Milt Pappas
Encyclopedia
Milton Steven "Milt" Pappas (born Miltiades Stergios Papastergios on May 11, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan
) is a former professional baseball
pitcher
. A 17-year veteran, Pappas, nickname
d “Gimpy,” pitched for the Baltimore Orioles
(–), Cincinnati Reds
(–), Atlanta Braves
(–) and Chicago Cubs
(–).
A control specialist, Pappas pitched in 520 games, starting 465, with 209 wins, 164 losses, 43 shutout
s, 1728 strikeout
s and a 3.40 ERA
in 3186.0 innings pitched
.
, Pappas was scouted by several teams, but signed with the Orioles at the suggestion of Hal Newhouser
, a former star pitcher for the Detroit Tigers
who lived in the Detroit area. Pappas signed for $4,000 and pitched only three games in the minor leagues before being called up in August. He made his Major League debut on August 10 in relief against the New York Yankees
. In he made the Orioles’ starting rotation and began a streak of 11 consecutive double-digit win seasons with a 10–10 record. Even as a young pitcher, Pappas exhibited excellent control, never walking
more than 83 batters in a season. Pappas soon became the ace of the Orioles' staff, and was named an All-Star in , pitching in both All-Star games (from 1959 to 1962, Major League Baseball had two All-Star games). He was also named starting pitcher in the All-Star Game. In each year from 1959 through 1965 Pappas never had a losing record, winning between 13 and 16 games.
and Sammy Sosa
surpassed Roger Maris
’ single season home run record, Pappas admitted that he threw nothing but fastballs to Maris in giving up Roger’s 59th home run in . Pappas explained that he was upset that commissioner Ford Frick
was planning to put an asterisk next to the new home run mark if Maris did not eclipse Babe Ruth
’s 60 home runs in on or before the Yankees’ 154th game.
, and outfielder Dick Simpson
, were traded to the Cincinnati Reds for superstar Frank Robinson
. Reds president Bill DeWitt
believed that Robinson was "an old 30." The outrage from the Cincinnati fans over the deal made it difficult for Pappas to adjust to pitching in Cincinnati. (The trade has been made famous in the 1988
movie Bull Durham
, where Susan Sarandon
's character says, "Bad trades are a part of baseball, I mean who can forget Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas, for God's sake?") He posted a winning record in (12–11), but with a 4.29 ERA—more than a run above his career ERA to that point. That same year, Robinson won the American League
Triple Crown
and Most Valuable Player Award, and led the Orioles to winning the World Series
, in which he won that MVP award. In Pappas won a team- and career-high 16 games, but when he got off to a slow start in , the Reds traded him to the Atlanta Braves in a six-player deal. Two of the three players the Reds got in return were another starting pitcher, Tony Cloninger
, and infielder Woody Woodward
.
Pappas's inconsistency during his stay in Cincinnati was only part of the reason the Reds traded him. After the 1966 season Pappas and veteran pitcher Joe Nuxhall
exchanged harsh words through the media. Nuxhall claimed that Pappas was not giving 100 percent and that he had to start in place of Pappas twice during the season because Pappas was suffering from "migraine
s." The following season, Pappas complained that the Reds were violating the contracts of their players by not allowing them to fly first-class
. He was especially upset that Nuxhall, by now a broadcaster
, was himself flying first-class while Milt and the other players had to sit in tourist. In , Pappas criticized the club when they refused to cancel a game the day of Senator Robert F. Kennedy
's funeral. These controversies, combined with his performance, prompted the Reds to trade Pappas to Atlanta.
after trading Pappas during the 1965 off-season). In the playoffs
against the New York Mets
, Pappas made his only post-season appearance, allowing three runs in 3 innings in relief.
), and a 10–8 record with a 2.68 ERA overall. In , Pappas went 17–14 (the wins being a career best) with a 3.51 ERA. On September 24 of that year, against the Philadelphia Phillies
at Wrigley Field, Pappas struck out three batters (two of whom were Greg Luzinski and Don Money
) on nine pitches in the fourth inning of a 6–1 loss, becoming the 10th National League pitcher and the 16th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the nine-strike/three-strikeout half-inning
. Five days later, against the Montreal Expos
at Jarry Park
, Pappas was again part of baseball history, albeit on the other side: he was responsible for Ron Hunt
's 50th hit by pitch
of the season, which broke the single-season record of 49 set by Hughie Jennings
in 1896. Pappas complained, unsuccessfully, to home plate umpire Ken Burkhart
that the pitch had been over the plate, and that Hunt had made no effort to get out of the way. (Later research would credit Jennings with 51 HBPs, giving him the single-season record once again.)
