Jeff Innis was a kind, smart, observant overachiever, a big leaguer without a big league attitude. Tom Verducci’s obituary for the late Mets reliever:
The very nature of his role lends an anonymity to his career, but what set the Mets' sidearmer apart was his kindness and humility.A ballplayer dies; the amount of attention his passing gets is proportional to his career statistics, and he is defined by milestones such as All-Star selections and championships. It is a wholly inadequate way to reflect upon a life and never more so than in the case of Jeff Innis.
A former pitcher for the Mets, Innis died on Sunday, five years after a cancer diagnosis. He was just 59 years old. He spent his final days in a Georgia hospice surrounded by family after a GoFundMe campaign helped bring him home from a Houston hospital, where doctors had done all they could for him. Obituaries mentioned that he pitched seven seasons for New York, from 1987 through ’93, and that he did so as a workhorse middle reliever.
“I’m not a marquee player,” he once said. “I’m painfully aware of that. I treat every game like it’s my last.” The Mets did not appreciate Innis as much as they should have because he did not throw hard. Manager Davey Johnson used Innis mostly in games New York was losing. From 1987 to ’91, for instance, the Mets were 30–105 when Innis pitched. He was expendable. Whenever New York needed to clear a roster spot, Innis was demoted to Triple A Tidewater.
Innis was known also for his uncanny imitations of people around the team, including Frank Cashen, the team’s irascible general manager. One day near the dugout Cashen said to Innis, “Do you want to see my Jeff Innis imitation?”
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Bethel musher Pete Kaiser puts Jeff King’s Kuskokwim 300 record in sight with sixth winThree former champions overcame an icy, windy trail to finish at the front of the 2022 Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race on Sunday. Via KYUKNews sportsadn
Read more »
Jeff Bezos Slaps GF Lauren Sanchez's Butt At LunchJeff Bezos was having a Sunday Funday with GF Lauren Sanchez … and after a couple of years, he still can’t keep his hands off her!!!
Read more »
Mina Kimes destroys ex-NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia after Jimmy Garoppolo rantMina Kimes has responded to a lengthy tirade from former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia.
Read more »
Kids forced to sit in gym when teachers call out. How early dismissals aim to help N.J. district.Millville middle school and high school students will be leaving early every day, starting Monday.
Read more »
Mina Kimes destroys ex-NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia after Jimmy Garoppolo rantMina Kimes has responded to a lengthy tirade from former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia.
Read more »