The MLB lost three longtime figures that made an impact on the game in various manners throughout their careers. Dave Henderson, Bobby Dews and Joe Strauss sadly passed away this weekend during the holiday season.
Henderson, 57, played 14 MLB seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals. He helped the Athletics to a World Series title in 1989 thanks to his performance throughout the regular season and postseason.
The former big league outfielder, otherwise known as "Hendu," died of cardiac arrest on Sunday morning, according to The Associated Press.
"The A's are saddened to hear of the passing of Dave Henderson," the team said in a statement. "Henderson was an instrumental part of the A's 1989 World Series Championship club and an even more impactful member of the A's family and community. Hendu and his smile will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with his family."
On the coaching side of the MLB, Dews passed away at the age of 76, according to the Braves organization and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Dews spent over 53 years in the MLB, including 37 with the Braves as a senior adviser, minor league manager and bullpen coach. He retired from the game in 2012. His cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
"A true Brave who gave his heart and soul to our organization to help create, develop and lead one of the most productive minor league systems ever," Braves president John Schuerholz said in a statement. "A good man and dear friend to his Braves family and he will be very truly missed."
And finally, on the writing side of the MLB, St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Joe Strauss, 54, was lost on Sunday morning after a battle with leukemia, according to The Associated Press.
Strauss' spent almost 30 years as a sportswriter, including stints with the Baltimore Sun and Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering the Orioles and Braves. He joined the Post-Dispatch in 2002 and became a sports columnist for the paper in 2012.
"Joe was certainly capable of writing a column that would pull at your heartstrings, and did so on many occasions," Post-Dispatch sports editor Roger Hensley said. "But when it took a strong voice to deliver something Joe felt the readers and fans of our local teams needed to hear, he pulled no punches. Joe didn't dance around a touchy topic, he hit the hole. When you finished reading a Joe Strauss column, whether you agreed or not, there was no doubt you knew where he stood. And knowing Joe, there's no other way he would have it."
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of these three accomplished men.
