John Pacella | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | September 15, 1956|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 15, 1977, for the New York Mets | |
Last MLB appearance | |
July 12, 1986, for the Detroit Tigers | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 4–10 |
Earned run average | 5.73 |
Strikeouts | 116 |
Teams | |
John Lewis Pacella (born September 15,1956) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He became known for his unusual delivery that sometimes caused him to lose his cap after a pitch. [1]
Born in Brooklyn,New York,Pacella moved to Long Island in 1965. After going 21-4 in three seasons at Connetquot High School in Bohemia,he was drafted by the New York Mets in the fourth round of the 1974 Major League Baseball Draft. He was 32-35 with a 3.78 earned run average over four seasons in their farm system when he was called to the majors in 1977.
He made his major league debut out of the bullpen on his 21st birthday against the Philadelphia Phillies. After retiring the side in the seventh inning,Pacella walked the first batter of the eighth,Ted Sizemore. A botched pick off attempt allowed Sizemore to move to second,from where he stole third. An error by Mets shortstop Doug Flynn allowed Ron Reed to reach first. Larry Bowa then drove Sizemore in with a single,while Reed advanced to third and later scored on wild pitch by Pacella,who escaped without allowing an earned run. [2] He made two more appearances that season,each time pitching one perfect inning.
After spending all of 1978 in the minors,he returned to the Mets in 1979 as a September call-up. After pitching well in his first two appearances,he failed to make it out of the first inning in his third. [3] For the season,he went 0-2 with a 4.41 ERA in four games.
His only full season in the majors was 1980. After starting the season in the bullpen,he was moved into the starting rotation in June. He earned his first major league win against Steve Carlton and the Phillies on June 27, [4] and improved to 3-0 with a 3.43 ERA on July 17 when he and Jeff Reardon combined to shut the Atlanta Braves out. [5] Unfortunately,things went south from there as Pacella lost his next four decisions and finished the season at 3-4 with a 5.14 ERA. After the season,he and infielder JoséMoreno were traded to the San Diego Padres for 1976 Cy Young Award winner Randy Jones. [6] The following spring,the Padres dealt Pacella and Jerry Mumphrey to the New York Yankees for Ruppert Jones,Joe Lefebvre,Tim Lollar and Chris Welsh. [7]
After spending the 1981 season in Triple A,Pacella won a job in the Yankees' bullpen out of spring training 1982. He made three appearances,getting hit hard in each,before being reassigned to Triple A Columbus. Shortly after his arrival in Columbus,he was dealt along with Larry Milbourne and Pete Filson from the Yankees to the Minnesota Twins for Butch Wynegar and Roger Erickson on May 12,1982. [8]
He reported directly to the Twins,and remained with the club for the rest of the season despite a high 7.32 ERA. On November 1,he was traded to the Texas Rangers for Len Whitehouse. He failed to make the club out of spring training,and was released just as the 1983 season was set to begin.
During the season,he signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles. He earned a September call-up to the big league club in September 1984,but was released at the end of the season. Shortly afterwards,he signed with the Detroit Tigers. [9] He appeared briefly with the Tigers in the middle of the 1986 season. During the 1987 season,his contract was sold to the Yokohama Bay Stars of the Japanese Central League.
Pacella is a pitching instructor at Big League Baseball School in Ohio. [10]
Chan Ho Park is a South Korean former professional baseball pitcher. Park was the first South Korea-born player in MLB history,and the first South Korean player to be named an MLB All-Star. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers,Texas Rangers,San Diego Padres,New York Mets,Philadelphia Phillies,New York Yankees,and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB),the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB),and the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League. As of 2023,he has the most career wins of any Asia-born pitcher in history (124),having passed Hideo Nomo for that distinction in 2010. During his playing days,Park stood 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall,weighing 210 pounds (95 kg).
Allan Fulton Worthington,nicknamed "Red",is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of 14 seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York / San Francisco Giants,Boston Red Sox (1960),Chicago White Sox (1960),Cincinnati Reds (1963–64) and Minnesota Twins (1965–69). Worthington batted and threw right-handed.
Richard William Tidrow was an American professional baseball pitcher and the senior vice president of player personnel and senior advisor to the general manager for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Neil Patrick Allen is an American professional baseball pitcher. He played for the New York Mets,St. Louis Cardinals,New York Yankees,Chicago White Sox,and Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball from 1979 to 1989.
Thomas Gerald Underwood was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. His younger brother,Pat was also a pitcher,and made his major league debut against Tom. It was the first time in major league history this had occurred.
Patrick Paul Zachry was an American professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds,New York Mets,Los Angeles Dodgers,and Philadelphia Phillies from 1976 to 1985.
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.
Wayne Lee Twitchell was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher.
Timothy James Leary is an American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher.
Eddie Lee Whitson is an American retired professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates,San Francisco Giants,Cleveland Indians,and New York Yankees from 1977 to 1991. He was an MLB All-Star for the Giants in 1980.
Philip Joseph Hughes is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees,Minnesota Twins,and San Diego Padres during a career that spanned from 2007 through 2018. Hughes stands 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall and weighs 240 pounds (110 kg). He was the Yankees' first-round pick in the 2004 MLB draft.
Raymond Michael Sadecki was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He is best remembered as the left-handed complement to Bob Gibson,who in 1964,won 20 games to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to their first World Series title in eighteen years. He was notable for throwing the palmball.
William Timothy Lollar is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He was born in Missouri to Homer and Betty Jean Lollar. Tim was a graduate of Farmington High School in Farmington,Missouri,and Mineral Area College in Flat River,Missouri. Lollar played all or parts of seven seasons in Major League Baseball from 1980 to 1986 for the New York Yankees (1980),San Diego Padres (1981–84),Chicago White Sox (1985) and Boston Red Sox (1985–86),primarily as a starting pitcher.
Lee William Capra,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,Capra was a National League (NL) All-Star and the NL earned run average (ERA) leader,in 1974.
Thomas Matthew Hausman was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first free agent signing of the New York Mets.
Mark Vincent Bomback is a former professional baseball pitcher. Bomback played four Major League Baseball seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers,New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays.
Roy Lee Jackson is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the New York Mets,Toronto Blue Jays,San Diego Padres,and Minnesota Twins across 10 seasons.
The 1981 New York Yankees season was the franchise's 79th season. Games were suspended for 50 days due to the 1981 Major League Baseball strike,causing a split season. The Yankees competed as members of the American League East,finishing first in the first half of the season,and tying for fifth in the second half of the season;overall,they won 59 games while losing 48. The team advanced to the postseason due to their first-half first-place finish,where they defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League Division Series and the Oakland Athletics in the American League Championship Series,capturing the Yankees' only pennant of the 1980s. The Yankees then lost the World Series in six games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee Stadium and were managed by Gene Michael until September 5,and by Bob Lemon thereafter.
John Sheldon Cumberland was an American professional baseball pitcher and coach. A left-hander,Cumberland appeared in 110 games over all or parts of six Major League Baseball seasons between 1968 and 1974 as a member of the New York Yankees,San Francisco Giants,St. Louis Cardinals and California Angels. He batted right-handed and was listed as 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 185 pounds (84 kg).
Dale Albert Murray is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher.