San Francisco Giants executive, Dick Tidrow has died at the age of 74. The former major league pitcher passed away unexpectedly last month in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. The baseball team made an official announcement about the loss of the much-loved sporting professional a few days after the news hit. SF Giants CEO Larry Baer spoke on behalf of the organization to say that the staff were ‘heartbroken’.
“Our whole association is grief stricken by the information on Dick’s passing,” Baer disclosed to CBS Local. “Such a great deal our prosperity over these previous thirty years is straightforwardly connected to Dick’s commitments.”
During his highly-successful major league baseball career, Titrow pitched parts of the 13 seasons for the Yankees, Cubs, the Indians, White Socks and Mets. He held a 100-94 career record with a massive 3.68 earned run average (ERA) spanning his 600-plus appearances and 138 starts. The six-foot-four player was a massive presence on every baseball field, both physically and metaphorically.
Following his on-field career, Tidrow joined the San Francisco Giants in 1994 as a major league scout. He went on to hold a variety of different executive roles over 28 seasons with the team. His most recent post was that of senior advisor to the president of baseball operations. His guidance proved to be vital over the San Francisco Giants’ championship seasons in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
“Dick was an exceptional and extraordinary individual whose impact was amazing and legendary all through the game and whose fingerprints are all around our three World Series prizes,” Brian Sabean, the San Francisco Giants’ Executive Vice President and Senior Adviser disclosed to CBS Local. “On an individual level, we shared some unimaginable highs and lows together and I’m everlastingly appreciative for his 40 years of companionship and backing.”
Ahead of moving to his home of San Francisco, Tidrow worked with the Yankees. His position as special agent scout with the New York team lasted eight years between 1985 and 1993. Over the years, his numerous contributions to major league baseball have won him much acclaim from fellow sporting names. When the news of his death broke, many of his peers paid tribute to him and shared their condolences.
“Crushing! One more extraordinary baseball man we have lost The ‘ninja’ was so persuasive with us all. His irregular occasions he’d spring up, perhaps say a couple of words that may take care of you, say a couple of words that you probably won’t have needed to hear at that point. Be that as it may, he ALWAYS was HONEST!” tweeted previous San Francisco Giants infielder Kevin Frandsen in the wake of hearing the news.
Hailing from San Francisco, Tidrow was a marine before venturing into the world of sports. He attended both Mount Eden High and Chabot Junior College in the East Bay suburb of Hayward. While playing for the Yankees, Tidrow gained the affectionate nickname ‘Dirt’, owing to the fact that he often got his uniform messy.
Tidrow leaves behind his better half, Mari Jo Tidrow, three youngsters and one grandkid. “Dick was really stand-out. He is adored and missed unimaginable and indispensable in our souls and lives,” Mari Jo Tidrow revealed to CBS Local.