Jack Hamilton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- (for the Canadian bank robber and associate of John Dillinger, see John (Jack) Hamilton)
Jack Edwin Hamilton (born December 25, 1938 in Burlington, Iowa) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Originally signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as a free agent, he debuted as a starter for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1962 and posted a 9-12 record with an Earned Run Average of 5.09. He showed more promise pitching out of the bullpen, and spent most of his career as a relief pitcher until his retirement in 1969, although he was converted back to a starting pitcher for the 1966 and 1967 seasons.
In 1967, Hamilton was enjoying one of the best seasons of his career when he was traded by the New York Mets to the California Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim). On August 18, the Angels were playing the Boston Red Sox in a game that would have important implications for the American League pennant race. The game became a turning point in the careers of two players. Facing Red Sox outfielder Tony Conigliaro, Hamilton hit Conigliaro with a pitch on the left cheekbone that fractured Conigliaro's eye socket and severely damaged his retina. Conigliaro nearly died, and the damage to his vision would eventually force his early retirement from baseball in 1975. Hamilton never fully recovered, either. Unwilling to pitch inside for fear of severely injuring another batter, Hamilton's strikeout rate declined, his opponents' batting average rose, and his Earned Run Average soared. He retired in 1969, finishing his career with the Chicago White Sox.
Career highlights include:
- a 10-strikeout, complete game 12-2 win vs. the Chicago Cubs (May 11, 1962)
- a two-hit, complete game shutout vs. the Houston Colt .45s (June 26, 1962...game # 2)
- a one-hit, complete game shutout vs. the St. Louis Cardinals (May 4, 1966)
- hit his first and only major league home run, a grand slam, against Al Jackson of the St. Louis Cardinals (May 20, 1967)
- held All-Stars Tommie Agee, Ken Berry, Don Buford, Curt Flood, Tommy Helms, Alex Johnson, Felix Mantilla, Cookie Rojas, Pete Rose, John Roseboro, Don Wert, and Jimmy Wynn to a .112 collective batting average (11-for-98)
- held Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Lou Brock, Rod Carew, Roberto Clemente, Al Kaline, Harmon Killebrew, Mickey Mantle, Willie McCovey, Joe Morgan, Stan Musial, Tony Perez, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, and Carl Yastrzemski to a .175 collective batting average (24-for-137)
[edit] Trivia
- led the Midwest League with 16 losses and 156 bases on balls while playing for the Keokuk Cardinals in 1958
- led the Eastern League with 134 bases on balls while pitching for the York White Roses in 1959
- led the National League with 107 bases on balls and 22 wild pitches while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1962
- led the International League with a 2.42 ERA while playing for the Syracuse Chiefs in 1965
- gave up Weldon Bowlin's only major league base hit {Anaheim Stadium -- September 16, 1967}
- threw a total of 74 wild pitches in 611.2 innings...an extremely high average of one for every 8.1 innings pitched
[edit] Reference
- 1968 Baseball Register published by The Sporting News
