RIP Milt Pappas

[clydepepper]

I'll remember him for three things:

Being traded for Frank Robinson


Missing out on a Perfect Game when umpire Bruce Froemming called the last two pitches to Larry Stahl balls even though they were very close. Pappas continued to begrudge Froemming for many years afterwards for missing the calls and costing him his Perfecto...even showing video tape in which the ump appeared to be smirking after Stahl's walk.


His wife went missing and wasn't until five years later, when her body was found in her submerged car when a neighborhood lake was drained.



Rest in Peace indeed, Mr. Pappas
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[brian1961]

Let's not forget that the Cincinnati Reds had become very disenchanted with Frank Robinson, who was starting to whine about this, that, and the other. Look up the large number of years Frank spent in Cincy, as compared to Baltimore, and yet Frank INSISTED that his likeness on his BBHOF plaque portray him as an Oriole.

For that matter, how few years was it that he played in Baltimore?

Six.

Eventually, the Oriole front office had had enough of him. Traded away, he bounced around from club to club, doing little except annoying everyone. Finally, he settled down in Cleveland, and became the first Black American manager. I would surmise his years as a manager were not very fulfilling, neither to Mr. Robinson, nor the Cleveland front office, nor his players, nor the fans.

One thing for sure. He really put on a show in 1966. It was truly a banner season for the man. Also, of particular merit, Mr. Robinson had the distinction of sharing the all-time career record for walk-off home runs, with 12, a mark he shared with Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Stan Musial, and Mickey Mantle. Records are meant to be broken, and a few years back, slugger Jim Thome eclipsed the mark with his 13th career walk-off homer. Frank Robinson was a great player, and a genuine slugger, but a very unhappy man, it seemed.

I think Milt Pappas was an excellent pitcher, underrated, and given too much flak for the Robinson trade and the "one pitch away from a perfect game, and blew it" jibe.

Milt is very special to me. The very first time I saw a 1962 Salada Tea baseball coin, it was at my cousins' home in late August of '62. They had one coin in their large toy cabinet, and it was Milt Pappas. Love at first sight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

---Brian Powell

[talkinbaseball]

The 1967 Topps baseball set, if i'm not mistaken, Milt Pappas is the only card in the whole set that is not autographed?

Does everyone concur?

thanks,
John