Books and articles about Milt Pappas

Maligned as a "five-inning pitcher" and a hypochondriac early in his career, Pappas reached double figures in wins every year but one from 1958 to 1972, but he is best remembered as part of one of the worst trades in Reds history, when he was acquired with journeymen Jack Baldschun and Dick Simpson for Hall of Famer Frank Robinson after the 1965 season. Despite a good fastball and hard slider, the consistent righthander never achieved the stardom many felt he was capable of, yet when he retired he was only one NL victory shy of 100 in each league, and he won 209 ML games without ever winning more than 17 in a single season.

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Pappas pitched only three games in the minors before going 10-10 as a 19-year-old rookie for Baltimore in 1958, and was 15-9, 3.27 in 1959, but had already earned a reputation as a brash, impetuous youngster. He would show up the umpires with his griping and posturing on the mound, and once called the press box during a game to complain about an official scorer's decision that had cost him four earned runs. He also had trouble completing his starts, but still averaged nearly 15 wins a season for the Orioles from 1960 to 1964. Pappas tossed seven shutouts (including a one-hitter against the Twins) on the way to a 16-7 record in 1964, and started the All-Star Game for the AL in 1965, then was traded to the Reds in the off-season. In Cincinnati, he went only 12-11, 4.29 in 1966 while Frank Robinson was winning the Triple Crown in Baltimore, and after a 16-13 season in 1967 he was traded to the Braves the following year.

Pappas compounded his reputation problems by frequently squabbling with management as a player representative, but in time he did tone down his on-field antics considerably, and after the Braves sold him to the Cubs in 1970 he enjoyed two of his better ML seasons. He was 17-14 in 1971, but with a career-high 14 complete games and an NL-best five shutouts, and in 1972 he was 17-7 with a 2.77 ERA. On September 2, 1972, he was one out away from a perfect game against the Padres when he walked Larry Stahl, but settled for an 8-0 no-hitter. He retired after going 7-12 in 1973.

