Kent Tekulve was born on this date in 1947, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He signed his first professional contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1969 and made his MLB debut in 1974.
During his playing career, Tekulve was renowned for his distinctive sidearm, submarine pitching style, which became his trademark. He played a crucial role in the Pirates' 1979 World Series Championship, saving three games in the series. Tekulve was also named an All-Star in 1980.
Over his career, he accumulated more than 1,000 appearances, which is an amazing number for a reliever. He had ten season where he appeared in more than 70 games, with his highest being 94 appearances in 1979.
After retiring in 1989, Tekulve didn't stray far from baseball, transitioning into broadcasting where he was a member of both the Phillies and Pirates broadcast teams over the years. He even dabbled in coaching in the Frontier League and working as an advanced scout.
Happy birthday, Kent!
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