Sad news from Adam Rubin of ESPN NY,
John Alderson, a veteran of three wars and the father of New York Mets GM Sandy Alderson, died on Saturday night as the result of injuries suffered when he was struck as a pedestrian, according to St. Petersburg Police.
In a statement issued through the team, Sandy Alderson said:
“Our entire family is devastated by his loss. He was a beloved father and grandfather who will be deeply missed by all of us. He and I shared many baseball experiences over the years and he was excited about Spring Training and Opening Day at Citi Field. I am terribly saddened that we will not be able to share those new experiences together.”
The Mets statement is as follows:
”Fred, Saul and all of us at the Mets send our heartfelt condolences to Sandy, Linda and their family. We’ve asked Sandy to take whatever time he needs as it relates to this terrible personal loss. Our thoughts are with the Aldersons at this difficult time.”
According to Rubin, Alderson, 87, was crossing in the middle of the 3600 block of 4th St. North in St. Petersburg, Fla. at 11:54 p.m. when he was struck by a 21-year-old driver, according to the authorities. Alderson was transported to Bayfront Medical Center and was pronounced dead 45 minutes later.
Alderson served in the Air Force during three wars — World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The elder Alderson recently told the Daily News he conducted 32 bombing missions in Germany from 1944 to 1945 in a B-24 “Liberator” and flew 150 missions during two tours in Vietnam.
This is terrible news. Our condolences to Sandy and his family.
