Paul Splittorff
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Paul William Splittorff Jr. (born October 8, 1946 in Evansville, Indiana) is a former left-handed starting pitcher for Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals. With 166 career victories, he remains the most successful pitcher in Royals history.
Splittorff made his debut on September 23, 1970 and by 1972, at age 25, he was a fixture in the Royals' rotation. He finished in the league top 10 in wins three times, in 1973, 1977, and 1978. Never an All-Star and usually overshadowed by teammates Steve Busby, Dennis Leonard and Larry Gura, Splittorff's consistency and longevity resulted in him winning more games than any of them. He was effective pitching against the New York Yankees, who tended to stock up on left-handed hitters to take advantage of the dimensions of Yankee Stadium, and Splitorff compiled a 2-0 record with a 2.68 earned run average pitching in four championship series against the Yankees.
He retired in 1984 when his effectiveness faded at the same time the Royals had numerous young pitchers coming through the ranks. His final game was June 26, 1984.
After his retirement, Splittorff became a television color commentator for the Royals. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1987.
[edit] Trivia
- led the New York - Penn League with 17 wild pitches and 11 complete games, and tied for the league lead with 120 innings pitched and 136 strikeouts while playing for the Corning Royals in 1968
- tied for the American Association lead with 11 complete games while playing for the Omaha Royals in 1969
- gave up John Balaz's first major league home run {Royals Stadium -- September 24, 1974}
[edit] Reference
- 1976 Baseball Register published by The Sporting News
