FROM: The New York Baseball Examiner ~
By Nick Diunte

Fred Sanford, who pitched seven seasons in the major leagues, including
three with the New York Yankees, passed away March 15, 2011 at his home in
Salt Lake City, Utah. He was 91.

Sanford started his career with the St. Louis Browns in 1943 before his
career was interrupted by his World War II service. He returned to play with
them again from 1946-48 until he was traded to the New York Yankees during
the 1948 off-season.

Even though Sanford led the American League in losses in 1948, the Yankees
paid the Browns $100,000 in a trade that also saw them part with future
All-Star catcher Sherm Lollar.

This trade created high expectations for Sanford upon his arrival in 1949.
While Sanford posted winning records in his two full seasons with the
Yankees, his shaky control drew the ire of fans and sportswriters alike,
with the New York Daily News dubbing him, "the $100,000 Lemon." Sanford was on the roster but did not see action in either of the 1949 or 1950 World
Series contests.

The Yankees traded Sanford to the Washington Senators during the 1951 for
future World Series relief hero Bob Kuzava. The Senators quickly dealt him
to the Browns, where he finished the 1951 season with the team that gave him
his shot in the majors.

Sanford pitched two more seasons in the Pacific Coast League before calling
it quits in 1953.

Zoogz Rift (born Robert Pawlikowski, July 10, 1953 in Paterson, New Jersey, died March 22, 2011) was a musician, painter and professional wrestling personality.

Biography Musical career

The Trouser Press describes Zoogz Rift as "an iconoclastic original" who is "as imaginative and stimulating as he is irritating and vitriolic."[2] Rift was influenced by Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart as well as Salvador Dalí and Ayn Rand.[2] Zoogz Rift began his recording career with the album Idiots on the Miniature Golf Course, released by Snout Records in 1979. His long-time collaborators include Richie Häss and John Trubee (the latter being famous for the songshark tune, "A Blind Man's Penis"). Rift released several albums through SST Records during the 1980s.[3] Keyboard Magazine, in a special "Experimental Music" issue, described Rift's album The Island of Living Puke as "moments of outstanding free-form rock, sandwiched between scrupulously obscene interruptions."

Wrestling career
Zoogz Rift booked the UWF (Universal Wrestling Federation) in 1993. He left the promotion in March 1994, but returned in May 1995 to become Vice-President, alongside founder Herb Abrams. After Abrams died in 1996, the UWF promotion closed and Zoogz was left without a job. Zoogz hosted an online wrestling show, entitled Puke-A-Mania that provides a weekly assessment of WWE and TNA promotions, with Zoogz giving insight on wrestling issues. His rants on the show include the pushing of former WWF superstar Warlord, and his fascination with possibly training 60-year-old Vince McMahon to become a main-event wrestler. With Zoogz' former experience in wrestling, he claims he can train any man, via the techniques of the Golden Crab, as stated in Episode #3 of Puke-A-Mania.

Death
Zoogz Rift died peacefully on March 22nd, 2011 at 12:20 PM. His death was due to serious complications from diabetes which he had been battling for well over a decade.

L.A.Times / Elaine Woo
March 23, 2011

Elizabeth Taylor, the glamorous queen of American movie stardom, whose achievements as an actress were often overshadowed by her rapturous looks and real-life dramas, has died. She was 79.

Taylor died early Wednesday of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said publicist Sally Morrison. She had been hospitalized six weeks ago.