Former Mississippi State Great Sammy Ellis Passed Away

Former Bulldog great Sammy Ellis passed away last Friday at the age of 75 at his home in Florida.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of former Bulldog and MLB great Sammy Ellis

— John Cohen (@Coach_Cohen) May 16, 2016

Ellis played for Mississippi State back in 1961 and was the team leader in strikeouts that year with 73 in 57 and 2/3 inning. In 1962, after his time in Starkville, Ellis went on back to his home state of Ohio and played baseball up in Cincinnati for the Reds.

After five seasons with Cincinnati, from there, he'd go on to play a year with the California Angels and then finish up his playing career with the Chicago White Sox a year later. While playing in the majors, Ellis accumulated a win-loss record of 63-58, struck out 677, and had a career ERA of 4.15.

Sammy Ellis would later take to coaching, helping to lead several organizations at both the major league level and helping to develop players along their farm systems and minor league affiliated teams. The Yankees, both the White Sox and the Cubs, the Mariners, the Red Sox, and the Orioles were all impacted at some point by Ellis' coaching.

Our thoughts and prayers, as the Bulldog family, are with Sammy Ellis' family, friends, and loved ones.