Buzz Capra | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | October 1, 1947|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 15, 1971, for the New York Mets | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 26, 1977, for the Atlanta Braves | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 31–37 |
Earned run average | 3.87 |
Strikeouts | 362 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Lee William Capra (born October 1,1947),is an American former professional baseball pitcher,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves,from 1971 to 1977. Nicknamed "Buzz",by a neighbor as a child, [1] Capra was a National League (NL) All-Star and the NL earned run average (ERA) leader,in 1974.
Capra was a shortstop at Lane Technical College Prep High School in the Roscoe Village neighborhood on the Northside of Chicago. Besides playing shortstop,he began pitching at Illinois State University,and compiled a 17–5 record &1.58 ERA. Capra was a team co-captain his senior year,and led the Redbirds to the 1969 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship. [2]
Capra was selected late in the 1969 Major League Baseball draft,by the New York Mets. Though primarily a pitcher,he played some shortstop and second base with the Pompano Beach Mets in 1969. He went 33–10 with a 2.49 ERA &367 strikeouts,over three seasons in the Mets' farm system,to earn a September call-up in 1971.
In 1971,Capra made three appearances out of the bullpen,and did not allow an earned run in his first two big league appearances. However,he was not so lucky in his third appearance:Facing the St. Louis Cardinals at Shea Stadium,Capra entered the game in the tenth inning,and retired only one of the seven batters he faced,Jorge Roque,who bunted Joe Torre to second after Torre had led off the inning with a single),on his way to allowing five runs and taking his first major league loss. [3]
Capra won his first major league start,over the San Diego Padres,on April 25,1972; [4] however,he found himself back in the minors by the All-Star break. [5] Capra also split the 1973 season between the Mets &the Triple-A Tidewater Tides. While all ten of his Tidewater appearances were starts,he was used exclusively in relief at the major league level. Capra earned his first major league save,on June 27,1973,against the Philadelphia Phillies,pitching four innings of no-hit ball. [6] Although he was on the Mets’1973 World Series roster,he did not appear in the 1973 National League Championship Series or World Series.
During spring training in 1974,the Mets sold Capra's contract to the Atlanta Braves. His record as a reliever stood at 0–2,with one save (earned the evening Hank Aaron hit his record-breaking 715th home run,on April 8,1974), [7] and a 3.06 ERA,when he replaced an injured Ron Reed,in the first inning,on May 15,against the Padres. Capra pitched six innings of one-hit ball to earn the win [8] —and Reed's spot in the starting rotation. [9]
Over his next three games,Capra went 2–0,with a 1.00 ERA. He allowed just three walks,while striking out fifteen,and began a Braves-record streak of 26 innings pitched without allowing an earned run. Over the month of June,Capra went 6–0 with a 1.05 ERA,three shutouts,and another complete game,to set a team record with nine consecutive wins,on his way to earning NL Player of the Month honors,and selection to the NL All-Star team by his former manager with the Mets,Yogi Berra. [10] (He did not make an appearance in the game.) [11]
During his winning streak Capra became a sensation in Atlanta. In a season in which the Braves averaged 12,112 attendance per home game,Capra's home starts in June and July averaged over 39,000. [12] Capra cooled off during July and August (3-5,4.43 ERA),but reverted to form in September,to end the season with a major league-best 2.28 ERA,0.10 better than teammate,Phil Niekro (who finished second in the NL),and .21 better than American League (AL) leader,Catfish Hunter of the Oakland A's. [13] He also held opposing batters to an NL-leading .208 batting average against (BAA).
Capra won his first two starts of the 1975 season;however,a twinge in his pitching arm —that he had begun feeling toward the end of the previous season —worsened. [14] Capra lost his next four starts,and was shut down for the season on June 8,with a 4–7 record and 4.25 ERA.
Capra did not return to the Braves until September 1,1976,and was roughed up by the Chicago Cubs,in his first game back. [15] He was relegated to mop-up duty over his next four appearances,and ended the season 0–1 with an 8.68 ERA.
Capra's first game of the 1977 season also went poorly, [16] but he pitched effectively enough in his next four appearances (3 earned runs in 11.1 innings,while holding opposing batters to a .179 batting average),to be placed in the starting rotation when an injury to Andy Messersmith opened a spot. He went 0–4 with an 8.55 ERA in four starts,before reverting to relief. Capra won his first game back in the bullpen, [17] for his first win since he beat the Mets on May 25,1975 (two days shy of two years earlier). [18]
Messersmith suffered a second injury (on July 3),shutting him down for the season,and gave Capra a second shot at starting. He beat the Cincinnati Reds' "Big Red Machine," on July 13, [19] then,on August 10,showed his old form against the Padres,allowing only two hits in nine innings,in an extra-inning game,where he was credited with a no-decision. [20] Capra notched a win in the final game of his career,against the Houston Astros,September 26,1977. [21]
From the time Capra had re-entered the starting rotation,he had gone 2–4,with a 5.02 ERA,in sixteen starts over the remainder of the 1977 season. Overall,that season,Capra was 2–8,with a 5.84 ERA as a starter,and 4–3,with a 4.58 ERA in relief.
