Jim Rooker
Encyclopedia
James Phillip Rooker is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
and broadcaster
.
A left-hander, Rooker pitched for the Detroit Tigers
(1968), Kansas City Royals
(1969–1973) and Pittsburgh Pirates
(1974–1980).
. After being selected by the Kansas City Royals in the October 1968 expansion draft
he made the starting rotation. In he won only four games against 16 losses; however, in one of the losses, on July 7 against the Minnesota Twins
, he became the first Royal to hit two home runs in one game. Both home runs were off Jim Kaat
.
Rooker improved his record to 10-15 in ; one of the losses came in a 12-inning game against the New York Yankees
on June 4 after Horace Clarke
broke up Rooker’s bid for a no-hitter
leading off the ninth (Clarke would also break up 9th-inning no-hit bids by Sonny Siebert
and Joe Niekro
within a month; Siebert had already pitched one in ), then scored on Bobby Murcer
’s double. After winning only seven games against 13 losses over the next two seasons Rooker was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Gene Garber
.
in . The wins and ERA were a career best, as was his strikeout
total (139). The Pirates won the National League East
title the latter year, and Rooker pitched in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series
against the Los Angeles Dodgers
. He gave up two runs in 7 innings but was not involved in the decision; the Dodgers won the game, then went on to win the Series. In Rooker went 13-11 with a 2.97 ERA as the Pirates won the NL East title again; once again, however, the Pirates were defeated in the NLCS
, this time by the eventual World Champion
Cincinnati Reds
. In Game Two of that Series Rooker gave up four runs in as many innings, including a two-run home run to Tony Perez
in the first inning.
The Pirates did not win the NL East title in or (the Philadelphia Phillies
won it in both seasons), but Rooker maintained his consistency during those two seasons, with a 15-8 and 14-9 record respectively. In he slumped to 9-11 and his ERA rose to 4.24—the highest it had been since 4.38 in .
In Rooker was a member of the Willie Stargell
-led World Championship
team. His career nearing the end, Rooker posted a 4-7 record as a spot starter. Starting Game Five of that Series with his Pirates trailing the Baltimore Orioles
three games to one, Rooker gave up one run in five innings and left the game trailing by that 1-0 score. Pittsburgh rallied to score seven runs over the next three innings and got four shutout innings from Bert Blyleven
to win the game 7-1, then won the next two games to take the Series.
In his career Rooker won 103 games against 109 losses, with 976 strikeouts and a 3.46 ERA in 1810 1/3 innings pitched
. He loves dogs and is an avid dog trainer.
Rooker also went into politics
after his baseball career. A Democrat
, he once ran for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
and once for the United States Congress
, but lost both races.
Rooker’s most famous moment as a broadcaster came on June 8, , during a Pirates’ road game against the Philadelphia Phillies
at Veterans Stadium
. The Pirates scored 10 runs in the top of the first inning, including three on a Barry Bonds
home run. As the Pirates' cross-state rival
s came to bat in the bottom of the first, Rooker said on the air, “If we lose this game, I’ll walk home.” Both Von Hayes
and Steve Jeltz
hit two home runs (the latter would hit only five during his Major League career) to trigger a Phillies comeback. The Phillies, trailing now only 11-10 in the eighth inning, scored the tying run on a wild pitch
, then took the lead on Darren Daulton
’s two-run single and went on to win 15-11. Rooker had to wait until after the season to make good on his “walk home” promise, conducting a 300-plus-mile charity walk from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.
. He has currently written three book with plots that combine reading and baseball for young children. The books are titled "Paul the Baseball", "Matt The Batt", and "Kitt the Mitt", and were published by Mascot Books
in September 2009.
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...
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...
and broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
.
A left-hander, Rooker pitched for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(1968), Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
(1969–1973) and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1974–1980).
Early career
Signed as an amateur free agent by the Detroit Tigers, Rooker spent seven years in the Detroit farm system until he debuted in , pitching 4 2/3 innings in two games in reliefRelief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. After being selected by the Kansas City Royals in the October 1968 expansion draft
1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft
The 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft was conducted to stock up the rosters of four expansion teams in Major League Baseball which would begin play in the 1969 season....
he made the starting rotation. In he won only four games against 16 losses; however, in one of the losses, on July 7 against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, he became the first Royal to hit two home runs in one game. Both home runs were off Jim Kaat
Jim Kaat
James Lee "Jim" Kaat , nicknamed "Kitty", is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins , Chicago White Sox , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees , and St...
.
Rooker improved his record to 10-15 in ; one of the losses came in a 12-inning game against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on June 4 after Horace Clarke
Horace Clarke
Horace Meredith Clarke was a Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres from 1965 to 1974....
broke up Rooker’s bid for a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
leading off the ninth (Clarke would also break up 9th-inning no-hit bids by Sonny Siebert
Sonny Siebert
Wilfred Charles Siebert is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1964 to 1975. He finished with a record of 140-114 and a 3.21 ERA. He threw a no-hitter on June 10, 1966 against the Washington Senators. He was originally drafted simultaneously by the Cleveland Indians and the St...
and Joe Niekro
Joe Niekro
Joseph Franklin Niekro was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was the younger brother of pitcher Phil Niekro, and the father of Minor League Baseball pitcher Lance Niekro. A native of Blaine, Ohio, Niekro attended Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio and attended West...
within a month; Siebert had already pitched one in ), then scored on Bobby Murcer
Bobby Murcer
Bobby Ray Murcer was an American Major League Baseball outfielder who played for 17 seasons between 1965 and 1983, mostly with the New York Yankees, whom he later rejoined as a longtime broadcaster...
