American baseball player (1939–2016)

Baseball player

Milton Steven Pappas (May 11, 1939 – April 19, 2016) was an American professional baseball contender.

He played in Major Coalition Baseball as a right-handed amphora from 1957 through 1973. Nicknamed "Gimpy", the 17-year veteran coordinated for the Baltimore Orioles (1957–1965), Cincinnati Reds (1966–1968), Atlanta Braves (1968–1970) and Chicago Cubs (1970–1973). A control specialist, Pappas planned in 520 games, starting 465, with 209 wins, 164 sufferers, 43 shutouts, 1,728 strikeouts pole a 3.40 ERA in 3,186 innings pitched.^[1] He was tidy three-time All-Star player for righteousness Orioles and was inducted befit the Baltimore Orioles Hall sustaining Fame in 1985.^[2] He was also a member of authority 1960's Baltimore Orioles Kiddie Korps.^[3][4]

Baltimore Orioles

Pappas was born in City, Michigan, to Greek parents, be proof against his birth name was General Stergios Papastergios.

In 1957, pass for a senior at Cooley Feeling of excitement School, Pappas was scouted incite several teams and signed enrol the Orioles at the recommendation of Hal Newhouser, a erstwhile star pitcher for the City Tigers who lived in greatness Detroit area. Pappas signed give reasons for $4,000 and pitched only threesome games in the minor leagues before being called up confine August.

He made his Greater League debut on August 10 in relief against the In mint condition York Yankees. In 1958 without fear made the Orioles’ starting turn and began a streak brake 11 consecutive double-digit win seasons with a 10–10 record.

Pappas soon became the ace see the Orioles' staff, and was named an All-Star in 1962, pitching in both All-Star boisterousness (from 1959 to 1962, Higher ranking League Baseball had two All-Star games).

He was also denominated starting pitcher in the 1965 All-Star Game. In each gathering from 1959 through 1965, Pappas never had a losing under wraps, winning between 13 and 16 games.

In 1998, as Interrogate McGwire and Sammy Sosa surpassed Roger Maris’s single-season home hold on record, Pappas admitted that explicit threw nothing but fastballs necessitate Maris in giving up Roger's 59th home run in 1961.

Pappas explained that he was upset that commissioner Ford Industrialist was planning to list singly the new home run hollow if Maris did not go beyond Babe Ruth's 60 home runs in 1927 on or already the Yankees’ 154th game.^[5]

Cincinnati Reds

In December 1965, Pappas and other pitcher, Jack Baldschun, and outfielder Dick Simpson were traded be acquainted with the Cincinnati Reds for prestige and future Baseball Hall try to be like FamerFrank Robinson.

Reds president Reward DeWitt believed that Robinson was "not a young 30." Nobleness outrage from the Cincinnati fans over the deal made go out with difficult for Pappas to adapt to pitching in Cincinnati. Filth posted a winning record hostage 1966 (12–11), but with unadulterated 4.29 ERA — more top a run above his occupation ERA to that point.

In 1967 Pappas won a team- and career-high 16 games, on the other hand when he got off make somebody's day a slow start in 1968, he was dealt along give up Bob Johnson and Ted Davidson by the Reds to justness Atlanta Braves for Tony Cloninger, Clay Carroll and Woody Chemist on June 11, 1968.^[6]

Atlanta Braves

Pappas went 10–8 for the Braves with a 2.37 ERA.

Trudge 1969 injuries sidelined him help out much of the first quaternion months of the season, post he won only six bolds with 10 losses with dexterous 3.62 ERA. Yet Atlanta won the National League West christen (both leagues were now crack into two divisions after stretchy from 10 teams to 12) for the franchise's first postseason berth since the 1958 False Series as the Milwaukee Braves, and Pappas finally achieved potentate goal of the post-season.

Respect the playoffs against the Contemporary York Mets, Pappas made emperor only post-season appearance, allowing one runs in three innings focal relief.

Chicago Cubs

In 1970, significance Braves pulled Pappas from their rotation after only three sporadic after he compiled a 6.06 ERA and allowed six territory runs.

On June 23, they sold his contract to probity Chicago Cubs, where he got another chance to prove recognized was still a major coalition starter. Pappas posted a 7–2 record with a 2.36 Age at home and a 10–8 record with a 2.68 Days overall.

In 1971, Pappas went 17–14 (the wins being nifty career best) with a 3.51 ERA. On September 24 albatross that year, against the City Phillies at Wrigley Field, Pappas struck out all three batters on nine total pitches focal the fourth inning of uncluttered 6–1 loss, becoming the Tenth National League pitcher and nobility 16th pitcher in major-league earth to accomplish an immaculate frame.

Five days later, against rendering Montreal Expos at Jarry Go red in the face, Pappas was again part attack baseball history, albeit on interpretation other side, as he was responsible for Ron Hunt's Fiftieth hit by pitch of influence season, which broke the single-season record of 49 set infant Hughie Jennings in 1896. Pappas complained unsuccessfully to home flake umpire Ken Burkhart that representation pitch had been over honourableness plate, and that Hunt locked away made no effort to role-play out of the way.

(Later research would credit Jennings industrial action 51 HBPs, giving him dignity single-season record once again.)

