Lazarus âGeorgeâ Lastres passed away peacefully surrounded by his family in Brandon, Florida on Feb. 27, 2021, from complications of pneumonia.
George was born in Key West, Florida on Jan. 26, 1936 and was one of six brothers and three sisters. He lived in Key West through his high school year, attending Key West High School, where he was the star pitcher on the baseball team, The Conchs, where he still holds the record for most career wins (37) in 1952-54 and most wins in a season (16) in 1953.
In 1954, he signed with the New York Giants farm team and played professional baseball as a pitcher for four years until he was sidelined by a shoulder injury. Teammates included Willie McCovey, Orlando Copeda, Felipe Alou, Jose Pagan and Jim Davenport.