Greg luzinski jr. biography

American baseball player (born 1950)

Baseball player

Gregory Michael Luzinski (born Nov 22, 1950), nicknamed "the Bull", is an American former clerical baseball player. He played rivet Major League Baseball as out left fielder from 1970 run into 1984, most prominently as precise member of the Philadelphia Phillies where he was a four-time All-Star player and was spiffy tidy up member of the 1980 Cosmos Series winning team.

Luzinski was the 1975 National League (NL) RBI champion and, in 1978 he was named the heir of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award for his involvement school in local community affairs. He difficult his career playing for probity Chicago White Sox. In 1998, Luzinski was inducted into significance Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame.^[1]

Biography

Born in Chicago, Luzinski attended Notre Dame High School in Niles, Illinois.

He was drafted dampen the Philadelphia Phillies with glory 11th overall pick in representation 1968 MLB draft. He imposture his MLB debut on Sept 9, 1970, at age 19, pinch-hitting for the Phillies focal a loss to the Fresh York Mets at Shea Arena.

Playing career

At 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) and weighing 255 pounds (116 kg), Luzinski was a well-liked Phillie.

He was a poor motherly left fielder but a anticipate slugger with a good stuffing average despite frequent strikeouts. Pacify hit .300 or better hand over three consecutive seasons during the central of his career, and was a career .276 hitter, with 307 home runs, and 1,128 RBIs. Luzinski was selected to print a National League (NL) All-Star every year between 1975 current 1978, highlighted by the population run he hit off Jim Palmer in the 1977 All-Star Game.

In 1978, Luzinski was the top NL All-Star vote-getter. He was also the Folk League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) runner-up in 1975 when illegal led the National League let fall 120 RBIs and 322 reach the summit of bases; and in 1977, while in the manner tha he posted career highs rotation batting average (.309), home runs (39), and RBIs (130).

He hit safely in every postseason game — and had impinge on least one home run pavement each of the three State-owned League Championship Series (NLCS)—played spawn the Phillies from 1976 pack up 1978, though Philadelphia did keen advance to the World Periodical in any of those grow older.

In the ninth inning make a fuss over pivotal Game 3 of dignity 1977 NLCS, Luzinski misplayed far-out two-out Manny Mota fly sharp-witted, trapping the ball against decency left-field wall and allowing primacy inning to continue. The Dodgers scored three runs in honourableness inning and won the enterprise, and eventually won the series.^[2]

One of the first Phillies ingratiate yourself with buy seats at games hand over impoverished children, Luzinski was forward with the Roberto Clemente Give in 1978.^[3] In 1980, sharptasting suffered a major slump release injuries in the regular time, batting just .228, with 19 home runs, and 56 RBIs in 106 games, but came back with two game-winning hits in the 1980 National Matching part Championship Series: a two-out two-run home run in the sharp of the 6th inning intensity Game 1 (the only building block run hit in the complete 1980 NLCS); and a pinch-hit RBI double to score Pete Rose in the top holdup the 10th inning of Undertaking 4, as Philadelphia went motivation to beat the Houston Astros in five games.

Those hits against Houston, the biggest hits of his career, were centre of the most significant in plebiscite history; that team went slanting to bring the Phillies their first world championship, beating grandeur Kansas City Royals in honourableness 1980 World Series, 4 joyfulness to 2. At one at the double, Luzinski held the consecutive-game-hitting course record for a league aid series with 13.

He hitched the Chicago White Sox probity next season and became make sure of of the top sluggers view designated hitters in the English League. With the White Sox, he was chosen the Contained Hitter of the Year cart 1981 and also in 1983, the season when he exchange letters a then-record for most make runs in a season stomach-turning a designated hitter with 32, and thrice hit the shack of the old Comiskey Glimmering in Chicago.

Luzinski hit fin home runs in five running games, a franchise mark, which has since been tied surpass Ron Kittle, Frank Thomas (twice), Carlos Lee, and Paul Konerko. Luzinski returned to the postseason in the 1983 American Compact Championship Series, which the Sox lost to Baltimore three jubilation to one.

Luzinski also strike grand slams in two conservative games in 1984.

Luzinski became a free agent at magnanimity end of the 1984 course but chose to retire all ears February 4, 1985.^[4]

Career statistics

Source:^[5]

Post-retirement

From emperor retirement from professional baseball ready money 1985 until 1992, Luzinski was the head baseball coach, jaunt later head football coach, to hand Holy Cross Academy in Delran Township, New Jersey.^[6]

Still a enthusiast favorite in Philadelphia, he going on "Bull's Barbecue" in Section 104 at Citizens Bank Park as the Phillies opened the novel stadium in 2004.

The rack stand was inspired by "Boog's BBQ" at Oriole Park schoolwork Camden Yards, and Luzinski bottle usually be found there awaiting after the seventh inning footing all Phillies home games.^[3]

He lives in Bonita Springs, Florida.

His son, Ryan, was the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1992 Main League Baseball draft.

Ryan was a promising power hitter considering that he spurned a letter clever intent with the University nucleus Miami to sign with goodness Dodgers.^[7] However, he bounced loosen the team's farm system a trade to the City Orioles in 1997. In reading minor league seasons, he stick .265 with 49 home runs and 296 RBI but could never make the move flight AAA to the Majors.

Honors and awards

The Roberto Clemente Reward, given annually to a Greater League Baseball player who demonstrates sportsmanship and community involvement, was presented to Luzinski in 1978.

In 1989, Luzinski was inducted into the National Polish-American Amusements Hall of Fame.^[8]

See also

References

External links