Former Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas dies at 76

Former Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas dies at 76

Milt was a good pitcher who won 209 games over a long career in the bigs that began when he was just 18. He went from high school to the Orioles after only three games in the minors. He became the first pitcher in history to reach the 200-win level without a 20-win season.

But he is best known, infamous I suppose, for being on the wrong end of a trade.

When Pappas was an Oriole, the Cincinnati Reds liked him so much they were willing to part with powerful Frank Robinson to get him. Robby went to the Orioles before the 1966 season and immediately won a triple crown and an MVP with a 49-homer season which lifted them from third to first. To put salt on the Cincinnati wound, Robby also won the World Series MVP as the Orioles swept LA, despite the Dodgers' great Koufax/Drysdale combo. The final Series game was especially sweet for Robinson as his homer accounted for the only run in a 1-0 victory over Drysdale. That provided the cap on one of the most perfect seasons in baseball history.

And Milt?

Well, he went 12-11 with a 4.29 ERA, as the Reds dropped 13 games below the previous year's level.

Ouch!

After his baseball career had ended, Pappas had to face a truly unusual personal tragedy. His wife went out one day in 1982 to run some routine errands, and never returned. She and her car both seemed to disappear from the face of the earth. It turns out there was neither foul play nor abandonment involved. Her body was found some five years later, still in the car, which was on the bottom of a retention pool. She apparently had drowned after losing control of the vehicle.

Back to baseball ...

Milt Pappas won a lot of games, and came within one strike of a perfect game late in his career, but no matter what else he accomplished, he'll always be remembered as the guy who brought Baltimore a world's championship - by leaving town!