Farmer was an important part of the Chicago White Sox's team history.
Ed Farmer, who pitched for 11 years and served as a radio broadcaster with the Chicago White Sox for another 30, died on Wednesday night, the team announced. He was 70 years old.
Farmer, a reliever for much of his career, made appearances for eight different teams during his career, including his hometown White Sox. It was with the White Sox that he made his only All-Star Game. That came in 1980, when, for the full season, he posted a 3.34 ERA and saved 30 games.
For his MLB career -- which began in 1971 and ended in 1983 -- Farmer appeared in 370 games, compiling a 4.30 ERA and 75 saves.
As NBC Sports Chicago noted, Farmer learned in 1990 that he would die without a kidney transplant. He ended up getting that kidney from his brother, Tom. Subsequently, Farmer became a vocal proponent for organ donation.
Of course, Farmer might be better known for his three decades in the radio booth. Darrin Jackson, Farmer's longtime partner on-air, shared his thoughts:
Current White Sox play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti tweeted that "Ed Farmer was such a loyal, welcoming friend. Scores of people have lost a piece of their heart, including me."
Former White Sox play-by-play announcer (and fellow broadcasting legend) Hawk Harrelson, meanwhile, said of Farmer that "there are some guys who are great guys and everything like Ed, but none of them were better. He was just a wonderful guy."
The White Sox shared the above video of Farmer on their official account. It's worth the watch, whether you're a longtime fan of his work or someone trying to understand why he meant so much to the White Sox and their fan base.
This story was first published by CBS Sports on Thursday, April 2.
RELATED CONTENT:
