Ray Sadecki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ray Sadecki
Sadecki in 1975
Pitcher
Born: (1940-12-26)December 26, 1940 Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.
Died: November 17, 2014(2014-11-17) (aged 73) Mesa, Arizona, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
May 19, 1960, for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last appearance
April 23, 1977, for the New York Mets
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	135–131
Earned run average	3.78
Strikeouts	1,614
Teams
St. Louis Cardinals (1960–1966) San Francisco Giants (1966–1969) New York Mets (1970–1974) St. Louis Cardinals (1975) Atlanta Braves (1975) Kansas City Royals (1975–1976) Milwaukee Brewers (1976) New York Mets (1977)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (1964)

Raymond Michael Sadecki (born December 26, 1940 – died November 17, 2014) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was a left-handed pitcher who played for many teams during his career. He is best known for being a key player for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964. That year, he helped them win their first World Series title in eighteen years. He was also known for throwing a special pitch called a palmball.

Ray's Early Life

Ray Sadecki was born in Polish Hill (Kansas City, Kansas). His parents were Frank and Josephine Koska Sadecki. By the time he was in high school, baseball scouts were already watching him. He went to Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas. In his senior year, his team, the Cyclones, won the state baseball championship with a perfect 18–0 record. After that, Ray signed with the Cardinals when he was only seventeen years old.

Ray's Baseball Career

Ray started his professional baseball journey in the Cardinals' minor league teams. In his first two seasons, he had a good record of 22 wins and 16 losses. He also had a 3.77 earned run average (ERA) and struck out 349 batters. In 1960, after playing well for the Rochester Red Wings, Ray was called up to the major leagues. He was only nineteen years old.

Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals

Ray made his first major league appearance on May 19, 1960. He pitched against the Pittsburgh Pirates. His first win was a shutout against the Cincinnati Reds on June 15. A shutout means the other team scores no runs while he is pitching. He finished his first year with 9 wins and 9 losses. He also had a 3.78 ERA and was named the Cardinals' Rookie of the Year.

In 1961, Ray became a full-time starting pitcher. He led his team with 14 wins and pitched over 222 innings. He was also a good hitter for a pitcher. He had a .253 batting average and drove in twelve runs.

The 1962 season was a bit tougher for Ray. He started in the bullpen as a relief pitcher. He even got his first career save against the New York Mets. However, he struggled in some of his starts. After a few difficult games, he was sent to the minor leagues for a while. He played well there, which helped him get back to the Cardinals in 1963. He finished that season with a 10–10 record.

The 1964 World Series Season

Ray was only 23 years old at the start of the 1964 season. He had a great year, winning 20 games and losing 11. He, along with Bob Gibson and Curt Simmons, helped the Cardinals win their first league championship since 1946. The Cardinals had an exciting race for the championship. They were behind the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds with only a few games left. But the Phillies lost ten games in a row, and the Cardinals won many games. Ray won his 20th game against the Phillies, which was their ninth loss in a row.

The Cardinals won the championship on the very last day of the season. They beat the Mets 11–5. After winning the league title, the Cardinals played against the New York Yankees in the 1964 World Series. Ray started Game One of the World Series. He pitched well and helped the Cardinals win 9–5. He also started Game Four, but he struggled early in that game. However, the Cardinals still came back to win that game 4–3. The Cardinals went on to win the World Series, with Bob Gibson winning the final two games.

Later Years with the Cardinals

The 1965 season was not as good for Ray. He started with a tough record and his ERA went up. He finished the season with 6 wins and 15 losses. In 1966, after a few good appearances, Ray was traded to the San Francisco Giants. This trade happened on May 8, 1966.

Playing for the San Francisco Giants

Ray's time with the San Francisco Giants started a bit rough. He lost his first two games with a high ERA. In 1967, he improved a lot. He had 12 wins and 6 losses, with a career-best 2.78 ERA. However, some fans were still unhappy because the player he was traded for, Orlando Cepeda, was doing very well for the Cardinals.

In 1968, Ray started the season strong with two shutouts. A shutout means he did not allow the other team to score any runs. Despite having a great ERA of 2.91, his record was 12 wins and 18 losses. This was because his team didn't score many runs when he pitched. In 1969, he again started with two shutouts. But after a tough May, his role changed. He became more of a relief pitcher and a spot starter. At the end of 1969, he was traded to the New York Mets.

Playing for the New York Mets

Ray joined the New York Mets in 1970. Even though the Mets had famous pitchers like Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan, Ray still made twelve starts before the All-Star break. He had 7 wins and 3 losses with a 3.38 ERA. After the All-Star break, he became more of a relief pitcher.

In 1971, Ray continued as a relief pitcher. He pitched well in this role. When another pitcher got injured, Ray stepped back into the starting rotation. He pitched two complete games in July where he didn't allow any earned runs. He finished the season with a 7-7 record and a good 2.92 ERA.

By 1972, Ray became a full-time relief pitcher. In 1973, he often pitched in games where the Mets were already losing. Even in this "mop-up duty" role, he pitched well with a 3.05 ERA. Later in the season, he returned to the starting rotation for a while. But it was in September, when he went back to the bullpen, that he really shined for Mets fans. He pitched very well in important games against the Pirates, helping the Mets win.

Ray pitched in four of the seven games of the 1973 World Series against the Oakland Athletics. He even got a save in Game Four. A save means he finished the game and protected his team's lead. He only allowed one run in the entire series.

Later Years and Retirement

After the 1974 season, Ray was traded back to the St. Louis Cardinals. His second time with the Cardinals was short. He played in only eight games before being traded again. On May 28, 1975, he went to the Atlanta Braves. Later that year, he was traded to the Kansas City Royals.

He played three games for the Royals in 1976. Even though he didn't allow any earned runs, he was released after one game where he couldn't get a save. He then signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. He finished that season with the Brewers, getting 2 wins and 1 save. After the season, he signed with the Mets again. But after just four games in 1977, he was released and retired from baseball.

Career Stats

Here are some of Ray Sadecki's career statistics from his time in Major League Baseball:

Ray hit his first career home run off a famous pitcher named Gaylord Perry on June 9, 1962. His best season as a hitter was in 1966. That year, he had a .341 batting average, hit three home runs, and drove in seven runs. Overall, he hit 5 home runs and had 56 RBIs in his career.

Ray's Personal Life

In 2002, a baseball field in Kansas City, Kansas was renovated. It was then dedicated and renamed Ray Sadecki Field. This was done to honor Ray, who grew up in that neighborhood. The field is located at 9th and Homer Streets.

On June 11, 2007, Ray Sadecki was honored again. He was inducted into The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

Ray Sadecki passed away on November 17, 2014. He died from problems related to blood cancer.