In , Pappas again won 17 games and lost only seven, half his loss total of 1971. He also posted a 2.77 earned run average, his best since his 2.60 in 1965, his last year in Baltimore. On September 2 of that year, at Wrigley Field, Pappas no-hit
the San Diego Padres
8-0. He retired the first 26 batters and was one strike away from a perfect game
with a 2–2 count on pinch-hitter Larry Stahl
, but home-plate umpire Bruce Froemming
called the next two pitches—both of which were close—balls. Pappas believed he had struck out Stahl, and even decades later in 2008, continued to begrudge Froemming. Some 25 years later, a Chicago radio personality, during an interview with Pappas, got Froemming on the phone and the two argued on the air. Pappas also said in 2006 that he has seen video tape footage of that game on WGN
and can see Froemming smirking immediately after the walk was issued; Froemming denied the charge.
Undeterred, Pappas ended the game by retiring the next batter, ex-Cub Garry Jestadt
. Until Carlos Zambrano
no-hit the Houston Astros
on September 14, 2008, Pappas' had been the last no-hitter the Cubs had been involved in—either pitching it or having it pitched against them. They had gone the longest of all Major League teams since they had last been involved in a no-hitter. Eleven days after his no-hitter, he recorded his 200th career victory, also at Wrigley Field, defeating the Montreal Expos 6–2. In , he won only 7 games with 12 losses and a 4.28 ERA. However, with one of those wins, on August 22 against the Reds, he surpassed the 207 career victories of Hal Newhouser
, the man who scouted and signed him. Prior to the start of the season he was released by the Cubs. He retired with 209 victories, becoming the first-ever 200-game winner who didn't win 20 games in a single season. (Jerry Reuss
, Dennis Martínez
and Kenny Rogers would later join him in this category; like Pappas, all three would also pitch no-hitters, Martinez's and Rogers' being perfect games.)
Pappas's manager on the Cubs, Leo Durocher
, had unkind words for Pappas (and several other Cubs) in his memoir Nice Guys Finish Last.
. A group of four men known as the Ripper Crew
were believed to have killed Mrs. Pappas in a satanic ritual. In 1984, Tom Kokoraleis, who was convicted for the murder of Lorraine Borowski, led police to a field where Carole Pappas was allegedly buried, but searchers could find no remains.
For five years, no sign was found of her car, clothing, or body. In 1987, almost five years to the day Mrs. Pappas disappeared, workers draining a shallow pond only four blocks from the Pappas home discovered the car Mrs. Pappas had been driving, a white and burgundy 1980 Buick
, as well as her body. A DuPage County coroner's jury ruled the cause of death as drowning. Police theorized Pappas mistook a driveway near the pond for a road leading to her subdivision, vaulting 25–30 feet from the bank into the pond. Pappas, a recovering alcoholic, may have been drinking; however, blood alcohol content
could not be confirmed.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
) is a former professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. A 17-year veteran, Pappas, nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d “Gimpy,” pitched for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(–), Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(–), Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(–) and Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(–).
A control specialist, Pappas pitched in 520 games, starting 465, with 209 wins, 164 losses, 43 shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s, 1728 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s and a 3.40 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 3186.0 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
Baltimore Orioles
In , as a senior at Cooley High SchoolCooley High School
Thomas M. Cooley High School is located at the intersection of Hubbell Avenue and Chalfonte Street, on the northwest side of Detroit, Michigan. The three-story, Mediterranean Revival-style facility opened its doors on September 4, 1928....
, Pappas was scouted by several teams, but signed with the Orioles at the suggestion of Hal Newhouser
Hal Newhouser
Harold "Prince Hal" Newhouser was an American pitcher for Major League Baseball who played 17 seasons from 1939 to 1955, mostly with the Detroit Tigers of the American League...
