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WILLIAM DUNCAN — SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL A surfer watches from shore while someone paddles over a wave during a King Tide near Pleasure Point on Jan. 9. OUTDOORS LOOKINGINTOTHEFUTURE The losses, of course, came against a backdrop of a pandemic, its number of fatalities rolled out daily on TV screens. Sports took its place in the grim proces- sion, even if COVID-19 was not listed on the death cer- tificate. For fans of a certain age, it was as if the lights dimmed on a generation of players who long illumi- nated the game. What was left were snap- shotsandYouTubemontages and endless conversations -- the soaring move to the bas- ket, the steely command on the mound, the slashing run past tacklers, the burst of an impossible goal. It's all a fan could ask for. Bryant was among nine who died that January day, including13-year-olddaugh- ter Gianna. He was 41, less than four years removed from the NBA, and on his way to a youth tournament. Bryant is the game's fourth- leading scorer. He spent 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers,18asanAll-Star,and won five titles. He was a gen- erational player who left an imprint with his swoops and scores, his touch and grit. Purple and gold became col- ors of mourning. "It doesn't make no sense," the Lakers' LeBron James said. "But the universe just puts things in your life." Maradona was the soul of Argentine soccer whose magic extended to Italy, where he bewitched Napoli fans. He carried Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title, his two goals in a quarterfi- nal against England among soccer's greatest: the "Hand of God" goal -- he later ac- knowledged it came with his hand, not head -- and another in which he shred- ded an entire defense. He died at 60, his health under- cut by cocaine and obesity. One commentator in Ar- gentina likened him to the "great masters of music and painting." Kaline spent 22 years with the Detroit Tigers, el- egantly covering right field and in 1955 hitting .340 at age 20 to become the young- est player to win the Amer- ican League batting ti- tle. He was simply Mr. Ti- ger. In Cincinnati, Morgan, his elbow twitching at the plate like the wing of an ag- itated chicken, was a mae- stro at second base, a two- time MVP and vital part of the Big Red Machine before becoming a TV voice of the game. Ford was the dependable "Chairman of the Board," a left-hander who played on six title winners and might have been the greatest start- ing pitcher in New York Yan- kees history. In St. Louis, Gibson struck palpable fear into batters. He won seven straight World Series starts and in 1968 had a 1.12 ERA. Baseball responded by low- ering the mound the next year. A month earlier, Car- dinals fans also grieved for Brock, who came over from the Cubs and became one of the game's great leadoff hit- ters and base stealers. Three days earlier, it was Seaver. He was "Tom Ter- rific" and "The Franchise," both nicknames apt. Seaver shook the mindset of the New York Mets. He was a three-time Cy Young Award winner and cornerstone of a team he transformed from woebegone to World Series champion in 1969. Niekro won 318 games and pitched until he was 48, his knuckle- ball dancing and mystifying batters across the decades. Larsen was 81-91 over 14 big league seasons, but on one October day in 1956 the gods of the game visited an Everyman. The Yankees pitcher did what no one in baseball ever had -- throw a perfect game in the World Series. Deaths FROM PAGE 10 DAMIAN DOVARGANES — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sneakers and a Los Angeles Lakers uniform with the numbers worn by NBA star Kobe Bryant are le at a memorial for Bryant while fans gather to pay their respects near Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 2. TheWatsonvilleAutoGroup wouldliketothankour communityandespeciallyeach andeveryessentialworkerfor everythingyoudoandhave doneforourcommunity THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020 SANTACRUZSENTINEL.COM | | 15 D

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