Every year at this time, we look back and remember the sports figures who died the previous year. This is not a complete list, but some that stood out, either because they brought back memories from my childhood, or they made a big impact in their respective sport.

Franz Beckenbauer died on Jan. 7; he was 79. Known as “Der Kaiser,” the German soccer legend, appeared in three World Cup tournaments and became popular in the U.S. when he played for my beloved New York Cosmos. Beckenbauer was inducted in the U.S National Soccer Hall of Famer, German Football Hall of Fame, and World Cup Hall of Fame.

Nobody ever really knew “Bud” Harrelson’s real first name, Derrel, but they certainly knew he could play shortstop with expertise. The New York Mets hall of famer died on Jan. 11 at age 79. Besides being a player, Harrelson also was an MLB coach and manager, a two-time World Series champion, two-time All-Star, and a Gold Glove winner. I remember when he was the manager of the Little Falls Mets, in the New York – Penn League. When his team played my Jamestown Expos, I (as the mascot “Yippee!”) would imitate Harrelson from atop the dugout while paced and clapped his hands in the third base coach’s box. He would change his clapping rhythm to try to throw me off. We had a fun exchange. I had heard that when he was a player, he wore a Superman t-shirt under his uniform every day. I asked him about this when he was a manger, and he unbuttoned his uniform to show me the Superman t-shirt was still a thing.

Carl Weathers played college football at San Diego state, and played professionally for the Oakland Raiders, BC Lions. Following his playing dies, Weather became an actor and his role as Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies launched his career. He died Feb. 2 at 86 years of age.

Local basketball fans may remember the name Robert Reid. The former Houston Rockets star, who helped lead the franchise to its first two NBA Finals runs, died on Feb. 19 after a battle with cancer. I remember Reid not just because of his time in the NBA, but at the end of his career, he played eight games with the Tulsa FastBreakers during the 1990-91 season, while I was the team’s mascot “Bubby Breaker.” I remember how he was such a friendly guy and could still hold his own on the court. He averaged 14.5 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per game, with Tulsa.

The name O.J. Simpson brings different memories depending on your age and frame of reference. For a Buffalo Bills fan like me, I remember what a great running back he was for the Bills in the 1970s, breaking rushing records and leading the Bills into the playoffs. For some, his name is synonymous with some iconic movies, such as Capricorn One and The Naked Gun. However, for all of us, we can’t get the images of a slow-moving white SUV down a California highway with police in pursuit, out of our mind. Simpson was tried and acquitted of killing his ex-wife and her friend, but later found guilty in a civil trial. He had other legal issues later in life. Simpson, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died of cancer at age 76 on April 10.

Whitey Herzog, a Baseball HOF manager who led the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series title in 1982, died on April 15 at 92. He won the NL Manager of the Year award 1985 while with the Cardinals, and also managed the Texas Rangers, California Angels, and KC Royals. Herzog spent two seasons (1949-1950) as a player in the minor leagues with the McAlester (OK) Rockets in the Sooner State League.

Roman Gabriel, the first NFL quarterback of Filipino American descent, died on April 20. He was 83. Gabriel was named NFL MVP while with the Los Angeles Rams (1969), and later became the NFL Comeback Player of the Year with the Philadelphia Eagles (1973). He was a four-time Pro Bowler and inducted in the College Football Hall of Famer.

Basketball Hall of Famer and former broadcaster Bill Walton died on May 27 at the age of 71. His stellar career was cut short by chronic foot injuries that required several surgeries. Walton was a two-time NBA champion center, NBA Finals MVP, NBA MVP, NBA Sixth Man of the Year, two-time NBA All-Star, two-time NCAA champion, two-time NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, three-time national college player of the year, NBA 50th and 75th anniversary teams

The NBA player whose likeness became the logo of the league, Jerry West, died at the age of 86 on June 12. West was not only a championship player and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, but he was also a two-time NBA Executive of the Year, leading the Lakers to six NBA titles as the team’s general manager.

Willie Mays (died June 18) the “Say Hey Kid,” was a Baseball Hall of Fame center fielder, 24-time All-Star, World Series champion (San Francisco Giants), 12-time Gold Glove winner, two-time NL MVP, NL Rookie of the Year, Roberto Clemente Award, MLB All-Century Team, MLB All-Time Team, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. The very first couple of packs of baseball cards I opened as a kid had not one, but two Wille Mays cards in them; his regular card and his “In Action” card. I quickly became a Mays fan, and this past summer when I had the opportunity to attend a couple games in San Francisco for the first time, I got to see the Mays statue outside Oracle Park.

Former University of Tulsa head football coach (2003-06), Steve Kragthorpe, died on Aug. 4, from Parkinson’s disease at 59.

Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, the first Puerto Rican inducted into PGA World Golf Hall of Fame, had eight PGA Tour victories, 22 PGA Tour Champions victories, Bob Jones Award, and was named to the World Humanitarian Sports Hall of Fame. He died on Aug. 8 at 88.

Dikembe Mutombo, the eight-time NBA All-Star center, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, humanitarian, and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, died on Sept. 30. He was 58.

Pete Rose was given the nickname “Charlie Hustle” because of the gritty nature in which he played baseball. He became the MLB all-time hits leader, but a lifetime ban for betting on baseball has kept him out of the Hall of Fame. Rose won three World Series championships (Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies), and was named World Series MVP, National League MVP, 17-time All-Star infielder/outfielder, two Gold Glove Awards, NL Rookie of the Year, MLB All-Century Team. Rose died on Sept. 30. He was 83.

Many Tulsa Drillers fans may remember the day Fernando Valenzuela pitched in Tulsa. It was in 1991, and Valenzuela was pitching for the Midland Rockhounds, working his way back up to the California Angels roster. It was standing room only at Drillers Stadium at the fairgrounds, and fans were even allowed to stand behind a rope along the right field warning track. I just remember the excitement of getting to see such a legend pitching against the Drillers.

Valenzuela won a World Series with the Dodgers and was a six-time All-Star, NL Cy Young Award winner and was named NL Rookie of the Year. He played 17 seasons between the Dodgers, Angels, Orioles, Phillies, Padres, and Cardinals. He died on Oct. 22 at age 63.

Rickey Henderson, known as “The Man of Steal,” Hall of Fame left fielder, MLB all-time leader in runs steals, runs scored, leadoff home runs, and unintentional walks. He also broke the MLB single-season steals record and was a two-time World Series champion, during a 25-year career with the Athletics, Yankees, Blue Jays, Padres, Angels, Mets, Mariners, Red Sox, and Dodgers. Henderson was 65 when he died Dec. 20.

TULSA BEACON RADIO

Tune in to “Tulsa Beacon Weekend” radio show every week, featuring interviews with local and national level guests, talking about everything from politics to family issues. This week’s guest will be Val Smith of ThroneOfGod.com. He will talk about discovering the Noah’s Ark site and other Biblical evidence. The show airs on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CST on 970am KCFO.