, a former star pitcher for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
who lived in the Detroit area. Pappas signed for $4,000 and pitched only three games in the minor leagues before being called up in August. He made his Major League debut on August 10 in relief against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. In he made the Orioles’ starting rotation and began a streak of 11 consecutive double-digit win seasons with a 10–10 record. Even as a young pitcher, Pappas exhibited excellent control, never walking
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
more than 83 batters in a season. Pappas soon became the ace of the Orioles' staff, and was named an All-Star in , pitching in both All-Star games (from 1959 to 1962, Major League Baseball had two All-Star games). He was also named starting pitcher in the All-Star Game. In each year from 1959 through 1965 Pappas never had a losing record, winning between 13 and 16 games.
Giving up Roger Maris' 59th home run in 1961
In , as Mark McGwireMark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
and Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
surpassed Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
’ single season home run record, Pappas admitted that he threw nothing but fastballs to Maris in giving up Roger’s 59th home run in . Pappas explained that he was upset that commissioner Ford Frick
Ford Frick
Ford Christopher Frick was an American sportswriter and executive who served as president of the National League from to and as the third Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1951 to . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
was planning to put an asterisk next to the new home run mark if Maris did not eclipse Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
’s 60 home runs in on or before the Yankees’ 154th game.
Cincinnati Reds
In December 1965, Pappas and another pitcher, Jack BaldschunJack Baldschun
Jack Edward Baldschun was a relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres ....
, and outfielder Dick Simpson
Dick Simpson
Richard Charles Simpson is an American former Major League Baseball right fielder and center fielder. He played from 1962-1969 for the Los Angeles/California Angels, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, New York Yankees and Seattle Pilots. However, Simpson did not quite live up to...
, were traded to the Cincinnati Reds for superstar Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...
. Reds president Bill DeWitt
Bill DeWitt
William Orville DeWitt Sr. was a longtime executive in Major League Baseball whose career spanned more than 50 years in the game. His son William DeWitt, Jr. is currently the principal owner and managing partner of the St. Louis Cardinals, while grandson William O...
believed that Robinson was "an old 30." The outrage from the Cincinnati fans over the deal made it difficult for Pappas to adjust to pitching in Cincinnati. (The trade has been made famous in the 1988
1988 in film
-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice...
movie Bull Durham
Bull Durham
Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy baseball film. It is based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina....
, where Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
's character says, "Bad trades are a part of baseball, I mean who can forget Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas, for God's sake?") He posted a winning record in (12–11), but with a 4.29 ERA—more than a run above his career ERA to that point. That same year, Robinson won the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Triple Crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
and Most Valuable Player Award, and led the Orioles to winning the World Series
1966 World Series
The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in four games to capture their first championship in franchise history...
, in which he won that MVP award. In Pappas won a team- and career-high 16 games, but when he got off to a slow start in , the Reds traded him to the Atlanta Braves in a six-player deal. Two of the three players the Reds got in return were another starting pitcher, Tony Cloninger
Tony Cloninger
Tony Lee Cloninger , is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher who played for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves , the Cincinnati Reds , and the St. Louis Cardinals...
, and infielder Woody Woodward
Woody Woodward
William Frederick "Woody" Woodward is a retired player and general manager in Major League Baseball....
.
Pappas's inconsistency during his stay in Cincinnati was only part of the reason the Reds traded him. After the 1966 season Pappas and veteran pitcher Joe Nuxhall
Joe Nuxhall
Joseph Henry Nuxhall was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, mostly for the Cincinnati Reds. Immediately after retiring as a player, he became a radio broadcaster for the Reds from 1967 through 2004, and continued part-time up until his death in 2007...
exchanged harsh words through the media. Nuxhall claimed that Pappas was not giving 100 percent and that he had to start in place of Pappas twice during the season because Pappas was suffering from "migraine
Migraine
Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by moderate to severe headaches, and nausea...
s." The following season, Pappas complained that the Reds were violating the contracts of their players by not allowing them to fly first-class
First class travel
First class is the most luxurious class of accommodation on a train, passenger ship, airplane, or other conveyance. It is usually much more expensive than business class and economy class, and offers the best amenities.-Aviation:...
