Greg Minton
Encyclopedia
Gregory Brian Minton is a former Major League Baseball
right-handed pitcher
who played for the California Angels and San Francisco Giants
.
Minton enjoyed a 16-year major league career, from to , and was a member of the National League
All-Star Team
. His nickname, "Moon Man," stemmed from various escapades such as the hijacking of the team bus and the flooding of a minor league ballpark so he could leave Amarillo one day early at the end of the season.
Minton went three full seasons (269 1/3 innings) without allowing a home run until John Stearns
homered against him on May 2, 1982. This still is the longest such streak in the post-1920 live-ball era
. A crippling injury in caused Minton to alter his delivery. Instead of using his then-normal high leg kick, Minton shortened his stride to take pressure off his knee. The new delivery gave Minton a 92-mph sinker that batters were unable to drive.
After his career as a player, Minton was a pitching coach in the California Angels' organization, and managed the Class A Lubbock Crickets
for two years.
On August 14, 1986, Minton gave up the last of Pete Rose
's Major League record 4,256 career hits.
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...
right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe 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 a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played for the California Angels and San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
Minton enjoyed a 16-year major league career, from to , and was a member of 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...
All-Star Team
1982 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1982 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 53rd midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 13, 1982 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, home of the...
. His nickname, "Moon Man," stemmed from various escapades such as the hijacking of the team bus and the flooding of a minor league ballpark so he could leave Amarillo one day early at the end of the season.
Minton went three full seasons (269 1/3 innings) without allowing a home run until John Stearns
John Stearns
John Hardin Stearns is a former major league catcher who played for the New York Mets from to , and played a single game for the Philadelphia Phillies in ....
homered against him on May 2, 1982. This still is the longest such streak in the post-1920 live-ball era
Live-ball era
The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in , following the dead-ball era. During that year offensive statistics rose dramatically in what would be mistakenly attributed to the introduction of a new "lively" ball...
. A crippling injury in caused Minton to alter his delivery. Instead of using his then-normal high leg kick, Minton shortened his stride to take pressure off his knee. The new delivery gave Minton a 92-mph sinker that batters were unable to drive.
After his career as a player, Minton was a pitching coach in the California Angels' organization, and managed the Class A Lubbock Crickets
Lubbock Crickets
The Lubbock Crickets were a minor league baseball team that played in Lubbock, Texas from 1995 to 1998. The team was named after Buddy Holly's band, The Crickets. The Crickets played their home games at Dan Law Field on the campus of Texas Tech University...
for two years.
On August 14, 1986, Minton gave up the last of 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 Major League record 4,256 career hits.
See also
- List of MLB individual streaks
- List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders