Product Code Database
Alan Thomas Hrabosky (; born July 21, 1949) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1970 to 1982 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, and Atlanta Braves. As of 2024, he is the color commentator on Cardinals regular-season pre-game and post-game broadcasts on FanDuel Sports Midwest.
Hrabosky's nickname is " the Mad Hungarian" because of his unusual last name and colorful character.
He bounced between the majors and the minors for the next three seasons before finally sticking with the Cardinals in 1974, when he had a breakout season, going 8-1 with a 2.95 ERA over 88 innings of work.
Hrabosky became a Cardinals fan favorite for his antics on the mound. When entering a game, he would turn his back to the batter, walk towards second base, vigorously rub the ball between his palms several times, take a deep breath, and pound the ball into his mitt. He then stormed back to the mound and stared down the batter; although the home crowd would roar in delight, most batters were not fond of the routine.
Hrabosky led the National League in saves in 1975 with 22 (a career-best) en route to winning Sporting News "NL Fireman of the Year" award. He had a career-high in wins, posting a 13–3 record with an ERA of 1.67.
Early in his career with the Cardinals, Hrabosky enhanced his menacing appearance with long hair and a horseshoe moustache. When Vern Rapp became Cardinals manager in 1977, he imposed a grooming code on the players; Hrabosky cut his hair and shaved the moustache despite his vehement opposition. He explained, "Relief pitching is 75 per cent mental. How am I going to scare hell out of the hitters with my new image? How am I going to convince them I'm a dangerous madman if I look like a golf-pro? I've never been blessed with great ability. My mystique was what made me successful." Boswell, Thomas. "Opposing Batters Stop Needling Mad Hungarian," The Washington Post, Wednesday, March 23, 1977. Retrieved September 8, 2020 The enmity between Hrabosky and Rapp persisted throughout the season and included the former being suspended on May 21 for what Cardinals management stated as "rank insubordination."
Perhaps Hrabosky's most memorable performance came in 1977 during an ABC Monday Night Baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on May 9. In the top of the ninth with the game tied at 5–5, Hrabosky allowed the first three hitters (all left-handed: Ken Griffey, Joe Morgan, and Dan Driessen) to reach base and load the bases. As the Redbirds home crowd roared, Hrabosky went into his "Mad Hungarian" routine and proceeded to strike out right-handed power hitters George Foster, Johnny Bench, and Bob Bailey. The Cardinals went on to win 6–5 on a Ted Simmons home run in the tenth inning.
In the following year, Hrabosky went 9–4 with a 3.74 ERA and eleven saves in 65 innings. He allowed more hits and runs (67 and 31, respectively) while having 39 strikeouts and ten walks. He was granted free agency after the season, and signed with the Atlanta Braves.
Twelve days later, he was released by the Braves. Hrabosky signed with the Chicago White Sox during spring training in , but retired before the season began.
In 13 seasons, Hrabosky recorded 64 wins, 35 losses, and 97 saves with an ERA of 3.10.
|
|
