Jim Hickman passes

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2016/6/26/12033114/former-cubs-outfielder-jim-hickman-dies-at-79

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/27/sports/baseball/jim-hickman-slugger-for-expansion-mets-and-all-star-with-cubs-dies-at-79.html

Thanks for posting that - I remember him well as a player with the Cubs in 69-70 timeframe...I lived in Glenview, a suburb of Chicago in 60s-70s, going to school and playing Pony league ball with Ronny Santo Jr....great memories, sorry to hear another member of '69 Cubs is gone...

Sorry to hear this , for one and a half seasons from 69 thru 1970 he was the best hitter on the Cubs and as good a right handed hitter as any in baseball. Leo Durocher once commented that with his wide stance he reminded him of Dimaggio.
My condolences to his family.

His 1970 season was great - a +1000 OPS and as good as anyone defensively. Really sorry to hear this.

- The Sheik

I have a great personal experience story about Jim Hickman (well it's great if you ask me anyways) ...

My family and my aunt and uncle and their kids were all from Chicago and we took a road trip down to St. Louis to see the Cubs play the Cardinals around 1971. Going from memory here, the Cubs always stayed at the Stouffers Hotel (???) so we camped out there one morning and saw a whole bunch of Cubs players coming and going. I was a big Jim Hickman fan and he wasn't a flashy guy by any means, so he comes walking off of the elevator all alone and I yell, "JIM HICKMAN" and a half dozen kids run right by him because they didn't recognize him. Needless to say, I got the first autograph that day.

I also saw Paul Popovich sitting alone on a couch in the lobby reading a newspaper, again, no one even knew who he was but me.

Ahhh ... The good old days!