Skip Pitlock

Skip Pitlock
Pitcher
Born: November 6, 1947
Hillside, Illinois
Batted: Left Threw: Left
MLB debut
June 12, 1970 for the San Francisco Giants
Last MLB appearance
April 10, 1975 for the Chicago White Sox
Career statistics
Win–Loss record 8-8
Earned run average 4.53
Strikeouts 124
Teams

Lee Patrick Thomas Pitlock (born November 6, 1947) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Noted for his unusual wind-up, he had a "herky-jerky" motion which deceived major league batters, and led to 124 career strikeouts in 192.2 innings pitched.[1]

Early years

Pitlock was born in Hillside, Illinois, and attended Immaculate Conception High School in Elmhurst, Illinois. Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the eleventh round of the 1969 Major League Baseball Draft out of Southern Illinois University, Pitlock went 10-2 with a 2.20 earned run average in his first professional season with the Pioneer League Great Falls Giants and California League Fresno Giants to jump all the way to triple A for his sophomore season.

San Francisco Giants

Just about a year to the day after signing with the Giants, Pitlock earned his first call to the major leagues in June, 1970. Starting against Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals, Pitlock was tagged for four runs in the first three innings and took the loss in his major league debut.[2] His finest performance was a complete game victory on August 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, in which he allowed two unearned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out nine.[3] For the season, Pitlock went 5-5 with a 4.66 ERA in fifteen starts. He also made thirteen starts for the Phoenix Giants, going 10-3 with a 2.46 ERA.

He spent the next two seasons with Phoenix, going a combined 15-21 with a 4.93 ERA. Originally a starter when he signed with the Giants, Pitlock began seeing more work in relief in 1971 & 1972. During Spring training 1973, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox for Chuck Hartenstein and Glenn Redmon.

Chicago White Sox

Pitlock went 8-8 with a 4.05 ERA for the Denver Bears in 1973. He earned a job in Chicago's bullpen out of Spring training 1974, going 2-2 with a 4.01 ERA in 35 relief appearances, and earning his only career save on June 19 against the Cleveland Indians.[4] He also made five starts, going 1-1 with a 6.20 ERA.

Pitlock faced just one major league batter, Billy Williams in 1975, and gave up an RBI single. He was 4-1 with a 3.91 ERA for the Denver Bears mostly in relief. On June 15, 1975 he and Stan Bahnsen were traded to the Oakland Athletics for Dave Hamilton and Chet Lemon.[5]

Upon his acquisition by the A's, he was assigned to the Pacific Coast League's Tucson Toros, and converted back into a starter. He spent one more season as a minor leaguer before retiring.

Career stats

W L ERA G GS CG SV IP H ER R HR BB K WP HBP Avg. Fld%
8 8 4.53 59 20 1 1 192.2 196 97 106 20 103 124 8 11 .080 .892

A below average fielder and hitter, Pitlock committed four errors in 1974, and struck out eighteen times in 25 career at-bats. His one career home run came on August 8, 1970 against Wade Blasingame of the Houston Astros.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Skip Pitlock Biography". BaseballLibrary.com.
  2. ↑ "St. Louis Cardinals 4, San Francisco Giants 1". Baseball-Reference.com. June 12, 1970.
  3. ↑ "San Francisco Giants 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 2". Baseball-Reference.com. August 3, 1970.
  4. ↑ "Chicago White Sox 15, Cleveland Indians 4". Baseball-Reference.com. June 19, 1974.
  5. ↑ "Oakland Gets Stan Bahnsen". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. June 17, 1975.
  6. ↑ "San Francisco Giants 6, Houston Astros 5". Baseball-Reference.com. August 8, 1970.

External links