’s double. After winning only seven games against 13 losses over the next two seasons Rooker was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Gene Garber
Gene Garber
Henry Eugene Garber is a former sidearm relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the amateur draft, and pitched for the Pirates, the Kansas City Royals, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Atlanta Braves.Upon his retirement in , his...
.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Rooker enjoyed his best seasons in Pittsburgh, posting a 10-6 record in and a 15-11 record with a 2.78 earned run averageEarned 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 . The wins and ERA were a career best, as was his strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
total (139). The Pirates won the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
title the latter year, and Rooker pitched in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series
1974 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 5, 1974 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaThe Dodgers had been winless in six games played a Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium during the regular season but they remedied that situation in postseason play. In the opening game, Don Sutton was opposed to...
against the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. He gave up two runs in 7 innings but was not involved in the decision; the Dodgers won the game, then went on to win the Series. In Rooker went 13-11 with a 2.97 ERA as the Pirates won the NL East title again; once again, however, the Pirates were defeated in the NLCS
1975 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1975 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Reds cuffed four Pirate hurlers for 11 hits in the opener, breezing to an 8–3 triumph...
, this time by the eventual World Champion
1975 World Series
The 1975 World Series was played between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds . It has been ranked by ESPN as the second-greatest World Series ever played...
Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. In Game Two of that Series Rooker gave up four runs in as many innings, including a two-run home run to Tony Perez
Tony Pérez
Atanasio Pérez Rigal , more commonly known as Tony Pérez, is a former Major League Baseball player. He was also known by the nickname "Big Dog," "Big Doggie," and "Doggie."...
in the first inning.
The Pirates did not win the NL East title in or (the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
won it in both seasons), but Rooker maintained his consistency during those two seasons, with a 15-8 and 14-9 record respectively. In he slumped to 9-11 and his ERA rose to 4.24—the highest it had been since 4.38 in .
In Rooker was a member of the Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell
Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
-led World Championship
1979 World Series
The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...
team. His career nearing the end, Rooker posted a 4-7 record as a spot starter. Starting Game Five of that Series with his Pirates trailing the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
three games to one, Rooker gave up one run in five innings and left the game trailing by that 1-0 score. Pittsburgh rallied to score seven runs over the next three innings and got four shutout innings from Bert Blyleven
Bert Blyleven
Bert Blyleven is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to , and was best known for his curveball. Blyleven was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011...
to win the game 7-1, then won the next two games to take the Series.
In his career Rooker won 103 games against 109 losses, with 976 strikeouts and a 3.46 ERA in 1810 1/3 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
. He loves dogs and is an avid dog trainer.
Rooker also went into politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
after his baseball career. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, he once ran for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....
and once for the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, but lost both races.
“If we lose this game, I’ll walk home”
After his playing career, Rooker, well-known for speaking his mind as a player, joined the Pirates’ radio and television broadcast team, with whom he worked from (one year after he retired) through .Rooker’s most famous moment as a broadcaster came on June 8, , during a Pirates’ road game against the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
at Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
. The Pirates scored 10 runs in the top of the first inning, including three on a Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
home run. As the Pirates' cross-state rival
Phillies–Pirates rivalry
The rivalry between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball was considered by some to be one of the best rivalries in the National League...
s came to bat in the bottom of the first, Rooker said on the air, “If we lose this game, I’ll walk home.” Both Von Hayes
Von Hayes
Von Francis Hayes , was a Major League Baseball player from 1981 to 1992 for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, and California Angels...
and Steve Jeltz
Steve Jeltz
Larry Steven Jeltz is a former professional baseball player. He played in parts of eight seasons in Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals...
hit two home runs (the latter would hit only five during his Major League career) to trigger a Phillies comeback. The Phillies, trailing now only 11-10 in the eighth inning, scored the tying run on a wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
, then took the lead on Darren Daulton
Darren Daulton
Darren Arthur Daulton , nicknamed Dutch, is a former catcher in Major League Baseball best remembered for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies...
’s two-run single and went on to win 15-11. Rooker had to wait until after the season to make good on his “walk home” promise, conducting a 300-plus-mile charity walk from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.
Present career
Rooker has begun a new career writing children's literatureChildren's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
. He has currently written three book with plots that combine reading and baseball for young children. The books are titled "Paul the Baseball", "Matt The Batt", and "Kitt the Mitt", and were published by Mascot Books
Mascot Books
Mascot Books is the largest publisher of licensed children’s sports books in America. Based in Herndon, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., Mascot Books creates children’s books for professional teams, colleges, and even elementary schools...
in September 2009.