Yankees World Series Pitcher Dies After Health Turn

The New York Yankees have earned by far the most World Series championships of any Major League Baseball franchise and, in that storied history, they have had many standout players earn their rings.

From Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter, the list of storied Yankees champions is long and colorful. But every member of every championship team holds a special spot in the team’s history, even if they aren’t honored with a plaque in Monument Park.

And now the Yankees’ collection of World Series champions has lost a member as the team received news that a pitcher from the 1958 World Series campaign has died.

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New York Yankees’ World Series Champion Zack Monroe Dies

“Zack Monroe’s life was a proverbial complete game, a lifetime of sports and achievement during which he built a proud legacy,” according to Dave Eminian of the Peoria Journal Star. “Monroe launched a nine-year pro baseball career in 1952. But his pinnacle came in the 1958 season when he pitched in the World Series for the champion New York Yankees.”

Though Monroe’s professional baseball career was briefly interrupted by military service, he played across a total of 11 years, with two of his seasons coming in the major leagues with the Yankees.

He was called up in the middle of the 1958 season after posting a 10-2 record in Triple-A and logged a 3.26 ERA across 58 innings for the Bombers in the regular season. His postseason didn’t go as well, and he was hit for a 27.00 ERA in just one inning of World Series Game 2, giving up three earned runs to the Milwaukee Braves. Luckily for Monroe, his teammates included all-time greats like Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle, and the Yankees were able to win the series despite his rough outing.

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New York Yankees’ Former Pitcher Zack Monroe Suffered Health Turn At End Of Life

He returned to the team briefly in 1959, logging a 5.40 ERA while closing out three games, which proved to be his final taste of the big leagues. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds organization in 1960.

Monroe remained in the minor leagues until 1962 before retiring and he died at age 94 in his native Peoria.

“He was in relatively good health up until about six months ago, and then he started to wear down,” his brother, Roger Monroe, told Eminian. “I had the good fortune of saying goodbye to him. I could tell by his facial expressions, I could get him to smile.”

Monroe is survived by four daughters and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And as a member of a championship Yankees club, he will always hold a revered spot in the history of baseball’s most storied franchise.