Pappas was also dangerous at the plate with 20 career home runs, including two in one game August 27, 1961. (SCL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 9, 1959: Two 20-year-old Baby Birds—Milt Pappas and Jerry Walker—shut out the Senators 8–0 and 5–0. The Orioles recall young Brooks Robinson from the minors. » June 19, 1960: In a brilliant pair of pitching performances, the Orioles Hoyt Wilhelm and Milt Pappas throw shutouts to beat the host Tigers. Wilhelm allows two hits in winning the opener, 2–0, over Bunning, and Pappas allows three hits in winning the nitecap, 1–0, over Don Mossi. Gentile and Hansen homer in the opener as Clint Courtney, using the big glove, is twice charged with batter interference, the 1st loading the bases in the 4th. » July 15, 1960: Brooks Robinson goes 5-for-5, hitting for the cycle, to lead the Orioles to a 5–2 win over the White Sox. With three hits yesterday, Robinson has eight straight hits. His 9th inning triple off reliever Turk Lown, seals the win for Milt Pappas over starter Billy Pierce. » August 28, 1960: In a battle of New York's chief rivals for the American League pennant, Baltimore's Milt Pappas has Chicago down 3–0 in the 8th. An apparent 3-run home run by Ted Kluszewski is nullified because umpire Ed Hurley calls time just before Pappas delivers. Hurley spotted Floyd Robinson and Earl Torgeson warming up along the RF sideline. The Sox argue for 15 minutes, with Nellie Fox and Al Lopez being tossed, before Klu hits again and lines out. The O's prevail 3–1 and take over 2nd place, two games behind the Yankees, and the Sox are three 1/2 back. » September 2, 1960: Milt Pappas stops New York on three hits -- 2 by Tony Kubek -- to give Baltimore a 5–0 lead in the first of a 3-game showdown. The Orioles now trail New York by .003. » September 18, 1960: Before 53,876 fans, the Yankees sweep the Orioles, winning, 7–3 and 2–0. The Yankees sweep the 4-game series and the faltering Birds, now four back, will end up in 2nd place, eight games back. Ralph Terry's two hitter in the nitecap beats Milt Pappas. » August 27, 1961: The Orioles Milt Pappas is the whole show as he blanks the Twins, 3–0. He allows just two hits while belting two homers. Eddie Robinson adds a homer. » September 20, 1961: The Yankees' 154th game of 1961 (including a tie) is Roger Maris' last chance to beat Babe Ruth, in compliance with Commissioner Ford Frick's statement that, for the record to be broken, Maris must do it in the same number of games as Ruth. Maris' 59th home run of the year, off Milt Pappas, is short of the record, but helps New York beat Baltimore 4–2, clinching its 26th American League pennant. In 1998, Pappas will state that he told Maris the night before that, if the game's outcome is not on the line, he would throw him nothing but fastballs. » April 11, 1963: Baltimore's Milt Pappas spoils New York's home opener, beating them, 4–1. The only Yankee score is a Mickey Mantle homer. » May 11, 1963: The Yankees trounce the Orioles, 111, beating Milt Pappas. Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris each homer, the first time this year they've done it together. » June 5, 1963: Mickey Mantle fractures a bone in his left foot and suffers ligament and cartilage damage to the left knee running into the chain link fence at Baltimore chasing down a Brooks Robinson drive. The Mick will be out for 61 games. Whitey Ford beats Milt Pappas 4–3, as the Yankees return to first place. » September 2, 1964: Milt Pappas keeps Baltimore in first place with a one-hit 2–0 win against Minnesota. Zoilo Versalles gets the single in the 8th for the only hit. » December 9, 1965: OF Frank Robinson is traded from Cincinnati to the Orioles for pitchers Milt Pappas and Jack Baldschun and OF Dick Simpson. The Reds Bill DeWitt defends the trade by labeling Robinson "an old 30,"a concept that Robinson will quickly prove wrong. » August 8, 1967: At Crosley Field, Reds P Milt Pappas allows two hits in beating Houston, 5–0. » June 11, 1968: The Reds send P Milt Pappas, pitchers Ted Davidson, and IF Bob Johnson to the Braves for pitchers Tony Cloninger and Clay Carroll and IF Woody Woodward. Davidson, who made 54 relief appearances in 1966, has never been the same since his estranged wife shot him in the stomach prior to the 1967 season. » June 9, 1969: After President Johnson declares this a national day of mourning in memory of the assassinated Robert Kennedy, the Reds' players threaten to boycott today's doubleheader with the Cardinals. Led by Milt Pappas and Vada Pinson, the team, by a slim majority, votes not to play. A very upset GM Bob Howsam and manager David Bristol call for nine volunteers to play. Pete Rose, Tommy Helms, and Jim Maloney leave the clubhouse and shortly afterwards the rest of the team follows. The Reds take an 8–0 lead after four innings before the Birds lay 10 runs in the 5th to complete the scoring. It's a reverse in the nitecap as the Cards take a 6–1 lead, and the Reds score five in the 5th to tie, and once in the 12th inning to win, 7–6. » July 23, 1970: At Wrigley, Milt Pappas shuts out the Reds in a Cubs, 1–0 win. It is the only shutout of the year against the Reds, tying the National League record. Jim McGlothin takes the loss. » September 29, 1971: In the 6th inning of the Expos 6–5 win over the Cubs, Ron Hunt is hit by a Milt Pappas pitch. It is the 50th HBP for Hunt in 1971, setting a ML record. » July 28, 1972: Steve Carlton wins his 10th straight for the last place Phils, beating the Cubs Milt Pappas, 2–0. Lefty allows four hits and strikes out 7, while setting the club record for consecutive wins. » September 2, 1972: Milt Pappas of the Cubs hurls a no-hit game in beating the Padres 8–0. Pappas has a perfect game until pinch-hitter Larry Stahl walks with two outs in the 9th inning. Pappas and C Randy Hundley both said of the pitches to Stahl, "They were so close I don't know how Stahl could take them, but they were balls." Pappas later commented on the plate umpire, "he had a chance to become famous as the umpire in the twelve perfect game in baseball history, but he blew it." Pappas retires former Cub Gary Jestadt to finish the game. » October 3, 1990: At Pittsburgh, Frank Viola wins his 20th when the Mets beat the Pirates 6–3. In front of his hometown fans, New York's Chris Jelic homers, his first, last, and only hit in the majors. It comes off Doug Bair on his last at bat. Buc Jerry Reuss, in his only start this year, gives up one earned run, a home run to Tim Teufel in the 6th, but gets no decision in his last appearance in the majors. Reuss, with four appearances this year, joins the exclusive 4-decade club (1969-90) and also closes out his career with 220 wins, but never 20 in a season, a ML record. Milt Pappas also won 200 that way as did Frank Tanana this year. Tanana will end his career with 233 wins and no 20-win seasons.