Juan Pizarro (baseball)
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Juan Ramón Pizarro a.k.a. "Terín" (February 7, 1937 – February 18, 2021) was a
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB)
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
. He played for 18 seasons on 9 teams, from 1957 through 1974. In 1964, he won 19 games (19–9) and pitched 4
shutouts In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...
for the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
. He was selected for the Major League All-Star Baseball game in 1963 and 1964.


Early years

Pizarro (birth name:Juan Ramon Pizarro Cordova ) was born in
Santurce, Puerto Rico Santurce (, from the Basque ''Santurtzi'' which means Saint George) is a barrio or district in the municipality of San Juan. Its population in 2020 was 69,469. It is also the biggest and most populated of all the barrios in the capital city wit ...
. He began his baseball career in 1955 in Puerto Rico as a pitcher for the '' Cangrejeros de Santurce''. During the 1957–1958 Winter League of Puerto Rico of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Baseball League), he played for the '' Criollos de Caguas'' and was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the season. From 1959 to 1960 he pitched for the last time in Puerto Rico for the ''Cangrejeros del Santurce''.Juan Terin Pizarro La Gloria del Beisbol Puertorriqueño
/ref>


Milwaukee Braves

Pizarro signed with the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent in 1956. After going 27–6 with a 2.06
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
in the minors, he made his major league debut on May 4, 1957 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 20 years of age. He pitched seven strong innings, giving up only one run, however, the Braves managed only two hits off opposing pitcher
Vern Law Vernon Sanders Law (born March 12, 1930) is an American former baseball pitcher who played sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played in 1950–51 and 1954–67. He batted and threw right-handed and was li ...
, and Pizarro lost his debut, 1–0. For the season, he went 5–6 with a 4.62 ERA. The Braves beat the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
in a seven-game
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
that year; Pizarro's only appearance came in Milwaukee's 12–3 loss in game three. He split 1958 between Milwaukee and the triple A
Wichita Braves The Wichita Braves were an American Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A minor league baseball franchise based in Wichita, Kansas, that played in the American Association (1902–1997), American Association from 1956 to 1958 as the top affiliate of the M ...
, and was again included on the Braves' post-season roster as they faced the Yankees in the World Series for the second year in a row. This time the Yankees won the Series in seven games. Pizarro's only appearance again came in a loss in game five. Pizarro remained with the Braves through 1960, compiling a 23–19 record and 3.93 ERA in Milwaukee. On December 15, 1960, he was traded with
Joey Jay Joseph Richard Jay (born August 15, 1935) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from through , Jay played for the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1953–, –, 1966), and Cincinnati ...
to the Cincinnati Reds for
Roy McMillan Roy is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origin. In Anglo-Norman England, the name derived from the Norman ''roy'', meaning "king", while its Old French cognate, ''rey'' or ''roy'' (modern ''roi''), likewise gave rise t ...
, then immediately sent by the Reds with
Cal McLish Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish (December 1, 1925 – August 26, 2010), nicknamed "Bus", was an American professional baseball pitcher and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn Dodgers (, ), Pittsburg ...
to the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
for
Gene Freese Eugene Lewis "Gene" Freese (January 8, 1934 – June 18, 2013), was an American professional baseball third baseman, who was widely noted as a journeyman. Freese played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates (twice), St. Louis Card ...
.


Chicago White Sox

Pizarro enjoyed his greatest success as a member of the White Sox. In 1961, despite being the youngest pitcher in the
starting rotation R rabbit ears :Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...
, Pizarro emerged as the staff's ace, leading the Chisox with fourteen wins, 188
strikeouts In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
and 194.2 innings pitched. He also made fourteen appearances out of the bullpen, and earned his first career save on August 27. He was given the opening day nod in 1962, and pitched a complete game 2–1 victory over the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
. In 1963, he was named to the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
All-Star roster, and pitched a scoreless seventh inning during the All-Star Game. Pizarro's best season was 1964, when he went 19–9 with a 2.56 ERA and four
shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...
s. Coincidentally, it was also his best season with the bat, as he batted .211 with a career high three home runs and career high 15
runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...
. From there, things rapidly deteriorated for him. Injuries limited Pizarro to just eighteen starts in 1965. In 1966, he was used primarily in relief. Despite a respectable 8–6 record and 3.76 ERA in 34 appearances, he pitched only 88.2 innings. Following the season, he was purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates.


