Rudy Minarcin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rudy Minarcin |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: March 25, 1930 North Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Died: October 15, 2013 (aged 83) Cabot, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 11, 1955, for the Cincinnati Redlegs | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 27, 1957, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 6–9 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.66 | ||
| Strikeouts | 70 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Rudolph Anthony Minarcin, also known as Buster, was a talented baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1955 to 1957. Rudy played for the Cincinnati Redlegs in 1955 and the Boston Red Sox from 1956 to 1957. He was 6 feet tall and weighed 195 pounds. Rudy threw and batted with his right hand.
Contents
Early Life and Sports Talent
Rudy Minarcin was born on March 25, 1930, in North Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. He was a fantastic athlete at Vandergrift High School. Rudy was the captain of both his baseball and football teams.
High School Baseball Success
During his junior and senior years, Rudy was an amazing pitcher. He threw eight games where opponents got only one hit. He also won 10 games in a row! In 1948, Rudy helped his team win the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) championship.
Football Achievements
Rudy was also a quarterback for the football team. Many colleges wanted him to play for them. He received over 30 scholarship offers, including one from the famous University of Notre Dame. But Rudy loved baseball more. He decided to sign with the Vandergrift Pioneers, a minor league team. This team was part of the Philadelphia Phillies organization.
Journey to Major League Baseball
Rudy spent four seasons playing in the minor leagues. This was from 1948 to 1951. Then, he joined the United States Army.
Minor League Highlights
In 1949, the Cincinnati Reds picked Rudy in a special draft. In 1950, he played for the Double-A Tulsa Oilers. He had a great season, winning 13 games and losing 8. His earned run average (ERA) was 2.86, which is very good for a pitcher. The next year, he moved up to Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons. He continued to do well, winning 16 games and pitching 242 innings. This included two games where he pitched all 13 innings!
Army Service and Injury
Rudy was ready to play for Cincinnati, but he joined the Army in 1952. He spent two years at Camp Eustis in Virginia. He worked as a physical training instructor. On his last day, he played in a touch football game. Sadly, he hurt his right knee. This injury affected his pitching career.
Comeback and Debut
After leaving the Army in 1954, Rudy joined Cincinnati for spring training. He worked hard to make the team. However, he twisted his knee again in an exhibition game. He had to go on the disabled list. He then started playing for the Triple-A Toronto Maple Leafs. He had an excellent record there, winning 11 games and losing only 2.
Finally, Rudy made his MLB debut in 1955 with the Cincinnati Redlegs. The team had changed its name from the Reds in 1954.
Major League Career
Rudy's time in the major leagues was short but memorable.
Cincinnati Redlegs (1955)
In his first 14 games, Rudy had 2 wins and 1 loss. He also earned a save. One of his first games was a complete game victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won 6–1.
His best game happened on June 4, 1955. He pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout against the Pirates. This means the Pirates scored zero runs and got only one hit! Rudy also helped his team by hitting in two runs himself. The Pirates' only hit was a slow ground ball that the first baseman couldn't handle. Just eleven days later, he pitched another complete game. This time it was against the 1955 World Series champion Brooklyn Dodgers. After these games, his record was 4 wins and 1 loss. He finished the season with 5 wins and 9 losses. He had one save and a 4.90 ERA in 41 games. He started 12 of those games.
Boston Red Sox (1956–1957)
Rudy then played for the Boston Red Sox for parts of two seasons. In 1956, he had 1 win and 0 losses. His ERA was 2.66, and he had two saves. The next year, in 1957, he pitched in 26 games as a reliever. He did not get a win or a loss that season. He also played for the Triple-A Havana Sugar Kings in 1956. He finished his professional baseball career with the Maple Leafs in 1957 and 1958.
Career Statistics
In his three years in Major League Baseball, Rudy Minarcin had 6 wins and 9 losses. His ERA was 4.66. He appeared in 70 games, starting 13 of them. He completed three games, had one shutout, and earned three saves. He struck out 70 batters and walked 89 in 170 innings. In the minor leagues, he had a record of 77 wins and 61 losses with a 3.59 ERA.
Life After Baseball
After his baseball career, Rudy took over his father's grocery store in Vandergrift. He ran the store until he retired in 1995.
In 1957, he married Sonja Urbanski. They had three daughters and one son. Sonja passed away in 1988. Rudy remained a big sports fan. He loved playing softball and coaching Little League teams. He was a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates his whole life. He enjoyed listening to their games on the radio when he was young. He even followed the Pirates team in 2013, when they had a great season.
Rudy Minarcin passed away on October 15, 2013, in Cabot, Pennsylvania. He was 83 years old.
