‘General Hospital’ Doctor Dies

John Beradino, who played Dr. Steve Hardy on the soap opera “General Hospital” for 33 years, died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 79.

The cause was cancer, The Associated Press reported.

Beradino was born in Los Angeles and as a child appeared in the “Our Gang” comedies. A high school football and baseball star, he won a football scholarship to the University of Southern California in 1936 but switched to baseball a year later.

He joined the St. Louis Browns as an infielder in 1939, but his career was interrupted by four years with the Navy in World War II. On his return to baseball, he played second base and shortstop for the Browns, the Cleveland Indians and the Pittsburgh Pirates until a leg injury ended his career in 1953.

After leaving baseball, Beradino found work in television, appearing in a 1955 episode of “Superman” and playing featured roles in the crime series “The New Breed” from 1961 to 1962 and in “I Led Three Lives.” He was a guest star on the series “The Love Boat,” “The Untouchables,” “Cain’s Hundred,” “Cheyenne” and “Laramie,” among others.

He began playing Dr. Hardy, the director of medicine at General Hospital, in the first episode of the series, which was broadcast on April 1, 1963. His illness forced him to leave the series this year.