Journeyman

Though he made nine starts for the 1967 Pirates, he was mainly a
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weat ...
, earning a career high nine saves. He was limited to "mop up duty" by manager
Larry Shepard Lawrence William Shepard (April 3, 1919April 5, 2011) was an American professional baseball player, manager, and pitching coach. He managed the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball to a 164–155 win–loss record in and . Although he was ...
in 1968. He appeared in twelve games with the Pirates prior to being placed on waivers; eleven were losses. The one win, Pizarro entered the game with the Pirates trailing, and earned the win himself. The
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
claimed Pizarro off waivers on June 27. He was used primarily as a starter in Boston, going 6–6 with six complete games as a starter. He also earned two saves for the Bosox. He was traded along with
Ken Harrelson Kenneth Smith Harrelson (born September 4, 1941), nicknamed "The Hawk" due to his distinctive profile, is an American former professional baseball All-Star first baseman and outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 197 ...
and
Dick Ellsworth Richard Clark Ellsworth (March 22, 1940 – October 10, 2022) was an American professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs (1958, 1960–1966), Philadelphia Phillies (1967), Boston Red ...
from the Red Sox to the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
for
Sonny Siebert Wilfred Charles "Sonny" Siebert (born January 14, 1937) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher from 1964 to 1975. He finished with a record of 140-114 and a 3.21 ERA. He threw a no-hitter on June 10, 1966, against the Washingto ...
,
Vicente Romo Vicente is an Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese name. Like its French variant, Vincent, it is derived from the Latin name ''Vincentius'' meaning "conquering" (from Latin ''vincere'', "to conquer"). Vicente may refer to: Location *São Vicente, Ca ...
and
Joe Azcue José Joaquín Azcue López (born August 18, 1939) is a Cuban former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, most prominently as a member of the Cleveland Indians where he played the bulk of hi ...
on April 19, . Toward the end of the season, he was placed on waivers and claimed by the Oakland Athletics. After beginning the 1970 season with Oakland's triple A affiliate, Pizarro was released and signed a minor league contract with the California Angels. He was 9–0 for the
Hawaii Islanders The Hawaii Islanders were a minor league baseball team based in Honolulu, Hawaii, that played in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League for 27 seasons from 1961 through 1987. Originally an affiliate of the Kansas City Athletics, the Islanders played ...
when the Angels dealt him to the Chicago Cubs for Archie Reynolds.


Chicago Cubs

On September 11, 1971, he shut out the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
at
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. In his next start, he shutout
Tom Seaver George Thomas Seaver (November 17, 1944 – August 31, 2020), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "the Franchise", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets, Cinc ...
and the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
1–0 at
Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.
. The one run was a solo shot by Pizarro in the eighth inning. Seaver had won seven in a row at that point. His previous loss came on August 1, also courtesy of a complete game by Pizarro. It would be more than 40 years before another starting pitcher broke a scoreless tie by hitting a home run in the eighth inning or later:
Clayton Kershaw Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) . He has played for the Dodgers for the entirety of his MLB career. A left-handed starting pi ...
of the Dodgers did this, also in the eighth inning, on Opening Day 2013. For the 1971 season, Pizarro went 7–6 with a 3.46 ERA. He was 4–5 with a 3.94 ERA in 1972. He spent most of the first half of the 1973 season assigned to the Cubs' triple A affiliate, the
Wichita Aeros The Wichita Aeros were an American minor league baseball franchise based in Wichita, Kansas, that played in the Triple-A American Association from 1970 through 1984. The Aeros were established as an expansion franchise when the Association gre ...
. After a blown save against the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
on June 17, Pizarro was placed on waivers. He was claimed by the Houston Astros on July 8.


Return to the post season

Pizarro was 2–2 with a 6.56 ERA out of Houston's bullpen in 1973. He was released the following Spring, and rejoined the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates won the
National League East The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title. The division was created when the National Leag ...
by a game and a half over the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing Pizarro to return to the post season for the first time since 1958. His only appearance in the 1974 National League Championship Series came in the fourth game, which the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
won to head to the
1974 World Series The 1974 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1974 season. The 71st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion (and two-time defending World ...
.


Death

Pizarro died on February 18, 2021.


Legacy

Looking at his entire professional career, Pizarro won more than 400 ballgames. His regular-season count is 392: 197 in the US (131 in the majors and 66 in the minors), plus 38 more in Mexico in his late 30s and 157 while playing winter ball in his homeland. His final record in Puerto Rico was 157–110, with a superb 2.51 ERA. Only Rubén Gómez had more wins (174, and he needed 29 seasons to do it). Pizarro pitched 2,403 innings, again second behind Gomez, and allowed just 1,980 hits. He is the PRWL's all-time leader in strikeouts (1,804) and shutouts (46), marks that will almost certainly never be challenged.SABR BioProject: Juan Pizarro
/ref> Pizarro was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Caribbean Confederation and the Puerto Rican Sports Hall of Fame.


Major-league career stats

* American League All-Star (1963, 64) * American League Leader in strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (1961, 62) * AmerIcan League Leader in fielding average as pitcher (1963, 64) * National League pennant team (1957, 58) * World Series champion team (1957) Pizarro had a .202 lifetime
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
(133-658) with 8 home runs, 72 runs scored and 66 RBIs.


Note


See also

* List of Puerto Ricans


References


External links

, o
Baseball Almanac
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pizarro, Juan 1937 births 2021 deaths American League All-Stars Boston Red Sox players Chicago Cubs players Chicago White Sox players Cleveland Indians players Hawaii Islanders players Houston Astros players Iowa Oaks players Jacksonville Braves players Louisville Colonels (minor league) players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico Milwaukee Braves players Oakland Athletics players Sportspeople from San Juan, Puerto Rico Pittsburgh Pirates players Tacoma Cubs players Wichita Aeros players Wichita Braves players