Sherman was all smiles after the race

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SAN DIEGO -- Hall of Fame broadcaster Jerry Coleman, a former second baseman for the New York Yankees who interrupted his pro career to fly as a Marine Corps pilot in World War II and Korea, died Sunday, the San Diego Padres said. Jack Crawford Jersey . He was 89. Coleman spent more than four decades with the Padres as a broadcaster. He managed the team in 1980. Padres president Mike Dee said Coleman died at a hospital Sunday afternoon. He said the team was notified by Colemans wife, Maggie. A family friend told The Associated Press on Sunday night that Coleman had surgery before Christmas for bleeding in the brain. Doctors discovered more bleeding last week and Coleman had more surgery, said the friend, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation. "Its a sad day," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Were losing a San Diego icon. Hes going to be missed." The Padres planned to keep Colemans statue at Petco Park open until 11:30 p.m. Sunday so fans could pay tribute. While recounting his military career in an interview days before the statue was unveiled in September 2012, Coleman said: "Your country is bigger than baseball." Coleman spent some seven decades in pro baseball, a career that included four World Series titles with the Yankees and was interrupted by his service in World War II and the Korean War. He flew 120 missions combined in the two wars. Coleman was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 13 Air Medals and three Navy Citations. Around Petco Park and on Padres radio broadcasts, Coleman was known as "The Colonel," having retired from the Marines with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was the only major leaguer to see combat in two wars. "He was a wonderful human being and a great guy," Black said. "He was one of a kind. He sort of blazed his own path from San Francisco and ended up as a war hero and a major league ballplayer and doing so many things in our game. As much as hes remembered for all he accomplished as a baseball man, he was more proud of his military service." Colemans broadcast schedule had been reduced to home day games. He also did a pregame interview with Black, who said Coleman was self-deprecating and preferred to talk about the Padres rather than anything hed done with the Yankees or in the Marines. "You wouldnt know it walking down the street that he was a World Series champion and also a guy that flew fighter planes," Black said. Coleman was known for calls of "Oh, Doctor!" and "You can hang a star on that!" after big plays. He received the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. He also was known for malaprops, like the time he was describing Dave Winfield going back for a long fly ball. "I said, Winfield hit his head against the wall and its rolling toward the infield. I meant the ball, of course," Coleman said in 2012. In a statement, commissioner Bud Selig said Coleman "was a hero and a role model to myself and countless others in the game of baseball. ... But above all, Jerrys decorated service to our country in both World War II and Korea made him an integral part of the Greatest Generation. He was a true friend whose counsel I valued greatly." After graduating from high school in 1942, Coleman travelled three days by train from San Francisco to Wellsville, N.Y., to report to the New York Yankees Class D affiliate. Still 17, he was too young to enlist and fight in World War II, so he got to spend the summer playing ball. After he joined the military, he flew Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers in the Pacific in World War II. He played three more seasons of minor league ball before making his big league debut with the Yankees on April 20, 1949. He was The Associated Press Rookie of the Year that season. Colemans best season was 1950, when he was an All-Star and was named MVP of the Yankees four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. Among his teammates were Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto and Johnny Mize. "We won the first game 1-0 and I drove in that run," Coleman recalled in 2012. "We won the second game 2-1. I scored one of the two runs and DiMaggio hit a home run in the 10th to win it. In the third game I drove in the winning run in the last inning, and in the fourth game I rested." By "rested," he means he went 0 for 3. "I was exhausted," he said. In October 1951, Coleman found out that Marine pilots from World War II were not discharged, but on inactive status and that hed be going to Korea for 18 months. He missed the bulk of two seasons. Coleman said he took his physical along with Ted Williams in Jacksonville in 1952. Williams, a San Diego native, also was a Marine pilot in World War II, but didnt see combat duty. He did fly combat missions in Korea. When Coleman returned to the Yankees, he hit only .217. He was sent to an eye doctor, who told him hed lost his depth perception. "If youre trying to hit a baseball and you dont have depth perception, you have a problem," Coleman said. He got that corrected but then broke his collarbone in April 1955. The night he came back from that injury, he got beaned. His last season was 1957, when he hit .364 in a seven-game World Series loss to the Milwaukee Braves. Coleman worked in the Yankees front office before beginning a broadcasting career that eventually brought him to San Diego. "First and foremost, he was an American hero whose service to this country is his lasting legacy. He was also a great Yankee, a true ambassador for baseball, and someone whose imprint on our game will be felt for generations," Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said. "On behalf of the entire New York Yankees organization, we send our deepest condolences to the Coleman family." Coleman managed the Padres in 1980, when they went 73-89 and finished last in the NL West. Coleman was fired and returned to the booth. "I should never have taken it," he said. "I look at it now and see the mistakes I made. If I wanted to be a manager, I should have gone to the minor leagues and developed there." Colemans statue at Petco Park depicts him in a flight suit. Coleman said the closest he came to being killed was in Korea when the engine in his Corsair quit during takeoff and his plane flipped. He preferred to talk about his comrades. Coleman remembered a mission over Korea when a plane piloted