CHAMPAIGN — Tom Fletcher left a fairly indelible mark on Illinois baseball. Even playing just the one season for the Illini, as his family is inextricably linked with the program.
The left-handed pitcher out of Elmira, N.Y., earned All-Big Ten and All-American honors in 1962 at Illinois. He made his MLB debut in September of that year, appearing in one game for the Detroit Tigers.
A blood cot in his throwing shoulder cost him the next season and another chance at the big leagues, but he played in the minor leagues from 1964-68.
Fletcher died Wednesday evening at OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center in Danville, leaving behind a legacy at Illinois that extended past his one-season career.