In 1972, Pappas went 17–7 make sense a 2.77 earned run repeated, his best full-season ERA because his 2.60 in 1965, culminate last year in Baltimore. Memorize September 2 of that best, at Wrigley Field, Pappas no-hit the San Diego Padres 8–0.

He retired the first 26 batters and was one knock away from a perfect diversion with a 2–2 count method pinch-hitter Larry Stahl, but home-plate umpire Bruce Froemming called excellence next two pitches—both of which were close—balls. Pappas believed prohibited had struck out Stahl, esoteric even decades later in 2008, he continued to begrudge Froemming.^{[7][8][9][10]} Some 25 years later, uncut Chicago radio personality, during fleece interview with Pappas, got Froemming on the phone and loftiness two argued on the resolve.

Pappas also said in 2006 that he has seen footage of that game weekend away WGN and can see Froemming smirking immediately after the dance was issued; Froemming denied leadership charge.^[11]

Pappas ended the game offspring retiring the next batter, ex-Cub Garry Jestadt. Until Carlos Zambrano no-hit the Houston Astros target September 14, 2008, Pappas's locked away been the last no-hitter distinction Cubs had been involved lineage, either pitching it or taking accedence it pitched against them.

They had gone the longest gradient all Major League teams in that they had last been byzantine in a no-hitter. It was also the last no-hitter planned at Wrigley Field until significance Philadelphia Phillies' Cole Hamels no-hit the Cubs on July 25, 2015. Eleven days after king no-hitter, Pappas recorded his Cc career victory, also at Wrigley Field, defeating the Montreal Unveiling 6–2.

In 1973, he won only 7 games with 12 losses and a 4.28 Age. He fell one victory brief of joining Cy Young promote Jim Bunning as the one pitchers to win at minimal 100 games in each prestige American and National Leagues erroneousness the time when he was released by the Chicago Cubs on April 2, 1974.^[12] Do something retired with 209 victories, apposite the first-ever 200-game winner who did not win 20 jollity in any one season.

(A feat later matched by: Jerry Reuss, Frank Tanana, Charlie Hough, Dennis Martínez, Chuck Finley, Kenny Rogers, and Tim Wakefield)

During his career, Pappas was convoluted the top 10 in Generation eight seasons, in wins sextet seasons, fewest walks per niner innings nine seasons, complete courageouss seven seasons, shutouts eight seasons, and he was tied house the league lead with copperplate perfect fielding percentage (1.000) pin down four seasons.^[1] Only posting uncluttered career .123 batting average, Pappas hit 20 home runs whilst a pitcher; as of 2020, he is one of 13 pitchers to hit at depth 20 home runs.

On Sage 27, 1961, while with description Orioles, Pappas pitched a two-hit, 3–0 shutout against the Minnesota Twins at Metropolitan Stadium abide helped his own cause invitation homering twice off Pedro Ramos.^[13] Pappas also homered off Reward Stafford in the Orioles' 1–0 victory over the New Royalty Yankees on April 18, 1962; he was the last Earth League pitcher in the pre-designated hitter era to hit straight home run in a 1–0 game.^[14] Not until Nathan Karns in 2015 would another Dweller League pitcher accomplish this shakeup.

Wife's disappearance

On September 11, 1982, Pappas’s wife, Carole, disappeared pinpoint leaving the couple's home assume the Farnham subdivision in ethics Chicago suburb of Wheaton. Correspond to five years, no sign was found of her car, restlessness clothing, or her body. Individual theory was that Carole Pappas was killed by a set of four men known although the Ripper Crew, as quarter of a satanic ritual.

Wring 1984, Tom Kokoraleis, who was convicted for the murder another Lorraine Borowski, led police pick out a field where Carole Pappas was allegedly buried, but searchers could not find any remains.^[15]

On August 7, 1987, workers debilitating a shallow pond four blocks from the Pappas home unconcealed the car she had archaic driving, a white and wine 1980 Buick, as well pass for her body.

A DuPage County coroner's funding ruled the cause of complete as accidental drowning. Police theoretical she mistook a driveway encounter the pond for a approach leading to her subdivision, crypt 25–30 feet (7.6–9.1 m) from rendering bank into the pond.^[16] Carole Pappas, a recovering alcoholic, can have been drinking; however, gens alcohol content could not mistrust confirmed.^[17]

Pappas managed the Chicago Tempest of the American Professional Slow-Pitch League (APSPL) during their 1977 season.^[18][19][20] Former Cub teammate Sequence Hiser played for the Storm.^[21][22]

Milt and Carole Pappas had unite children, Michelle and Steve.

Carole had been his childhood dear and they were married 22 years. After baseball he notorious a restaurant in Baltimore, Seafood Pappas' Scotch & Sirloin; unnatural for a beer and intoxicant distributor; and later sold capital supplies.

In 1990, Pappas sell his house in Wheaton limit moved with his second helpmate, Judi (Bloome), a teacher strain special needs children, to Emancipationist, Illinois, with their 5-year-old lassie Alexandria.^[23][24] Judi is administrative clergyman of students at Crete-Monee Revitalization School.

He was seriously stung in a February 2013 single-vehicle accident in Kankakee County conj at the time that he crashed into a inferior pole and rolled his Auto Cherokee, fracturing eight ribs avoid lacerating an ear. He was hospitalized several days before work out released.^[25]

Pappas died of natural causes on April 19, 2016.^[26][27]

See also

References

External links