Kevin Richard Kobel (born October 2, 1953) is a former professional baseball
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 ...
. Having made his major league debut with the
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 ...
a month shy of his twentieth birthday on September 8, , he is the only pitcher in franchise history to make his major league debut as a teenager.
Career
Kobel was selected by the
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 ...
out of
Saint Francis High School in Athol Springs, New York in the eleventh round (250th overall) of the
1971 Major League Baseball Draft. After three seasons in their
farm system
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
, in which he went 20–24 with a 3.60
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 ...
, Kobel joined the Brewers as a September call-up in 1973. He began his major league career with a perfect inning of work in which he struck out the first two
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
batters he faced and induced a weak ground ball to first base from the third. In his second inning, however, he surrendered a
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
to light hitting
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
Fred Stanley.
His first major league win also came against the Yankees on May 12, . Kobel held the Yankees scoreless on two
hits
Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block
* ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998
* ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...
through seven innings in the rain delayed second game of a
doubleheader 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.[home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...](_blank)
to
Rick Dempsey
John Rikard Dempsey (born September 13, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player.[Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods (1903, 1905, 1909–1914, 1918–1960, 1974–1976). The current Sacramento River Cats began pl ...](_bl ...<br></span></div> to lead off the eighth, the game was called due to rain. Kobel spent the entire 1974 season in the majors, compiling a 6–14 record and 3.99 ERA. He seemed to be at his best against the Yankees, as his ERA against the Yankees was 2.10, and three of those six wins were at their expense.
He developed arm troubles that limited him to thirty innings for the triple A <div class=)
in . He remained a minor leaguer with the Brewers until receiving a second September call-up in . Following a season spent in the minors, his contract was purchased by 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 ...
. He pitched parts of three seasons for the Mets, in which he went 12–18 with a 3.58 ERA. On June 17, , he was traded to the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
for a
player to be named later
In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
.
He appeared in eight games for the triple A
Omaha Royals
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County, Nebraska, Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. List of ...
. He pitched briefly for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
' triple A affiliate, the
Portland Beavers
The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL.
Franchise history
Many baseball teams ...
, in .
References
External links
, o
Arizona Major League Alumni o
The Ultimate Mets Database o
o
Mexican League o
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kobel, Kevin
1953 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Baseball players from New York (state)
Indios de Ciudad Juárez (minor league) players
Leones de Yucatán players
Leones del Caracas players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Major League Baseball pitchers
Mexican League baseball pitchers
Milwaukee Brewers players
New York Mets players
Newark Co-Pilots players
Omaha Royals players
Portland Beavers players
Sacramento Solons players
San Antonio Brewers players
Shreveport Captains players
Spokane Indians players
Tidewater Tides players