John Milner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Milner
Milner with the New York Mets in 1974
First baseman / Left fielder
Born: (1949-12-28)December 28, 1949 Atlanta, Georgia
Died: January 4, 2000(2000-01-04) (aged 50) East Point, Georgia
Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
September 15, 1971, for the New York Mets
Last appearance
October 3, 1982, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Batting average	.249
Home runs	131
Runs batted in	498
Teams
New York Mets (1971–1977) Pittsburgh Pirates (1978–1981) Montreal Expos (1981–1982) Pittsburgh Pirates (1982)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (1979)

John David Milner (born December 28, 1949 – died January 4, 2000) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman and left fielder. His career lasted from 1971 to 1982.

Milner played for the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Montreal Expos. He was part of the 1973 National League pennant-winning Mets team. He also helped the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series. John grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and was a big fan of baseball legend Hank Aaron. He even got Aaron's famous nickname, "The Hammer".

Playing for the New York Mets

The New York Mets chose John Milner in the 14th round of the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft. He was drafted from South Fulton High School in East Point, Georgia. There, he was an All-State player in baseball, football, and basketball.

Milner played three seasons in the Mets' farm system (minor leagues). He had a great batting average of .307. He also hit 58 home runs and had 168 runs batted in. He made his first appearance in Major League Baseball with the Mets in September 1971.

Rookie Season and Early Success

In 1972, Milner earned a spot on the team as a left-handed hitter off the bench. He hit .296 during spring training with three home runs. Soon, he started sharing playing time in left field with Cleon Jones.

On September 8, Milner made Mets history. He became the first rookie to get five hits in one game during a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals. For the 1972 season, he led the team with 17 home runs. He also had 38 runs batted in. He finished third in the voting for National League Rookie of the Year.

Milner in spring training with the Mets

Moving to First Base and the 1973 Pennant

For the 1973 season, Milner moved to first base. He started the season very strong, leading his team with a .328 batting average. He also had five home runs and thirteen runs batted in.

However, he got a hamstring injury on April 25 against the Houston Astros. This injury caused problems for him throughout his career. He came back in mid-May but struggled for a while. By the end of the season, he was back in form. He led his team with 72 runs batted in and a career-high 23 home runs. The Mets then made an amazing run to win their second National League East title.

Postseason Play

The Mets surprised everyone by beating the Cincinnati "Big Red Machine" in the 1973 National League Championship Series. However, they lost to the Oakland Athletics in seven games in the 1973 World Series. Milner batted .250 in the postseason. He had three runs batted in and scored four runs. In game two of the World Series, his at-bat in the twelfth inning helped the Mets score two runs and win in extra innings.

On September 11, 1974, Milner tied a major league record. He had twelve plate appearances in the Mets' 25-inning game against the Cardinals. That season, he led his team in home runs for the third year in a row with twenty. He also led the team with seventy runs scored. During his time with the Mets, Milner batted .245. He hit 94 home runs and had 338 runs batted in.

A Big Trade

On December 8, 1977, Milner was traded from the Mets to the Pittsburgh Pirates. This was part of a huge four-team trade in Major League Baseball. Eleven players changed teams in this deal. The other teams involved were the Texas Rangers and the Atlanta Braves.

Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates

With the Pittsburgh Pirates, Milner played more of a backup role. In 1978, he had 333 at-bats, which was his lowest number except for his injury-filled 1975 season.

World Series Champion

His best season with the Pirates was in 1979. He hit sixteen home runs and had sixty runs batted in. He backed up Willie Stargell at first base and Bill Robinson in left field.

Milner didn't get any hits in the 1979 National League Championship Series against the Cincinnati Reds. But he did well in the World Series, getting 3 hits in 9 at-bats. He also had one run batted in and scored two runs. The Pirates won the World Series that year!

Pinch Hitting and Later Career

Milner became known as a very good pinch hitter for the Pirates. He was great at hitting in important situations. On August 20, 1981, he was traded to the Montreal Expos.

Milner reached the postseason for the third time in his career with the Expos. They won the second half of the 1981 season, which was shorter due to a strike. He had one hit and one run batted in during the 1981 National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Milner was released by the Expos in the middle of the 1982 season. He then rejoined the Pirates for a short time. He was released by the Pirates the next spring and retired from baseball.

Career Stats

John Milner was known as a great fastball hitter. He had very quick wrists. Throughout his career, he had a good walk-to-strikeout ratio (504 walks to 473 strikeouts). Milner hit ten career grand slams. Three of these grand slams came in 1976 when he played for the Mets.

Death

John Milner passed away from cancer in East Point, Georgia, on January 4, 2000.

See also

• Major League Baseball Scandals