Eric Show
Encyclopedia
Eric Vaughn Show was a Major League Baseball
player who played for most of his career with the San Diego Padres
. On September 11, 1985, Show gave up Pete Rose
's record-breaking 4,192nd career hit. Show played on the Padres team that won the National League
pennant, and is the winningest pitcher in San Diego Padres history, but his career and life were affected by drug abuse
.
and bullpen
. In he won 15 games. In 1984, he followed with a 15-9 record. However, he struggled in the postseason, going a combined 0-2 with a 12.38 earned run average
in three games.
's 4,192nd hit, which at the time was believed to have surpassed Ty Cobb
's all-time career record of 4,191 hits. (Cobb was later found to have a career record of 4,189 hits.) Show sat on the mound during the delay for festivities, an action which Padre Garry Templeton
later said was "bush." Then he got into a dugout shoving match with left fielder Carmelo Martínez
, over a ball that fell for a single and led to the game-winning run. Finally, Show refused to stay to answer the post-game questions, leaving his teammates to criticize him in his absence.
"I'm tired of hearing about his unlucky luck," said Tim Flannery
. "That's been at the root of the problem all year. If something goes wrong, he quits. That's why runs aren't scored for him. Guys don't want to play for him. One guy got tired of hearing it."
Before the game, when Show had been asked about the possibility of giving up "The Hit", he responded: "I guess it doesn't mean as much to me as it does to other baseball enthusiasts. Don't get me wrong. I'm certainly not putting down Pete. It's a fantastic accomplishment. But in the eternal scheme of things, how much does this matter? I don't like to say this, but I don't care."
Graig Nettles
said, "The Birch Society is going to expel Eric for making a Red famous."
the following year and was cut the following season. He also played in 1990-91 with the Mayaguez Indians of the Puerto Rican Winter League.
in the left cheekbone with a fastball during a game. Dawson had homered in 3 of his last 5 plate appearances at that point, and the Cubs reacted with a bench-clearing brawl. Show and his manager, Larry Bowa
, later denied that the pitch was purposeful, while Bowa acknowledged that he could understand why the Cubs would think it was.
. He was also a jazz
musician
.
He was once arrested by the police in downtown San Diego while yelling that someone was trying to kill him. Placed inside the police car, he kicked out the window and fled on foot. He was apprehended later that same day. Show additionally showed up at the Oakland A's training camp with bandaged hands after police had pursued him on another occasion after reports were made of his acting oddly inside an adult bookstore.
after taking a speedball
(i.e. injecting a mixture of cocaine and heroin) in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in the San Diego suburb of Dulzura
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who played for most of his career with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. On September 11, 1985, Show gave up Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
's record-breaking 4,192nd career hit. Show played on the Padres team that won the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennant, and is the winningest pitcher in San Diego Padres history, but his career and life were affected by drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
.
1981–1984
Show made his debut in late September of , and the following year went 10-6 while splitting time between the starting rotationStarting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
and bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
. In he won 15 games. In 1984, he followed with a 15-9 record. However, he struggled in the postseason, going a combined 0-2 with a 12.38 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in three games.
"The Hit"
On September 11, 1985, Show became famous for giving up Pete RosePete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
's 4,192nd hit, which at the time was believed to have surpassed Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
's all-time career record of 4,191 hits. (Cobb was later found to have a career record of 4,189 hits.) Show sat on the mound during the delay for festivities, an action which Padre Garry Templeton
Garry Templeton
Garry Lewis Templeton, nicknamed "Jumpsteady", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets from 1976 to 1991...
later said was "bush." Then he got into a dugout shoving match with left fielder Carmelo Martínez
Carmelo Martinez
Carmelo Martínez Salgado is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as a first baseman and outfielder, from 1983 to 1991. He also played one season in Japan for the Orix BlueWave in...
, over a ball that fell for a single and led to the game-winning run. Finally, Show refused to stay to answer the post-game questions, leaving his teammates to criticize him in his absence.
"I'm tired of hearing about his unlucky luck," said Tim Flannery
Tim Flannery (baseball)
Timothy Earl Flannery is a former Major League Baseball player who spent eleven seasons with the San Diego Padres, from to . He is also the nephew of former Major League Baseball player Hal Smith.-Minors:...
. "That's been at the root of the problem all year. If something goes wrong, he quits. That's why runs aren't scored for him. Guys don't want to play for him. One guy got tired of hearing it."
Before the game, when Show had been asked about the possibility of giving up "The Hit", he responded: "I guess it doesn't mean as much to me as it does to other baseball enthusiasts. Don't get me wrong. I'm certainly not putting down Pete. It's a fantastic accomplishment. But in the eternal scheme of things, how much does this matter? I don't like to say this, but I don't care."
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
said, "The Birch Society is going to expel Eric for making a Red famous."
Later career
Show made his last appearance on the National League leaderboard in , a season in which he went 16-11 with 13 complete games and pitched 234 2/3 innings. His effectiveness diminished significantly after that season and by he had lost his regular spot in San Diego's rotation. He signed with Oakland as a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
the following year and was cut the following season. He also played in 1990-91 with the Mayaguez Indians of the Puerto Rican Winter League.
Controversial Moments
On July 7, 1987, Show hit the year's eventual MVP Andre DawsonAndre Dawson
Andre Nolan Dawson , nicknamed "The Hawk", is an American former center fielder and right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played for four different teams, spending most of his career with the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs .An 8-time National League All-Star, he was named the...
in the left cheekbone with a fastball during a game. Dawson had homered in 3 of his last 5 plate appearances at that point, and the Cubs reacted with a bench-clearing brawl. Show and his manager, Larry Bowa
Larry Bowa
Lawrence Robert Bowa is a former middle infielder, playing mainly as a shortstop, and manager in Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
, later denied that the pitch was purposeful, while Bowa acknowledged that he could understand why the Cubs would think it was.
Personal life
In 1984, he revealed that he was a member of the far-right John Birch SocietyJohn Birch Society
The John Birch Society is an American political advocacy group that supports anti-communism, limited government, a Constitutional Republic and personal freedom. It has been described as radical right-wing....
. He was also a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
He was once arrested by the police in downtown San Diego while yelling that someone was trying to kill him. Placed inside the police car, he kicked out the window and fled on foot. He was apprehended later that same day. Show additionally showed up at the Oakland A's training camp with bandaged hands after police had pursued him on another occasion after reports were made of his acting oddly inside an adult bookstore.
Death
After his retirement from baseball, Show fell victim to drug abuse. He died on March 16, 1994 of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
after taking a speedball
Speedball (drug)
Speedball is a term commonly referring to the hazardous intravenous use of heroin or morphine and cocaine together in the same syringe. The speedball can also be taken by insufflation. The original speedball used cocaine hydrochloride mixed with morphine sulfate, as opposed to heroin...
(i.e. injecting a mixture of cocaine and heroin) in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in the San Diego suburb of Dulzura
Dulzura, California
Dulzura, California is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, California. It is located 25 miles ESE of the city of San Diego, about 10 miles north of the U.S.-Mexican border....
.
External links
- Retrosheet
- An account of the game that featured a bench-clearing brawl after Show hit Dawson with a pitch
- http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20080518-9999-1s18show.html "Mystery Man." San Diego Tribune. Sunday, May 18, 2008.
- http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1122387/index.htm "All's Right With His World" Sports Illustrated. August 6, 1984.
- http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=5543839