Former Astros All-Star and Yankees GM Bob Watson Passes Away at 74

The Houston Astros just lost one of the most important players on their famous 1970s teams, while the New York Yankees lost one of the best executives in team history.

Former All-Star first baseman and general manager Bob Watson, who had been struggling kidney disease, has passed away at the age of 74.

Nicknamed "Bull," Watson played for parts of 19 seasons, 14 of which came with the Astros. A .295 career hitter with 184 home runs, Watson was named an All-Star twice and finished in the top 20 in MVP voting three times. He also played for the Red Sox, Yankees and Braves before retiring at the age of 38 in 1984.

Watson transitioned to the coaching and executive realm afterwards, as he was the hitting coach on a 1988 Oakland Athletics team that won the AL Pennant. He was named GM of the Astros in 1993, becoming just the second African-American in baseball history to hold that office. He was named Yankees GM in 1995, and won the World Series in his first year in charge, becoming the first African-American GM to win a championship before stepping down from that role in 1998.

Watson later served as Major League Baseball's vice president in charge of discipline and vice president of rules and on-field operations before retiring in 2010.

Watson was one of the iconic players of those 70s Astros teams and the man who helped kick off a Yankees dynasty. A wholesome career indeed. Our condolences go out to the Astros, Yankees, and Watson's family in this trying time.