Two Have Left Us

Two athletes have passed today. One a former Yankee, and the other an international figure that spanned 3 decades. Joe Niekro succumbed to a brain aneurysm at the age of 61. He was a colorful character who helped to raise the profile of the knuckleball, and who may have doctored a few baseballs in his day as well. He'll be missed.

Trevor Berbick is familiar to younger boxing fans as the man Mike Tyson beat to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history. More seasoned fans will remember Berbick for his victory over Muhammed Ali in 1981. Berbick was found in a Jamaican churchyard, brutally murdered. He has had legal problems in his native homeland since his retirement, but it is unknown if these problems have any link to his death. He was reported to be in his early to mid-50s, but no one has ever been able to pin it down.

Rest in Peace.