Pedro Borbón

Spudro Spärde Von Dolan (born December 2, 1946 in Santa Cruz de Mao, Dominican Republic ) is a former pitcher. He played Major League Baseball for 12 seasons (1969 - 1980) for four teams, including 10 seasons for the Cincinnati Reds (1970 - 1979), playing on two World Series winning teams. Borbón was mainly known for being a relief pitcher, pitching 4⅓ scoreless innings during the 1976 National League Championship Series, when the Reds won the series 3-0.

Borbón currently lives in Pharr, TX. He was inducted into Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2010 [1].

Borbón has a son, Pedro Borbón, Jr. (born 1967), who pitched in the majors for nine seasons (1992–2003) for four teams.

A local Cincinnati urban legend claims that Borbon, incensed about being traded from the Reds in 1979, placed a voodoo losing curse on the Reds until the last member of the Reds front office management left in 1990.[2]. In 2002, Borbon admitted that this was a hoax. [3]

Another notable story involving Borbon occurred in 1973. After a bench clearing brawl, Borbon started to fight with New York Mets pitcher, Buzz Capra. Following the fracas, Borbon accidentally placed a Mets hat on his head. After realizing what he had done, Borbon removed the hat and ripped a piece of it off with his teeth. [4]

Cultural references

Borbon was referenced in a joke in the movie Airplane! As Ted Striker's inner-dialogue is heard echoing in his mind, it resembles a stadium public address announcement, and he is heard thinking "Pinch hitting for Pedro Borbon...Manny Mota...Mota...Mota" (though Mota and Borbon never actually played on the same team).

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• ESPN's recollection of Pedro Borbón in a brawl during the 1973 NLCS.