The Braves released Capra at the end of spring training,1978, [22] and he retired as a player,shortly thereafter. He then returned to Illinois State as pitching coach for the Redbirds;Capra went on to become a pitching coach and manager,in the Mets’,Phillies’,and Braves' respective farm systems. [23]
While attending Illinois State,Capra earned his degree in teaching,and taught ceramics at a Chicago high school during the off-seasons,while still a player. [9] He is a member of the Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame. [2]
W | L | PCT | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BF | H | ER | R | HR | BAA | K | BB | BB/9 | WP | HBP | Fld% | Avg. |
31 | 37 | .456 | 3.87 | 142 | 61 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 544.1 | 2338 | 479 | 234 | 256 | 60 | .237 | 362 | 258 | 4.3 | 18 | 10 | .962 | .135 |
As a batter,Capra had only five runs batted in (RBI),in his playing career,the first coming on May 13,1972,off Hall of Famer Juan Marichal,of the San Francisco Giants. That day,his second inning single drove in Cleon Jones,with the only run of the game. [24] Capra's second RBI was also a game-winner,against the Los Angeles Dodgers,on June 24,1974. [25]
George Arthur Foster is an American former professional baseball player and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1969 through 1986,most notably as an integral member of the Cincinnati Reds,with whom he won two World Series championships,in 1975 and 1976. He also played for the San Francisco Giants,New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox.
Steven Thomas Avery is an American left-handed former pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Atlanta Braves,Boston Red Sox,Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers in his career.
James Rodney Richard was an American professional baseball player. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a right-handed starting pitcher for the Houston Astros from 1971 to 1980. Richard led the National League (NL) twice in strikeouts and was named an NL All-Star player in 1980.
Bertram Ray Burris is an American former pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB),and the current rehabilitation pitching coordinator in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He played in MLB from 1973 through 1987 for seven different teams. Listed at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) and 200 pounds (91 kg),he threw and batted right-handed.
Alphonso Erwin Downing is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees,Oakland Athletics,Milwaukee Brewers,and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1961 through 1977. Downing was an All Star in 1967 and the National League's Comeback Player of the Year in 1971. Downing allowed Hank Aaron's record breaking 715th home run on April 8,1974.
Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from 1971 through 1983 for the New York Mets and the Texas Rangers.
Wayne Lee Twitchell was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher.
Aaron Michael Harang is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics,Cincinnati Reds,San Diego Padres,Los Angeles Dodgers,Seattle Mariners,New York Mets,Philadelphia Phillies,and Atlanta Braves.
Johnny Lee "Blue Moon" Odom is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1964 through 1976,most notably as a member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974. The two-time All-Star also played for the Cleveland Indians,Atlanta Braves,and Chicago White Sox.
Peter Thomas Harnisch is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played in college at Fordham University from 1984 through 1987,and was an All-American pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 1988 through 2001 for the Baltimore Orioles,Houston Astros,New York Mets,Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds.
Eddie Lee Whitson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He batted and threw right-handed.
John Francis D'Acquisto is a former Major League Baseball player who pitched for six teams in his ten-year career that spanned from 1973 to 1982. He is the cousin of former major league pitcher Lou Marone.
Thomas Matthew Hausman was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first free agent signing of the New York Mets.
Robert Lane "Bob" Miller was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1957 to 1974. Miller played for three World Series champions:the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers,1965 Los Angeles Dodgers and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates—five league champions and four division winners,as well as for four teams that lost 100 or more games in a season.
Derek Jansen Lilliquist is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher and pitching coach. He played for the Atlanta Braves (1989–1990),San Diego Padres (1990–1991),Cleveland Indians (1992–1994),Boston Red Sox (1995) and Cincinnati Reds (1996),and has coached for the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals.
The 1974 Atlanta Braves season was the ninth season in Atlanta along with the 104th season as a franchise overall. The team finished third in the National League West with a record of 88–74,14 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. During the season,Braves outfielder Hank Aaron became the all-time career leader in home runs,surpassing Babe Ruth. Ralph Garr was the league's batting champion with a .353 average. Pitcher Buzz Capra captured the ERA title (2.28) and Phil Niekro tied for the league lead in wins with 20.
Daniel Vincent Frisella was a Major League Baseball pitcher whose career was cut short when he was killed in a dune buggy accident on New Year's Day in 1977.
George Heard Stone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is likely best remembered for his 1973 season with the New York Mets,when he went 12–3 with a 2.80 ERA -- leading the National League in winning percentage -- to help the Mets to the 1973 World Series.
John William "Jay" Franklin is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Taken 2nd in the MLB draft in 1971 by the San Diego Padres at just 18-years old,Franklin pitched in three games before an injury caused him to sit out the 1972 season. He was relegated to the minors in 1973 and was released by the Padres organization in 1977.
The Big Three was a trio of Major League Baseball starting pitchers for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2002 which consisted of Greg Maddux,Tom Glavine,and John Smoltz. The Big Three combined to win seven National League Cy Young Awards in the 1990s and helped lead the Atlanta Braves to a 1995 World Series win. Each member of the Big Three has had their jersey retired by the Atlanta Braves and were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.