Jack Kralick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jack Kralick |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: June 1, 1935 Youngstown, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Died: September 18, 2012 (aged 77) San Blas, Mexico |
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| debut | |||
| April 15, 1959, for the Washington Senators | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 23, 1967, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 67–65 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.56 | ||
| Strikeouts | 668 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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John Francis Kralick (born June 1, 1935 – died September 18, 2012) was a professional baseball player from America. He was a pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1959 to 1967. Kralick played for eight years, appearing in 235 games. He played for the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians. During his career, he won 67 games and lost 65. He also had 668 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.56.
Jack Kralick's Early Baseball Days
Jack Kralick was born in Youngstown, Ohio. This was a busy industrial town known for its strong love of amateur baseball. He went to Michigan State University. Early in his career, he became known as a great pitcher for a farm team in the Northern League.
On August 8, 1956, Kralick pitched a special game. He threw a 5–0 seven-inning no-hitter for the Duluth–Superior White Sox. This amazing game was against the Fargo–Moorhead Twins.
However, the main team, the Chicago White Sox, let Kralick go in the middle of the 1958 minor-league season. But he was quickly signed as a free agent by the Washington Senators' team.
Major League Debut and No-Hitter
Kralick made his first appearance in the Major Leagues with the Senators on April 15, 1959. He only played in five MLB games before being sent to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts. He spent most of the 1959 season there. He had a 3.53 earned-run average in 26 starts and pitched 176 innings pitched. He played one more Major League game in September 1959. He pitched two hitless innings as a relief pitcher against the Boston Red Sox.
He joined the Senator team for the whole 1960 season. He had a winning record of 8 wins and 6 losses. His ERA was 3.04 in 35 games. This was the team's last year before moving to Minneapolis–St. Paul.
On August 20, 1961, Jack Kralick was part of a rare baseball moment. In that game, two pitchers from the same team hit a home run. The other pitcher was Al Schroll. Then, on August 26, 1962, he pitched a no-hitter against the Kansas City Athletics. The score was 1–0 at Metropolitan Stadium. This was the very first no-hitter for the Twins team after they moved to Minnesota. He got the first 25 batters out. But then he walked George Alusik, which stopped him from getting a perfect game.
Later Career with the Indians
The Minnesota Twins traded Kralick to the Cleveland Indians for Jim Perry on May 2, 1963. This trade was important for both teams. Kralick, along with Jim Kaat and Dick Stigman, was one of three left-handed pitchers on the Twins' four-man starting rotation. The Indians only had one left-handed starter, Sam McDowell.
Kralick became an All-Star in 1964. He played his final Major League game on April 23, 1967.
His contract was sold by the Indians to the New York Mets on May 1. He was supposed to play for the Jacksonville Suns before joining the Mets. However, he was injured in a serious car accident on May 2. He lost control of his car and crashed near Cleveland Stadium. This injury kept him from playing for the rest of the season.
The Mets invited him to their spring training before the 1968 season. But Jack Kralick decided to retire from playing baseball. He then started a new career as an insurance salesman.
