Robert Bush Sebra (December 11, 1961 – July 22, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos,

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

, and

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

, in all or part of the to seasons. He threw and batted right-handed.

Career

Sebra attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and in 1981 he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the Wareham Gatemen of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 5th round of the

1983 Major League Baseball draft First round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1983 Major League Baseball draft. ''*'' Did not sign Compensation picks Other notable players *Bill Swift, 2nd round, 29th overall by the Minnesota Twins, but did not ...

. Over the course of his big league career, he pitched in 94 games, 52 of them as a

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

. Included among Sebra's MLB highlights are 2 shutouts, a 1–0 and a 2–0, accomplished while with Montreal. In 1986, Sebra was the last pitcher ever to give up a walk-off win where the winning run was scored by the other team's manager. Sebra was primarily a starting pitcher but on July 28, 1989, he picked up his lone career save. He pitched a scoreless 17th inning to close out a 4-2 Reds victory over the Braves. He was traded along with Ron Robinson from the Reds to the Brewers for Glenn Braggs and Billy Bates on June 9, 1990. The last pitch he ever threw in the majors ignited a major brawl between the Brewers and Mariners on June 30, 1990. He would receive a 5-game suspension, but not until he had already been sent down to the minors.

Personal life

Born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, Sebra played prep baseball at Gloucester Catholic High School. Sebra died at the age of 58 on July 22, 2020, after spending a year in intensive care in Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, as a result of multiple organ failure. He had undergone a liver transplant several years earlier.

References

External links

1961 births 2020 deaths American expatriate baseball players in Canada Cincinnati Reds players Deaths from multiple organ failure Denver Zephyrs players Gloucester Catholic High School alumni Indianapolis Indians players Iowa Cubs players Jackson Generals (Texas League) players Liver transplant recipients Louisville Redbirds players Major League Baseball pitchers Milwaukee Brewers players Montreal Expos players Nashville Sounds players Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball players Oklahoma City 89ers players Osceola Astros players Sportspeople from Ridgewood, New Jersey Baseball players from Bergen County, New Jersey Philadelphia Phillies players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players Somerset Patriots players Texas Rangers players Tri-Cities Triplets players Tucson Toros players Tulsa Drillers players Wareham Gatemen players Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks players {{US-baseball-pitcher-1960s-stub