John Candelaria

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John Robert Candelaria, nicknamed "The Candy Man", was a left-handed pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Dodgers between 1975-1993. Prior to joining the Pirates "Candy" played center for the Quebradillas Pirates in Puerto Rico. Known as a basketball player in Puerto Rico when he announced he was leaving the Quebradillas basketball "Pirates" for the Pittsburgh Pirates many were skeptical. The local newspaper featured him pitching a basketball in the front page of the sports setion.

Candelaria pitched to a 177-122 career record with a 3.33 ERA. His best season was 1977 when he was 20-5 with a 2.34 ERA in 230.2 innings pitched, and he was a member of the 1979 World Series champion Pirates team. He pitched a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 9, 1976.

Candelaria stood 6'7" and wielded a mid to upper 90's fastball with spectacular natural movement. One veteran Dodger scout who witnessed 15-year-old Candelaria at a tryout called him the best he had ever seen. The tryout catcher had to be replaced with a major league catcher for fear of injuring the stand-in. By the account of this same scout, Candelaria was in line to sign with the Dodgers before he appeared at a later tryout wearing a shirt that featured a marijuana leaf with the caption "try some, you'll like it." The Dodger exectives at the tryout were so appalled by this lighthearted display that they declined to sign him.