Michael Raymond Palagyi (July 4, 1917 – November 21, 2013) was an American

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), ...

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 ...

who pitched for the Washington Senators. He is in a group of nearly 1,500 players who have appeared in exactly one Major League game. At the time of his death, he was the oldest of those one-game players.

Early life

Palagyi was one of ten children born to Joseph and Anna Palagyi. His seven brothers were Jim, John, George, Lewis, Andrew, Peter and Joseph. Mike's sisters included Anna Yusko, Ethel Vento, and Helen who died at birth and twin to brother Andrew. Mike was not the only member to play professional baseball in the family. His brother George Palagyi played minor league ball for 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 ...

as a pitcher. Mike would later go on to marry his wife Margaret. They had one child Michael, who died in a plane crash in the 1970s. Mike was a devote

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and belonged to Corpus Christi Parish in Conneaut. He attended mass regularly at St. Mary Church and was buried out of St. Frances Cabrini Church. He was the last living of his brothers.

Career

Standing and weighing , Palagyi made his major league pitching debut August 18, for the Washington Senators as a relief pitcher in a game against 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 ...

. Coming in to the game to start the top of the ninth, with the Red Sox ahead 3-1, he began by walking Doc Cramer. Then Palagyi faced three future Hall of Fame members:

Jimmie Foxx James Emory Foxx (October 22, 1907 – July 21, 1967), nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, ...

Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1 ...

and

Joe Cronin Joseph Edward Cronin (October 12, 1906 – September 7, 1984) was an American professional baseball player, manager and executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop, most notably as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Cronin spe ...

. He hit Foxx with a pitch and walked Williams and Cronin. The walk to Cronin forced Cramer across the plate; Palagyi was lifted from the game at this point. Two other runners allowed by Palagyi would also score, and the Senators would lose the game by a final score of 6-2, but Palagyi did not receive the loss in that game. He would never play in another major league game. In an interview for Richard Tellis' book, ''Once Around the Bases'', Palagyi said that he "threw but 2 strikes out of 15 pitches — a very short big league career". After leaving baseball, Palagyi served during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Palagyi lived in Conneaut until his death in 2013.

Distinctions

Since Palagyi allowed three earned runs without retiring a batter, his career earned run average (ERA) is infinite. He is one of at least 19 pitchers with an infinite ERA. Palagyi and Mark Wagner are the only major-league players born in Conneaut. Both players pitched in exactly one game in relief. Wagner, however, appeared in other games as a shortstop.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palagyi, Mike Washington Senators (1901–1960) players Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Ohio People from Conneaut, Ohio 1917 births 2013 deaths Greenville Spinners players Monessen Indians players Montgomery Rebels players Spartanburg Spartans players Springfield Indians (baseball) players Springfield Nationals players Zanesville Greys players Catholics from Ohio