Eddie Kaufman, an Elkview Country Club member and former Lawler Junior Tour supporter, died Oct. 7 following a year-long battle with leukemia. He was 20.
A sports-oriented individual, Kaufman bore a deep passion for both baseball and golf. He attended Mid Valley Secondary Center and accrued accolades on the diamond. Ranked the No. 9 outfielder in Pennsylvania by Perfect Game USA, Kaufman won the Lackawanna League batting title (.463 average) in 2022 and earned First Team All-Star honors in consecutive years (2022-23). He, of note, pitched a perfect game against Western Wayne High School on May 3, 2023.
Kaufman excelled on the golf course as well. He served as a three-year captain of the Mid Valley golf team and earned Scranton Times-Tribune First Team All-Region honors. Kaufman was named Scranton Times-Tribune Player of the Year in 2022. All the while he spent summers competing on the Lawler Junior Tour.
“Eddie’s grandmother Carol Kaufman, who was the individual Women’s Coal Scuttle Championship winner in 2007, introduced Eddie to golf and would take him to lessons and his summer tournaments,” Patrick Lloyd, GAP Director of Northeast Operations, said. “I think those who knew Eddie are in shock as just a few years ago he was such a strong, good looking young man who I think you just assumed would beat the diagnosis.”
Upon his graduation from Mid Valley in 2023, Kaufman headed to Roanoke College, a Division III school in Salem, Va., to start his collegiate baseball career. Kaufman played in 12 games during his freshman season, starting in eight. Roanoke finished second in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in 2024. That summer, Kaufman was recruited by the Elmira Pioneers of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. He finished third on the team in RBIs, sported a perfect fielding position and contributed to the Pioneers West Division title.
After returning to Roanoke for his sophomore year, Kaufman was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, an aggressive bone marrow and blood cancer. T-cells are white blood cells made in the bone marrow that help the body to fight off infections.
“The crazy part about all of this is that Eddie was never sick as a kid,” Brian Kaufman, Eddie’s father, 52, of Throop, Pa., said. “Eddie wasn’t just healthy; he was thriving, playing all different types of sports throughout his entire life, and to see this happen to him has been very difficult to accept, rationalize and understand.”
Eddie Kaufman underwent chemotherapy treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). He was part of CAR-T, a clinical trial focused on T-cell therapy treatment.
GAP Communications Intern Chris Gress spoke with Kaufman prior to his passing.
“I look forward to getting back to the golf course. I took a lot for granted and look forward to playing again next year. I’m thinking golf will be part of my rehab in building back my body and athleticism,” Kaufman said. “I’m praying I can get back to all the things I love.”
During his time as a CHOP patient, Kaufman threw out the ceremonial first pitch during the Philadelphia Phillies June 14 game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“Eddie was nominated to do so by a fellow patient, a 10-year-old named Chase,” Brian Kaufman said. “Once he found out Eddie was a college baseball player, he thought it would be very nice for Eddie to throw out the first pitch, and the Phillies and Ronald McDonald House of Philadelphia made it a reality.”
“It was quite the honor from Chase, the Phillies, and Larry Bowa,” Eddie said. “It’s a day I will never forget. I was not feeling the best that day, but it was a wonderful honor to take the mound and represent all the kids at CHOP who are battling cancer or other life challenges. I’ve met some of the toughest people here at CHOP, and I was hoping this, in some small way, highlighted their courage and fight.”
Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.
GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 130,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
