; liver failure Career: CLE (1958); BOS (1959-65); ATL (1966-67); HOU (1969-70)

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Busby Full name: James Franklin Busby Born: 1/8/27, Kennedy, TX Died: 7/8/96, Augusta, GA; heart attack Career: CHW (1950-52), WAS (1952-55), CHW (1955), CLE (1956-57), BAL (1957-58), BOS (1959-60), BAL (1960-61), HOU (1962) All-Star: 1951

(c) Houston Astros

Howie Goss Full name: Howard Wayne Goss Born: 11/1/34, Wewoka, OK Died: 7/31/96, Reno, NV.  No cause reported. Career: PIT (1962); HOU (1963) Notes: First Houston player reported to be a health-food enthusiast.

(c) Topps

Joe Hoerner Full name: Joseph Walter Hoerner Born: 11/12/36, Dubuque, IA Died: 10/4/96, Hermann, MO; farming accident Career: HOU (1963-64); STL (1966-69); PHI (1970-72); ATL (1972-73); KC (1973-74); PHI (1975); TEX (1976); CIN (1977) All-Star: 1970 Notes: Played in World Series twice with St. Louis, in 1967 and '68.

(c) Houston Astros

John Bateman Full name: John Alvin Bateman Born: 7/21/40, Killeen, TX Died: 12/3/96, Sand Spring, TX. No cause reported Career: HOU (1963-68), MON (1969-72), PHI (1972)

(c) Houston Astros

Pidge Browne Full name: Prentice Almont Browne Born: 3/21/29, Peekskill, NY Died: 6/3/97, Houston, TX.  No cause reported. Career: HOU (1962) Notes: 1955 Texas League MVP for Shreveport Sports Member of Houston Buffaloes when they won back-to-back Dixie Series, 1956-57 Only player to play for both the Houston Buffaloes and Colt .45s

(c) Topps

John Anderson Full name: John Charles Anderson Born: 11/23/32, St. Paul, MN Died: 12/20/98, Houston, TX; cause unknown Career: PHI (1958), BAL (1960), STL (1962), HOU (1962)

(c) Houston Astros

Arnold Earley Full name: Arnold Carl Earley Born: 6/4/33, Lincoln Park, MI Died: 9/29/99, Flint, MI; no cause reported Career: BOS (1960-65); CHC (1966); HOU (1967)

(c) Houston Astros

Bobby Tiefenauer Full name: Bobby Gene Tiefenauer Born: 12/10/29, Desloge, MO Died: 6/13/00, Desloge, MO.  Cause not reported. Career: STL (1952, 55); CLE (1960); STL (1961); HOU (1962); MIL-N (1963-65); NYM (1965); CLE (1965, 67); CHC (1968)

(c) Houston Astros

Andujar Cedeño Full name: Andujar Cedeño Donastorg Born: 8/21/69, La Romana, D.R. Died: 10/28/00, Santo Domingo, D.R.; auto accident. Career: HOU (1990-94), SD (1995-96), DET (1996), HOU (1996) Notes: Hit for the cycle against the Cardinals, 8/25/92 Brother of Domingo Cedeño

(c) Houston Astros

Tommie Agee Full name: Tommie Lee Agee Born: 8/9/42, Magnolia, AL Died: 1/22/01, New York, NY; heart attack Career: CLE (1962-65), CHW (1965-67), NYM (1968-72), HOU (1973), STL (1973) All-Star: 1966, 1967 Honors: 1966 AL Rookie of the Year Notes: Hero of the 1969 "Miracle Mets" for his homer in Game 3 of the World Series off Jim Palmer, and two great catches in the outfield.

(c) Houston Astros

Curt Blefary Full name: Curtis LeRoy Blefary Nickname: Clank, because of his poor fielding. Born: 7/5/43, Brooklyn, NY Died: 1/28/01, Pompano Beach, FL; pancreatitis Career: BAL (1965-68), HOU (1969), NYY (1970-71), OAK (1971-72), SD (1972) Honors: 1965 AL Rookie of the Year for Baltimore Orioles Notes: Had his ashes scattered at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium while it was being demolished in May 2001. Member of 1966 World Champion Orioles team Caught Tom Phoebus' 4/27/68 no-hitter for Baltimore

(c) Houston Astros

Eddie Mathews Full name: Edwin Lee Mathews, Jr. Born: 10/13/31, Texarkana, TX Died: 2/18/01, La Jolla, CA; pneumonia Career: BOS-N (1952); MIL-N (1953-65); ATL (1966); HOU (1967); DET (1967-68) All-Star: 1953, 1955-62 Hall of Fame: Inducted 1978 Notes: Only player to play for Braves in all three cities: Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta.

