Milt Wilcox
As a 20-year old rookie in 1970, hard-throwing Milt Wilcox won the final game of playoffs for the Cincinnati Reds. An arm injury sidetracked his career, but he was rescued from the Cubs minor league system by the Tigers in 1976 and went on to pitch a decade in Detroit. Falling in line as the #3 starter behind Jack Morris and Dan Petry, Wilcox won 17 games for the Tigers in 1984, and won the pennant-clinching game, 1-0 over the Royals. He pitched that season in tremendous pain and his career was essentially done.
Quotes From Wilcox
"Sparky was a great manager and an even better man." — Wilcox on Sparky Anderson, for whom he played in Cincinnati and Detroit
Played For
Cincinnati Reds (1970-1971)
Cleveland Indians (1972-1974)
Chicago Cubs (1975)
Detroit Tigers (1977-1985)
Seattle Mariners (1986)
Best Season: 1984
He was a better pitcher earlier in his career, but '84 was his highwater mark for several reasons. He set career-highs in starts (33) and wins (17), and he won one game in both the ALCS and World Series. Pitching through a severely sore arm much of the season, Wilcox gutted it out and received great run support as he formed a solid trio along with Jack Morris and Dan Petry. He got eight starts in 1985, but never again pitched effectively and won just one game after the magical '84 campaign. He was probably at his best, purely from a pitching standpoint, in 1981.
Factoids
At one point during his career, Hawaiian-native Milt Wilcox credited a Kukailimoku war god statue with bringing him good luck.
Near Perfect
On April 15, 1983, Milt Wilcox nearly joined one of baseball's most exclusive clubs. That night in Comiskey Park, he came within one pitch of tossing a perfect game.
"You hear about athletes getting into 'the zone'," Wilcox said in a 2006 interview. "About the fifth inning I locked into it. I sould see what I was going to do before I did it. I was making my pitches in my mind first, and then doing it."
Wilcox mowed down the potent White Sox lineup inning-after-inning. In the bottom of the ninth, staked to a 6-0 lead, Wilcox got Carlton Fisk to fly out to left, and retired pinch-hitter Mike Squires on a grounder to first. At that point, Chicago manager Tony LaRussa called on another pinch-batter, and something unusual happened that interrupted Wilcox's concentration.
"As they were announcing the pinch-hitter, I couldn't even tell you who they were announcing, but I stepped off the mound and I realized the Chicago fans were giving me a standing ovation. Fans in Chicago don't do that for players from Detroit," Wilcox remembered.
Seemingly unlocked from "the zone," Wilcox tried to sneak an inside fastball past Jerry Hairston. The left-handed batter flicked his bat and lined a single to center field.
"I threw the same pitch to the next batter [Rudy Law] and he grounded out. I had a one-hitter."
Wilcox had missed becoming the 13th pitcher to toss a perfect game. In his next start, he threw a second straight shutout, five-hitting the Mariners.
Born
Milton Edward Wilcox was born on April 20, 1950, in Honolulu, HI.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: DET
Major League Debut
September 5, 1970 ... Wilcox was a flamethrowing righty who was called up for a look in September. The Reds had sown up the NL West title, and he got a few chances to shine. When veteran Jim Maloney went down with an injury, the Reds placed Wilcox on their post-season roster.
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1970
Dave Concepcion
Jose Cruz
Don Baylor
Larry Bowa
Ken Singleton
Bobby Grich
Cesar Cedeno
Bert Blyleven
Charlie Hough
Related Players
An injury to Jim Maloney opened up a roster spot for Wicox on the Reds' 1970 playoff roster. He pitched three shutout innings of relief against the Pirates to win the deciding game... Sparky Anderson... Pinch-hitter extraordinaire Jerry Hairston delivered a two-out, ninth-inning single to break up Wilcox's perfect game bid on April 15, 1983... Wilcox was in the bullpen in Wichita in 1976, when Cubs' roving pitching instructor Fred Martin taught the split-fingered fastball to several Chicago pitchers. Among the group was Bruce Sutter, a 23-year old who was struggling in the minors. Sutter took the pitch (According to Wilcox, "He had the long fingers necessary to throw it well,") and forged a Hall of Fame career.
Post-Season Appearances
1970 National League Championship Series
1970 World Series
1984 American League Championship Series
1984 World Series
The Pitches He Threw
In the 1980 off-season, while playing in a charity basketball game, Wilcox injured his right index finger and underwent surgery to repair it. The result was a somewhat crooked digit which left a wide gap between his index and middle fingers. As a consequence, he was able to grip the split-fingered fastball, a pitch he had been unable to throw before the freak injury. He had his best season in 1981.
Post-Season Notes
Wilcox twice won the pennant-winning game for Sparky Anderson, in 1970 for Cincinnati, and in 1984 for Detroit.
Feats
In April of 1983, Wilcox tossed back-to-back shutouts and put up 20 1/3 consecutive shutout innings.
Notes
Because he wasn't afraid to pitch inside, Wilcox earned a reputation as a head-hunter. In 1979, he plunked 11 batters.
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
With the Indians in the 1970s, Wilcox suffered an arm injury, most likely a partially torn rotator cuff. He pitched with that injury the rest of his career, often getting cortisone shots to mask the pain. Amazingly, in 1984, he received at least eight cortisone shots during the season, and still won 17 games. He got his last shot just two days before his start in the 1984 League Championship Series, and was given another shot to mask the pain from the cortisone shot. He pitched in the playoffs and World Series with a numb arm that he couldn't lift to brush his teeth. For years, he had been told he had a bad AC joint in his right shoulder, but it was a torn rotator.
Transactions
June 7, 1968: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round of the 1968 amateur draft. Player signed June 16, 1968.
December 6, 1971: Traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Cleveland Indians for Ted Uhlaender.
February 25, 1975: Traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago Cubs for Dave LaRoche and Brock Davis.
June 10, 1976: Purchased by the Detroit Tigers from the Chicago Cubs.
November 7, 1983: Granted Free Agency.
December 29, 1983: Signed as a Free Agent with the Detroit Tigers.
December 20, 1985: Released by the Detroit Tigers.
February 5, 1986: Signed as a Free Agent with the Seattle Mariners.
June 14, 1986: Released by the Seattle Mariners.
Best Strength as a Player
Throwing strikes
Largest Weakness as a Player
Arm strength and injuries.
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