Former major leaguer Jim Hickman dies at 79

JACKSON, Tenn. -- Jim Hickman, who played for four teams in 13 major league seasons and had a hand in one of the most famous plays in All-Star Game history, has died. He was 79.

Hickman died Saturday at a Tennessee hospital after a lengthy illness, according to the Garner Funeral Home in Ripley.

Hickman, a Tennessee native, made his major league debut with the New York Mets in 1962 and hit .252 with 159 homers and 560 RBIs in 1,421 games. He also played for the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.

Hickman had his best year in 1970 with the Cubs, when he finished with 32 homers and 115 RBIs. He hit a game-ending single in the 12th inning of the All-Star Game that year, sending Pete Rose barreling into catcher Ray Fosse for the winning run.