View Full Version : Frank Deford
My daughter Lauren, who is an executive sports producer at the Mets cable station in NYC, is married to Chris Deford, son of Frank Deford, well-known sports media personality and author of many well-received books, both fiction and non-fiction sadly passed away yesterday after a long battle with lung disease. Frank was a fixture on Bryant Gumbel's TV show and had a radio program for many years. He was also a contributing editor at Sports Illustrated. But perhaps his proudest moment had to be receiving a presidential citation awarded by President O'Bama at the White House 3 years ago. He was such a wealth of stories about sports personalities, became an intimate friend of Arthur Ashe and was a pall bearer at his funeral. My favorite book of his was "Matty and McGraw," which examined the intimate and conflicting relationship between those two stalwarts.
Frank will truly be missed by many, including me.
rsn1661
05-29-2017, 07:42 AM
R.i.p.
icollectDCsports
05-29-2017, 07:44 AM
RIP. I always liked both his written and TV work. Seemed like a good guy. He'll be missed.
And my condolences to family and friends.
Michael Peich
05-29-2017, 07:52 AM
John--
So sorry to learn of Frank Deford's death. I met him years ago and we spent quite a bit of time talking baseball. He was an extremely knowledgeable and engaging man. My condolences to your son-in-law and daughter.
Warm regards,
Mike
Fballguy
05-29-2017, 07:57 AM
Very sad news. I've been a fan since I was a kid. Never miss an episode or Real Sports and he was my favorite journalist on the show.
1952boyntoncollector
05-29-2017, 08:16 AM
I remember he tried to make an all sports newspaper. the national, which was big news at the time..
Jay Wolt
05-29-2017, 10:31 AM
Sad to hear this, RIP
MVSNYC
05-29-2017, 11:01 AM
Sorry to hear, he had a great style of journalism- direct, no BS. RIP.
Cliff Bowman
05-29-2017, 11:27 AM
But perhaps his proudest moment had to be receiving a presidential citation awarded by President O'Bama at the White House 3 years ago.
Well, he IS part Irish :).
slidekellyslide
05-29-2017, 11:42 AM
He had just recently retired only a few weeks ago didn't he? Sad news, he was one of my favorite sports journalists both in print and television.
RIP
clydepepper
05-29-2017, 12:10 PM
Frank produced a lot of great work - and loved the game.
RIP
WillowGrove
05-29-2017, 12:39 PM
I'm sorry to hear this and for your family's loss.
He was one of my favorites. I asked him once what his favorite baseball book was and he said he didn't really have one...as a journalist he was more into a great story.
After he told me that, it made me more open to reading and watching sports stories that I would have typically passed by.
RIP.
Bigdaddy
05-29-2017, 01:03 PM
I always enjoyed listening to his commentary - a local radio station would carry him once a week. He will be missed by many. My thoughts and prayers to your family and his.
roarfrom34
05-29-2017, 03:14 PM
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Deford back in 2006 when he gave a talk at a local college (DeSales University). After his speech I approached him with a book to be signed and I told him about an article I enjoyed that he wrote in Sports Illustrated about the Baltimore Orioles back in 1980 and he couldn't have been nicer..
RIP Frank
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k172/whhp72/3F09E2DF-3E3A-4E56-8F8D-A8A5F9C63A00_zpsqrlremwb.jpg
CobbSpikedMe
05-29-2017, 05:46 PM
I really enjoyed Frank's book "The Old Ball Game" which was all about Mathewson and McGraw and how they were friends outside the ball field. Sharing family moments and everything.
RIP to a great sports writer.
AndyH
kkkkandp
05-29-2017, 05:57 PM
Great writer and a nice guy.
I got this autographed by him back in the 1980s at a National Association of College Stores convention.
ValKehl
05-30-2017, 08:00 AM
I think folks will enjoy reading this Frank Deford appreciation piece by sports columnist Sally Jenkins that appears in today's Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/frank-deford-wrote-with-sincerity-giving-depth-to-complicated-sports-figures/2017/05/29/e1a0450e-44a2-11e7-98cd-af64b4fe2dfc_story.html?utm_term=.61711f140614
WillowGrove
05-30-2017, 08:21 AM
I did enjoy it and sent it to some friends too. Thanks for posting Val.
T206Collector
05-30-2017, 09:11 AM
A couple of Deford articles...
https://www.si.com/vault/2003/08/25/348692/giants-among-men-exactly-100-years-ago-christy-mathewson-and-john-mcgraw-rescued-the-woeful-new-york-giants-and-helped-make-baseball-the-true-national-pastime?xid=socialflow_twitter_si
http://www.npr.org/2012/06/13/154839159/the-language-of-baseball-in-is-out-and-foul-is-fair?page=3