The number of living former Brooklyn Dodgers players continues to dwindle with the recent passing John Van Cuyk, who departed from his earthly existence on July 10.
Born in Little Chute, Wisconsin – the only big league player ever to come from that town – Van Cuyk began his professional career in 1940, missing some time to serve in the Army in World War II. He came back with a bang in 1946, posting an 18-8 record with a 1.42 ERA for the Fort Worth Cats that year. He made his major league debut the following season, however his big league career never quite panned out – over a course of three seasons, from 1947 to 1949, he made only seven appearances in the major leagues, posting a 0-0 record with a 5.23 ERA.
With his passing, exactly 60 former Brooklyn Dodgers remain alive – and the youngest, Rod Miller, is 70 years old. The vestiges of that great team are slowly whittling away, and the pace will only pick up as time moves forward.
For a complete list of still-living Brooklyn Dodgers players, click this link.