(c) Houston Astros

Bo Belinsky Full name: Robert Belinsky Born: 12/7/36, New York, NY Died: 11/23/01, Las Vegas, NV; heart attack Career: LAA (1962-65); PHI (1965-66); HOU (1967); PIT (1969); CIN (1970) Notes: As a 25-year-old rookie on 5/5/62 , threw a nine-strikeout, four-walk no-hitter for the Los Angeles Angels against the Baltimore Orioles, the first no-hitter on the West Coast in MLB history. Married, and divorced, Playboy centerfold Jo Collins, then paper heiress Jane Weyerhauser.

(c) Houston Astros

John Hoffman Full name: John Edward Hoffman Nickname: Pork Chop Born: 10/31/43, Aberdeen, SD Died: 12/27/01, Seattle, WA; cause unknown Career:  HOU (1964-65)

(c) Houston Astros

Darryl Kile Full name: Darryl Andrew Kile Nickname: DK Born: 12/2/68, Garden Grove, CA Died: 6/22/02, Chicago, IL; coronary artery blockage due to athereosclerosis Career:  HOU (1991-97), COL (1998-99), STL (2000-02) All-Star: 1993, 1997, 2000 Notes: Pitched no-hitter against Mets, 9/8/93 Died four days after beloved Cardinals' announcer Jack Buck also died

(c) Houston Astros

Lee Maye Full name: Arthur Lee Maye Born: 12/11/34, Tuscaloosa, AL Died: 7/17/02, Riverside, CA; complications from liver cancer Career: MIL-N (1959-65); HOU (1965-66); CLE (1967-69); WAS (1969-70); CHW (1970-71) Notes: Lead NL in doubles, 1964 (44) Died on the 43rd anniversary of his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Braves (7/17/59) AstrosDaily interview, 7/16/01 Had a successful R&B recording/singing career, leading "Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns" Used to sing after games at the "Dome Shadow" nightclub, across the street from the Astrodome

(c) Houston Astros

Chris Zachary Full name: William Christopher Zachary Born: 2/19/44, Knoxville, TN Died: 4/19/03, Knoxville, TN; bone marrow cancer Career: HOU (1963-67); KC (1969); STL (1971); DET (1972); PIT (1973) Notes: Once described himself as "a pretty decent 10th-man on a 10-man staff." Inducted into Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame

(c) Houston Astros

Willie Crawford Full name: Willie Murphy Crawford Born: 9/7/46, Los Angeles, CA Died: 8/27/04, Knoxville, TN; kidney disease Career: LAD (1964-75), STL (1976), HOU (1977), OAK (1977)

(c) Houston Astros

Ken Caminiti Full name: Kenneth Gene Caminiti Born: 4/21/63, Hanford, CA Died: 10/11/04, Bronx, NY; heart attack Career: HOU (1987-94), SD (1995-98), HOU (1999-2000), TEX (2001), ATL (2001) Notes: 1996 NL MVP All-Star 1994, 1996, 1997 (all elected)

(c) Houston Astros

Glenn Vaughan Full name: Glenn Edward Vaughan Nickname: Sparky Born: 2/16/44, Compton, CA Died: 12/18/04, Houston, TX; natural causes Career: HOU (1963) Notes: Signed by Houston as amateur free agaent, 1962 Starting third baseman in the All-Rookie Game, 9/27/63 Son of Hall-of-Famer Arky Vaughan Ran a successful insurance business in Houston following his retirement from baseball.

(c) Houston Astros

Carroll Sembera Full name: Carroll William Sembera Nicknames: Pencil, The Hat Born: 7/26/41, Shiner, TX Died: 6/15/05, Shiner, TX; cause not announced Career: HOU (1965-67), MON (1969-70) Notes: Served as a scout for the Seattle Mariners

(c) Houston Astros

Al Heist Full name: Alfred Michael Heist Born: 10/5/27, Brooklyn, NY Died: 10/2/06, Tahlequah, OK; cause not reported Career: CHI (1960-61) HOU (1962) Notes: Signed by St. Louis Browns in 1949. Acquired by Houston in the National League expansion draft after the 1961 season. Appeared in 27 games for the Colt .45s, batting .222 as an outfielder. Singled in his final major league game, 9/27/62. Coached in the Astros organization in 1966 and 1967. Later coached in the Padres organization.