. He was especially upset that Nuxhall, by now a broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
, was himself flying first-class while Milt and the other players had to sit in tourist. In , Pappas criticized the club when they refused to cancel a game the day of Senator Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
's funeral. These controversies, combined with his performance, prompted the Reds to trade Pappas to Atlanta.
Atlanta Braves
Even in a much smaller ballpark (Fulton County Stadium), Pappas went 10–8 for the Braves with a 2.37 ERA. In injuries sidelined him for much of the first four months of the season, and he won only 6 games with 10 losses with a 3.62 ERA. Yet Atlanta won the NL West title, and Pappas finally achieved his goal of the post-season (Baltimore had won the 1966 World Series1966 World Series
The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in four games to capture their first championship in franchise history...
after trading Pappas during the 1965 off-season). In the playoffs
1969 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Mets struck first in the second off Phil Niekro when Jerry Grote singled in a run and Ken Boswell scored on a passed ball by Braves catcher Bob Didier...
against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, Pappas made his only post-season appearance, allowing three runs in 3 innings in relief.
Chicago Cubs
In , the Braves pulled Pappas from their rotation after only three starts, after he compiled a 6.06 ERA and allowed six home runs. On June 23, they traded him to the Chicago Cubs, where he got another chance to prove he was still a major league starter. Pappas posted a 7–2 record with a 2.36 ERA at home (while pitching in hitter-friendly Wrigley FieldWrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
), and a 10–8 record with a 2.68 ERA overall. In , Pappas went 17–14 (the wins being a career best) with a 3.51 ERA. On September 24 of that year, against the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
at Wrigley Field, Pappas struck out three batters (two of whom were Greg Luzinski and Don Money
Don Money
Donald Wayne Money is a retired major league baseball player. He currently serves as the special instructor of player development for the Milwaukee Brewers....
) on nine pitches in the fourth inning of a 6–1 loss, becoming the 10th National League pitcher and the 16th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the nine-strike/three-strikeout half-inning
Pitchers who struck out three batters on nine pitches
In Major League Baseball, 43 pitchers have thrown a nine-pitch, three-strikeout half-inning, throwing nothing but strikes...
. Five days later, against the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
at Jarry Park
Jarry Park Stadium
Jarry Park Stadium is a former baseball stadium in Montreal which served as home to the Montreal Expos, Major League Baseball's first Canadian franchise, from 1969–1976. It served as a temporary home until the domed Olympic Stadium was finished and made available to the Expos...
, Pappas was again part of baseball history, albeit on the other side: he was responsible for Ron Hunt
Ron Hunt
Ronald Kenneth Hunt is a former Major League Baseball player. A second baseman who also played third base sparingly, Hunt played for the New York Mets , Los Angeles Dodgers , San Francisco Giants , Montreal Expos and St...
's 50th hit by pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
of the season, which broke the single-season record of 49 set by Hughie Jennings
Hughie Jennings
Hugh Ambrose Jennings was a Major League Baseball player and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won National League championships in 1894, 1895, and 1896. During the three championship seasons, Jennings had...
in 1896. Pappas complained, unsuccessfully, to home plate umpire Ken Burkhart
Ken Burkhart
Kenneth William Burkhart, born Burkhardt , was an American right-handed pitcher and umpire in Major League Baseball. From through he played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds , and he served as a National League umpire from 1957 to 1973.Burkhart was born in Knoxville, Tennessee...
that the pitch had been over the plate, and that Hunt had made no effort to get out of the way. (Later research would credit Jennings with 51 HBPs, giving him the single-season record once again.)
In , Pappas again won 17 games and lost only seven, half his loss total of 1971. He also posted a 2.77 earned run average, his best since his 2.60 in 1965, his last year in Baltimore. On September 2 of that year, at Wrigley Field, Pappas no-hit
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
8-0. He retired the first 26 batters and was one strike away from a perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
with a 2–2 count on pinch-hitter Larry Stahl
Larry Stahl
Larry Floyd Stahl , is a retired professional baseball player who played outfielder in the Major Leagues from -...
