Former major league first baseman Pat Putnam dies at age 72

Pat Putnam, a first baseman who played eight seasons in Major League Baseball, died on August 25 at age 72. According to a report in Florida Weekly, Putnam died of natural causes in his Fort Myers home. During his career from 1977 to 1984, he played for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, and Minnesota Twins. He accumulated a.255 batting average with 63 home runs and 255 RBIs over 677 games. Before his major league debut, he secured the first Triple Crown in the Western Carolinas League while playing for the Asheville Tourists in 1976. Following his time in the United States, he played two seasons for the Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan before retiring from professional baseball.

• 2:23 AMYahoo Sports — Former Rangers, Mariners, Twins first baseman dies at 72