Mike Bielecki
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Michael Joseph Bielecki (born July 31, 1959) is an American former professional
baseball player Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
who pitched in the Major Leagues for five different teams.


Major league career


Pittsburgh Pirates

After graduating from
Dundalk High School Dundalk High School (DHS) is a four-year public high school in the United States, located in Baltimore County, Maryland. The school opened in 1959. Starting in 2010, DHS was rebuilt and combined with Sollers Point Technical High School. The new ...
, Bielecki attended
Loyola College in Maryland Loyola University Maryland is a private Jesuit university in Baltimore, Maryland. Established as Loyola College in Maryland by John Early and eight other members of the Society of Jesus in 1852, it is the ninth-oldest Jesuit college in the Un ...
for the 1977 –78 academic year. He pitched for the
Greyhounds The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-coated, "S-s ...
for only one season due to the university discontinuing its intercollegiate baseball program in the autumn of 1978. Bielecki was drafted by the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
in the first round, with the eighth pick of the 1979 amateur draft (secondary phase). He made his debut on September 14, 1984. Bielecki spent the next four seasons with the Pirates, only playing full-time in 1986, finishing that season with a 6–11 record and a 4.66
ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...
.


Chicago Cubs

In 1989, Bielecki won a career high 18 games for the Cubs and finished ninth in
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball ( ...
voting. He was nicknamed "BOOM BOOM" Bielecki by Steve Stone for the two-run single he collected against the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
in a game on April 13, 1991. Bielecki pitched the first night game ever at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
, on August 9, 1988.


Cleveland Indians

In 1993, as an Indian, Bielecki had been invited to join
Steve Olin Steven Robert Olin (October 4, 1965 – March 22, 1993) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for four seasons in the American League with the Cleveland Indians. Olin was a right-handed submarining relief pitch ...
,
Tim Crews Stanley Timothy Crews (April 3, 1961 – March 23, 1993) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers from to . Crews was part of the Dodgers team that won the 1988 World Series. At the end o ...
and
Bob Ojeda Robert Michael Ojeda (born December 17, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and television sports color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher from to , most notably as a memb ...
on a fishing boat in
spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
, but declined. The subsequent crash of the boat killed Olin and Crews, and nearly killed Ojeda. Bielecki didn't stay long in Cleveland; he ended the season pitching for the Baltimore Orioles AAA farm team.


California Angels

In 1995 Bielecki pitched for the California Angels, and had a 5.97 ERA in 22 appearances with the team.


Atlanta Braves

In 1991 Bielecki was acquired by the Braves along with
Damon Berryhill Damon Scott Berryhill (born December 3, 1963) is an American former professional baseball catcher and former manager of the AAA Gwinnett Stripers. He played ten seasons for the Chicago Cubs, the Atlanta Braves, the Boston Red Sox, the Cincinnati ...
. With only two days left in the season, in 1992 he was named the fifth starter for the Braves but his season ended in August due to an elbow injury. In 1994 he returned to the Braves. Appeared in the
1996 World Series The 1996 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1996 Major League Baseball season, 1996 season. The 92nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (bas ...
as a member of the Braves. His final game was on August 16, 1997.


References


External links

, o
Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Winter League)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bielecki, Mike 1959 births Living people Baseball players from Baltimore American expatriate baseball players in Canada Águilas del Zulia players Atlanta Braves players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players California Angels players Chicago Cubs players Cleveland Indians players Greenwood Pirates players Gulf Coast Pirates players Hawaii Islanders players Iowa Cubs players Lake Elsinore Storm players Lynn Pirates (1983) players Major League Baseball pitchers Navegantes del Magallanes players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Pittsburgh Pirates players Shelby Pirates players Rochester Red Wings players Valencia Matadors baseball players Vancouver Canadians players 20th-century American sportsmen