Al Hrabosky

Al Hrabosky
Pitcher
Born: (1949-07-21) July 21, 1949
Oakland, California
Batted: Right Threw: Left
MLB debut
June 16, 1970, for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last MLB appearance
August 18, 1982, for the Atlanta Braves
MLB statistics
Win–loss record 64–35
Earned run average 3.10
Strikeouts 548
Saves 97
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Alan Thomas Hrabosky (/rəˈbɒski/; born July 21, 1949) is a former Major League Baseball player from 1970–1982 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves and is currently the color commentator on Cardinals regular season broadcasts on FSN Midwest. He also owns Al Hrabosky's Ballpark Saloon, which is located right across the street from Busch Stadium.

Hrabosky's nickname is The Mad Hungarian because of his unusual last name and colorful character.[1]

Playing career

Hrabosky played at Savanna High School[2] in Anaheim, California and was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 11th round of the 1967 amateur draft, but did not sign with the club. Two years later the Cardinals made him their first round choice. Within a year, at the age of 20, he made his major league debut, pitching a scoreless inning against the San Diego Padres.

During his time with the Cardinals, Hrabosky became a fan favorite for his antics on the mound. Between each pitch he would turn his back to the batter, walk towards second base, vigorously rub the ball between his palms several times, take a deep breath, and pound the ball into his mitt. He would then storm back to the mound, staring down the batter. Although the crowd would roar in delight, most batters were not fond of the pitcher's routine.

Arguably, Hrabosky's best year was 1975 when he led the National League in saves with 22 (a career best) en route to winning the Sporting News "NL Fireman of the Year" award. After eight seasons in St. Louis, the Cardinals traded Hrabosky to the Kansas City Royals in a swap of closers for Mark Littell. Following just two years with the Royals, he was released and signed with the Atlanta Braves. During his time with the Braves he saw diminished playing time and recorded just seven saves over three seasons. Hrabosky signed with the Chicago White Sox during Spring training in 1983 but retired before the season began. In 13 seasons he recorded 64 wins, 35 losses, and 97 saves with an ERA of 3.10.

Early in his career with the Cardinals, Hrabosky enhanced his menacing appearance with long hair, and a handlebar moustache. However, when Vern Rapp became the Cardinals manager in 1977, Hrabosky had to cut his hair and shave the moustache.

Perhaps Hrabosky's most memorable performance came during an ABC Monday Night Baseball game on May 9, 1977, against the Cincinnati Reds. In the top of the ninth with the game tied at 5-5, Hrabosky allowed the first three hitters (all left-handed), Ken Griffey, Joe Morgan, and Dan Driessen to reach base and load the bases. As the Cardinals' home crowd roared, Hrabosky went into his "Mad Hungarian" routine described above and proceeded to strike out right-handed power hitters George Foster, Johnny Bench, and Bob Bailey. The Cardinals went on to win 6-5 on a Ted Simmons home run in the 10th inning.[3]

Broadcasting career

Following his playing career, he has provided color commentary for Cardinals games since 1985 and has been with Fox Sports Midwest since 1997. Hrabosky also hosted his own radio show on KFNS 590AM in St. Louis. He also serves as an occasional fill-in analyst on the Cardinals Radio Network.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hraboal01.shtml
  2. ↑ "MLB draft: A look at Orange County's alumni dream team". Retrieved 2009-08-17.
  3. ↑ http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN197705090.shtml

External links

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