, but home-plate umpire Bruce Froemming
Bruce Froemming
Bruce Neal Froemming is Major League Baseball Special Assistant to the Vice President on Umpiring, after having served as an umpire in Major League Baseball. He is the longest-tenured umpire in major league history in terms of the number of full seasons umpired, finishing his 37th season in 2007...
called the next two pitches—both of which were close—balls. Pappas believed he had struck out Stahl, and even decades later in 2008, continued to begrudge Froemming. Some 25 years later, a Chicago radio personality, during an interview with Pappas, got Froemming on the phone and the two argued on the air. Pappas also said in 2006 that he has seen video tape footage of that game on WGN
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
and can see Froemming smirking immediately after the walk was issued; Froemming denied the charge.
Undeterred, Pappas ended the game by retiring the next batter, ex-Cub Garry Jestadt
Garry Jestadt
Garry Arthur Jestadt , is a retired American Major League Baseball player who played infielder for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and Montreal Expos in and –....
. Until Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Alberto Zambrano is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. Zambrano, who stands 6' 5" and weighs 260 pounds, was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1997 and made his debut in 2001...
no-hit the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
on September 14, 2008, Pappas' had been the last no-hitter the Cubs had been involved in—either pitching it or having it pitched against them. They had gone the longest of all Major League teams since they had last been involved in a no-hitter. Eleven days after his no-hitter, he recorded his 200th career victory, also at Wrigley Field, defeating the Montreal Expos 6–2. In , he won only 7 games with 12 losses and a 4.28 ERA. However, with one of those wins, on August 22 against the Reds, he surpassed the 207 career victories of Hal Newhouser
Hal Newhouser
Harold "Prince Hal" Newhouser was an American pitcher for Major League Baseball who played 17 seasons from 1939 to 1955, mostly with the Detroit Tigers of the American League...
, the man who scouted and signed him. Prior to the start of the season he was released by the Cubs. He retired with 209 victories, becoming the first-ever 200-game winner who didn't win 20 games in a single season. (Jerry Reuss
Jerry Reuss
Jerry Reuss -- pronounced "royce" -- is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the United States, who had a 22-year career from to ....
, Dennis Martínez
Dennis Martínez
José Dennis Martínez Emilia , nicknamed "El Presidente" , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher...
and Kenny Rogers would later join him in this category; like Pappas, all three would also pitch no-hitters, Martinez's and Rogers' being perfect games.)
Pappas's manager on the Cubs, Leo Durocher
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher , nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by...
, had unkind words for Pappas (and several other Cubs) in his memoir Nice Guys Finish Last.
Wife's disappearance
On September 11, 1982, Pappas’ wife, Carole, disappeared after leaving the couple’s home in the Farnham subdivision in the Chicago suburb of WheatonWheaton, Illinois
Wheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...
. A group of four men known as the Ripper Crew
Ripper Crew
Ripper Crew or Chicago Rippers was a satanic cult and organized crime group composed of Robin Gecht and three associates . They were suspected in the disappearances of 18 women in Chicago, Illinois in 1981 and '82...
were believed to have killed Mrs. Pappas in a satanic ritual. In 1984, Tom Kokoraleis, who was convicted for the murder of Lorraine Borowski, led police to a field where Carole Pappas was allegedly buried, but searchers could find no remains.
For five years, no sign was found of her car, clothing, or body. In 1987, almost five years to the day Mrs. Pappas disappeared, workers draining a shallow pond only four blocks from the Pappas home discovered the car Mrs. Pappas had been driving, a white and burgundy 1980 Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
, as well as her body. A DuPage County coroner's jury ruled the cause of death as drowning. Police theorized Pappas mistook a driveway near the pond for a road leading to her subdivision, vaulting 25–30 feet from the bank into the pond. Pappas, a recovering alcoholic, may have been drinking; however, blood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content , also called blood alcohol concentration, blood ethanol concentration, or blood alcohol level is most commonly used as a metric of alcohol intoxication for legal or medical purposes....
could not be confirmed.
Current
In 1990, Pappas sold his house in Wheaton and moved with his second wife, Judi, to Beecher, Illinois, with 5 year old daughter Alexandria,See also
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- Pitchers who have struck out three batters on nine pitches
- Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeTop 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeIn baseball, a strikeout occurs when the batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher and failure on the part of the batter....
- MLB all-time leaders in home runs by pitchersMLB all-time leaders in home runs by pitchersThis is a list of the all-time leaders in home runs hit by Major League Baseball pitchers, with the pitcher being defined as a player who pitches in at least three games in the given year...