Thomas William Buskey (February 20, 1947 – June 7, 1998) 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), ...

middle relief pitcher In baseball, a middle reliever or middle relief pitcher, is a relief pitcher who typically pitches during the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings of a standard baseball game. In leagues with no designated hitter, such as in the National League prio ...

. Listed at 6' 3", 200 lb., he batted and threw right handed.

Career

Born in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

, Buskey attended Harrisburg High School then

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

. He entered the majors with the

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 ...

in 1973, playing for them one and a half seasons before joining 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 F ...

(1974–1977) and the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

(1978–1980). He was traded along with

Fritz Peterson Fred Ingels Peterson (born February 8, 1942) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player who played for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers from 1966 to 1976. Peterson was a southpaw starting pitcher who enjoy ...

, Steve Kline and

Fred Beene Freddy Ray Beene (born November 24, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player. Beene was a right-handed pitcher who played in the Major Leagues between to . He was listed at tall and . Beene attended Brazosport High School in Fr ...

from the Yankees to the Indians for

Chris Chambliss Carroll Christopher Chambliss (born December 26, 1948) is an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball from to for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. He served as a coach for th ...

Dick Tidrow Richard William Tidrow (May 14, 1947 – July 10, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher and the senior vice president of player personnel and senior advisor to the general manager for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Basebal ...

and

Cecil Upshaw Cecil Lee Upshaw Jr. (October 22, 1942 – February 7, 1995) was an Americans, American professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher, who had a nine- year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1966–1969, 1971–1975), for the Atlanta Bra ...

on April 26, 1974. In an eight-season career, Buskey posted a 21–27 record with a 3.66

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 ...

and 34 saves in 258 relief appearances,

striking out ''Striking Out'' is an Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who is ...

212 batters while

walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults o ...

167 in 479⅓

innings An innings is one of the divisions of a cricket match during which one team takes its turn to bat. Innings also means the period in which an individual player bats (acts as either striker or nonstriker). Innings, in cricket, and rounders, is bot ...

of work. He also pitched in the

Minor Leagues Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

over parts of eight seasons spanning 1969–1979, going 49–42 with a 2.77 ERA and 23 saves in 183 games, including 74 starts, 37

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

s, seven

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, 474 strikeouts and 186 walks in 768 innings. Additionally, Buskey played winter baseball with the

Leones del Caracas The Caracas Base Ball Club C.A. or better known by its commercial name as the ''Leones del Caracas'', is a professional baseball team of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. In its creation, its headquarters are the University Stadium of C ...

club of the

Venezuelan League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) is the professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Early years Baseball exp ...

in the 1974–1975 season, as he went 6–4 with a 2.19 ERA and eight saves in 28 relief games. After baseball, Buskey was involved with the Susquehanna Employment and Training Corporation, where he was cited as a contributor to technical and career special needs education in 1997. He died in 1998 at the age of 51, following complications from a heart attack in his home.The Deadball Era – Grave of Tom Buskey at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
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Sources

External links

Baseball Gauge
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buskey, Thomas 1947 births 1998 deaths American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baseball players from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Cleveland Indians players Fort Lauderdale Yankees players Johnson City Yankees players Kinston Eagles players Leones del Caracas players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Major League Baseball pitchers Manchester Yankees players New York Yankees players North Carolina Tar Heels baseball players Syracuse Chiefs players Toledo Mud Hens players Toronto Blue Jays players University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni West Haven Yankees players