1⁄3 of an inning in the 1968 World Series, giving up two earned runs for a 54.00 ERA in postseason play.
On May 31, 1969, Sparma lost a no-hitter against the Seattle Pilots when Don Mincher doubled with one out in the ninth inning. [6]
During the 1969 season, Sparma roomed with Freehan, as Freehan kept a diary that was published in 1970. In the book, Freehan wrote that Sparma and Smith were usually not even on speaking terms as Sparma remained in Smith's doghouse.
Freehan also wrote memorably of Sparma's talent for ESP: "My roomie's got an ESP thing. Every now and then, he'll wake up on a morning he's supposed to pitch and say, 'I've got a good feeling. I know we're going to win.' Joe doesn't get this feeling too often, but every time he does -- every single time -- we win." (Freehan, "Behind the Mask," p. 104) Sparma had that "good feeling" on June 13, 1969, before he shut out the Royals, 6–0. On another occasion, Sparma told teammate Dick McAuliffe of a premonition: "Mac, I know you're going to have a good day today. Something just tells me you're going to go three for five." McAuliffe went 3-for-4 in his first 4 at-bats and struck out in his 5th at bat. When he came back to the dugout, McAuliffe blamed Sparma for jinxing him on the 5th at bat. In his book, Freehan wrote that McAuliffe was "actually angry" at Sparma. "He could've at least thanked Joe for the three hits." (Freehan, "Behind the Mask," p. 106)
Toward the end of the 1969 season, Sparma got into a fight in the bullpen with Fred Lasher. On December 3, 1969, Sparma was traded to the Montreal Expos. Sparma pitched only 27 innings for the Expos in 1970, compiling a record of 0–4. Sparma pitched his last major league game on May 12, 1970.
In 183 career games, he had a 52–52 record with a 3.94 ERA. Sparma died in Columbus, Ohio at age 44 in 1986, after suffering a heart attack and undergoing heart bypass surgery. [7]
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References
- ↑ Park, Jack (April 2003). The Official Ohio State Football. ISBN 9781582616957 . Retrieved December 18, 2008.
- ↑ "JOE SPARMA - New York Times". The New York Times. May 17, 1986. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
- 1 2 3 Charlton, James; Shatzkin, Mike; Holtje, Stephen (1990). The Ballplayers: baseball's ultimate biographical reference . New York: Arbor House/William Morrow. p. 1025. ISBN 0-87795-984-6.
- ↑ Freehan, Bill (1970). Behind the Mask. Maddick Manuscripts. p. 7-8. LCCN 71115798. OCLC 90157.
- ↑ Falls, Joe (1997). Joe Falls: 50 Years of Sports Writing. Sports Publishing. p. 159. ISBN 1-571-671-765.
- ↑ He was out there, awhile
- ↑ "JOE SPARMA (Published 1986)". The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 8, 2018.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Joe Sparma at The Deadball Era
- Joe Sparma New York Times Obituary
| Joe Sparma | |
|---|---|
 Sparma in 1966 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:February 4, 1942 Massillon, Ohio, U.S. | |
| Died: May 14, 1986 (aged 44) Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 20, 1964, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 12, 1970, for the Montreal Expos |