by his buddy, Max Harper, blew up and flew straight into the ground. "I knew there was no need for help. It was an unpleasant thing," Coleman said. In describing the two-seat Dauntless he flew in the Solomon Islands and the Philippines, Coleman said the gunner "was the bravest man I knew. If I did something wrong, he died, too." Longtime San Francisco Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper mentioned the various halls of fame Coleman belonged to and added: "More than anything hes just a Hall of Fame guy. If he had a bad day, it was never around us. He was always in a good mood. He was quite funny. Northern California guy. Really just a great guy. Im shocked and saddened that he passed away. "Heres a guy, what didnt he do in life?" Kuiper said. Ryan Schraeder Jersey . Watching them over the past year - and in some cases, two years - has given us a starting point for this seasons Craigs List. Wholesale Falcons Jerseys Online . Plata blasted a rising shot to the upper left corner for his team-leading seventh goal of the season. He got the kick after referee Allen Chapman ruled Chris Tierney fouled John Stertzer in the penalty area. http://www.cheapfalconsjerseysonsale.com/?tag=brandon-fusco-jersey-sale .I shared with him how much I appreciated all he had done for us, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said of that Thursday night farewell.LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A horse with a humble pedigree. A couple of working stiff owners. A 77-year-old trainer with his first Kentucky Derby horse. Even Hollywood couldnt have made this up. California Chrome made it look easy on Saturday, pulling away down the stretch to win the Derby by 1 3/4 lengths. In a sport dominated by wealthy owners and regally bred horses from Kentuckys bluegrass country, this was a victory for the little guys. Owners Perry Martin and Steve Coburn bred an $8,000 mare to a $2,500 stallion to produce the winner of the worlds most famous race with their one-horse stable. "This is just a dream come true and a great birthday present," said Coburn, who turned 61 on Saturday. California Chrome ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.66 and paid $7, $5.60 and $4.20. The chestnut colt was sent off as the 5-2 favourite by the crowd of 164,906, the second-largest in the Derbys 140-year history. His trainer, Art Sherman, became the oldest trainer to win the Derby, 59 years after he travelled from California as an exercise rider for Derby winner Swaps. He watched that race from the barn area; this time he smelled red roses in the winners circle. Sherman was all smiles after the race. "He gave me the biggest thrill I ever had in my life," he said. California Chrome has the unlikeliest pedigree for a Derby champion. His mother, named Love the Chase, won just one race. She was purchased by Coburn and Martin, a move that prompted a trainer to call them "dumb asses" for getting involved in racing. Feeling inspired, they named their operation DAP Racing, which stands for Dumb Ass Partners. Their silks include an image of a donkey. Coburn lives near Reno, Nevada, rising at 4:30 a.m. for his job as a press operator at a 13-employee company that makes magnetic strips for credit cards and driver licenses. Martin lives on the California side of the border near Reno, running a laboratory that tests high-reliability equipment, like car air bags and medical equipment. Coburn and Martins partnership is based on a handshake, and their wives are friends who enjoy the sport, too. The group came up with California Chromes name by drawing it out of a hat. The horse hadnt even been out of his home state until this week. "Sometimes you dont get a lot of respect," Sherman said. "Were in Kentucky and you know most of the Derby winners are bred here and few outside of Kentucky." Sherman visited Swaps grave near the Derby museum earlier in the week and whispered a prayer: "I hope hes another Swaps." He suree was. Deion Jones Jersey. California Chrome extended his winning streak to five races, won by a combined 26 lengths. It was the second Derby win for Espinoza, who rode War Emblem to victory in 2002. "I thought he rode him perfect," said Sherman, a former jockey. "I was riding the last 70 yards with Victor, so I think he was riding two. He had a lot of weight on him, I can tell you that." We Miss Artie, bred by Richard Lister of Toronto, placed 10th. Espinoza had California Chrome sitting comfortably in third in the 19-horse field as Uncle Sigh and Chitu set the early pace. California Chrome made his move on the final turn in tandem with Samraat. It looked like those two would decide the outcome, until California Chrome sped away to become the first California-bred to win the Derby since Decidedly in 1962. "This horse has so much talent," Espinoza said. "By the three-eighths pole I knew that was it. I could see other horses struggling a little bit, and he was just smooth." Dale Romans, who trained eighth-place Medal Count, quickly changed his tune about California Chrome after believing the colt had no chance to win. "Im very impressed the way he came into it, the way he looked, the way he was prepared and the way he ran," Romans said. "Now he has a new fan." Commanding Curve, a 37-1 shot, rallied for second, with Danza third. Wicked Strong was fourth and Samraat finished fifth. Commanding Curve returned $31.80 and $15.40, giving trainer Dallas Stewart his second straight runner-up finish with a double-digit longshot. Danza, named for actor Tony Danza of "Whos the Boss?" fame, paid $6 to show as the 8-1 third choice. Trainer Todd Pletcher came up empty with his four starters, finishing third with Danza, 10th with We Miss Artie, 12th with Intense Holiday, and 17th with Vinceremos. Wicked Strong, the 6-1 second choice, was fourth. Samraat was fifth, followed by Dance With Fate, Ride On Curlin, Medal Count, Chitu, We Miss Artie, General a Rod, Intense Holiday, Candy Boy, Uncle Sigh, Tapiture, Harrys Holiday, Vinceremos, and Wildcat Red. Vicars In Trouble, ridden by Rosie Napravnik, finished last. Before the Derby, Coburn had told anyone who would listen that California Chrome "would go down in history." He remains just as unabashed. "I believe this horse will win the Triple Crown," he said, something that hasnt been done since 1978, when Affirmed swept the Derby, Preakness and Belmont in a five-week span. "Thats where were going." 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