R.I.P. Johnny Marz

I received the sad news of the death of John Marzano lats night via text message from one of my fellow authors here on the site: " John Marzano died"

As I took a second to take this information in, I could only offer one response: " Holy ****" Johnny Marz was just 45 years old and was just starting to move forward with his writing and hosting a radio show for MLB.com. When I first heard about his new gig at MLB.com, I was happy for him but sad as well because it meant I would hear less of his insightful commentary of 610 WIP. His occasional guest appearances were always welcome and made you realize just how bad you missed good old Johnny Marz.

Marzano was a great example of a Philadelphian and our sports teams in general. His stats were not spectacular, he hit just .241 with 11 HR and 72 RBIs in 794 AB in 301 career games. This isn't a knock on him by any means, it just shows why some less skilled athletes excel on radio, TV, and are able to give such well thought out commentary and breakdowns. Johnny Marz could come on Phillies Postgame on Comcast and give a great breakdown that an informed fan and someone who had never even seen a baseball game could both enjoy. I'd like to think that his well thought out, easy to understand explanations expanded the knowledge of fans and even brought a few new fans to the Phillies and baseball in general. A 610 WIP personality like Hugh Douglas is beloved mainly for his on-field performance and has since received affection for his career in radio. Marz received such love for his take on sporting events, life in general and his work with the local community.

John Marzano could always be found teaching children how to play the game of baseball and many have said that he was willing to talk about baseball with anyone at any time. He LOVED the game and his passion showed through his breakdowns of players, writing, appearances on television and radio. While he only played in less than two full seasons, Johnny represented our country in the 1984 Olympics, starred at Temple for 3 years and taught the in and outs of the game to countless major leaguers. It's been said that those who can't do teach. Well, our fallen friend had a bit of do and a lot of teach.

We never realize what we have until it's gone and it couldn't be more true than in the case of John Marzano. I always appreciated him but because of his young age I never envisioned a world without him. As I watch or listen to each Phillies game this year and for the last few years, I cringe each time I hear Harry Kalas slip up or incorrectly call a play. It's not that I'm mad at him, it's that each time he does it I know he's that much closer to not being with us for those lazy summer nights. It to me a while to get used to life with Harry's best friend, Richie Ashburn. My childhood is filled with memories of the two going back and forth with old stories. Many Phillies fans will shed tears when Harry leaves us one day, hopefully under his own power and not because of a decision by the organization or God forbid death. Those same fans will shed tears of happiness when they think of fallen greats like Richie Ashburn,Tug McGraw, Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Pelle Lindbergh, Gene Hart, Wilt Chamberlain, and now John Marzano sharing stories over a cold one at some great bar in the sky. An unfortunate accident has robbed us of a great friend and Philadelphia sports personality. I feel a great sense of sadness for the Marzano family and baseball as a whole, especially in Philadelphia. The Phillies should honor Marzano with a fitting tribute given by Harry Kalas. A 45 year old man was taken from us far too soon and I still can't believe it. As his Royal Whiteness would say to his pal, " Hard to believe Harry."