(c) Houston Astros

Ivan Murrell Full name: Ivan Augustus (Peters) Murrell Nicknames: Banana Man, El Toro, Bull, Ivan the Terrible Born: 9/28/43, Almirante, Panama Died: 10/8/06, Stuart, FL; cause not reported Career: HOU (1963-64, 1967-68), SD (1969-73), ATL (1974) Notes: Undefeated amateur middleweight boxer Picked to play soccer for Panama in 1963 Pan-Am Games Played in Mexican League until 1984 Scout for Oakland A's In 1989, played for the St. Lucie Legends of the Senior Professional Baseball Association, hitting .272 with 5 HR over 47 games Astros Daily interview, 2002

(c) Houston Astros

Joe Niekro Full name: Joseph Franklin Niekro Nickname: Knucksie Born: 11/7/44, Martins Ferry, OH Died: 10/27/06, Tampa, FL; brain aneurysm Career: CHC (1967-69), SD (1969), DET (1970-72), ATL (1973-74), HOU (1975-85), NYY (1985-87), MIN (1987-88) All-Star: 1979 Notes: Houston's winningest pitcher (144 games) Houston's first back-to-back 20-game winner (1979-80) Hit only career homer off brother Phil, 5/29/76 Won one-game playoff against the Dodgers 10/6/80 to put Houston into its first postseason appearance Younger brother of Hall-of-Famer Phil Niekro Father of major leaguer Lance Niekro

(c) Houston Astros

Jose Uribe Full name: Jose Altagracia Gonzalez Uribe Born: 1/21/59, San Cristobal, DR Died: 12/8/06, Juan Baron, DR; auto accident Career: STL (1984), SF (1985-92), HOU (1993) All-Star: 1987, 1989 Notes: Second cousin of Juan Uribe

(c) Houston Astros

Larry Sherry Full name: Lawrence Sherry Born: 7/25/35, Los Angeles, CA Died: 12/17/06, Mission Viejo, CA; cancer Career: LAD (1958-63), DET (1964-67), HOU (1967), CAL (1968) All-Star: 1959 Notes: World Series MVP, 1959

(c) Houston Astros

Vern Ruhle Full name: Vernon Gerald Ruhle Born: 1/25/51, Coleman, MI Died: 1/20/07, Houston, TX; complications from stem cell transplant Career: DET (1974-77), HOU (1978-84), CLE (1985), CAL (1986)

(c) Houston Astros

Marty Martinez Full name: Orlando (Oliva) Martinez Born: 8/23/41, Havana, Cuba Died: 3/8/07, Santo Domingo, D.R. (no cause reported) Nickname: Marty Career: MIN (1962), ATL (1967-68), HOU (1969-71), STL (1972), OAK (1972), TEX (1972)

(c) Houston Astros

Norm Larker Full name: Norman Howard John Larker Born: 12/27/30, Beaver Meadows, PA Died: 3/12/07, Long Beach, CA; cancer Career: LAD (1958-61), HOU (1962), MIL-N (1963), SFG (1963) All-Star: 1960 Notes: Played in World Series for Los Angeles Dodgers, 1959 Batted .323 in 1960, second-best in NL

(c) Houston Astros

Don Nottebart Full name: Donald Edward Nottebart Born: 1/23/36, West Newton, MA Died: 10/4/07, Cypress, TX; complications from stroke Nickname: Notty Career: MIL-N (1960-62), HOU (1963-65), CIN (1966-67), NYY (1969), CHC (1969) Notes: Pitched Houston's first major league no-hitter, 5/17/63, a 4-1 win over the Phillies

(c) Houston Astros

Jack Lamabe Full name: John Alexander Lamabe Born: 10/3/36, Farmingdale, NY Died: 12/21/07, Baton Rouge, LA; no cause reported Career: PIT (1962), BOS (1963-1965) HOU (1965), CHI-A (1966-67), NYM (1967), STL (1967), CHI-N (1968) Notes: Dealt to Houston from the Red Sox 9/65 and traded to the White Sox 12/65. Appeared in three games for the 1965 Astros, losing two of them.

(c) Houston Astros

Jim Beauchamp Full name: James Edward Beauchamp Born: 8/21/39, Vinita, OK Died: 12/25/07, Atlanta, GA; acute myelogenous leukemia Career: STL (1963), HOU (1964-65), MIL-N (1965), ATL (1967), CIN (1968-69), HOU (1970), STL (1970-71), NYM (1972-73) Notes: Only player to wear an Atlanta uniform at Ponce de Leon Ballpark (as an Atlanta Cracker), Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, and Turner Field Astros Daily interview, 9/7/01

(c) Houston Astros

John Buzhardt Full name: John William Buzhardt Born: 8/17/36, Prosperity, SC Died: 6/15/08, Prosperity, SC; complications from a stroke Career: CHI-N (1958-59), PHI (1960-61), CHI-A (1962-67), BAL (1967), HOU (1967-68) Notes: Earned 4-4 record with 5 saves with Astros in 1968.

Sources:

• Total Baseball, 7th Edition, by Thorn, Palmer, et al.
• The Baseball Autograph Collector's Handbook, 11th Edition, by Jack Smalling
• A Six-Gun Salute: An Illustrated History of the Houston Colt .45s 1962-1964, by Robert Reed
• www.TheDeadBallEra.com
• The Houston Chronicle, and other newspapers listed in the respective players' obits.
• www.astros.com
• The Baseball Reference
• Historic Baseball
• Special thanks to Bob Hulsey and Holly Sommer for their contributions.