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Richie Zisk

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Richie Zisk
Outfielder / Designated hitter
Born: (1949-02-06) February 6, 1949 (age 75)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 8, 1971, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Last MLB appearance
September 21, 1983, for the Seattle Mariners
MLB statistics
Batting average.287
Home runs207
Runs batted in792
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Richard Walter Zisk (born February 6, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and designated hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners. A two-time All-Star player, Zisk was named the American League’s 1981 Comeback Player of the Year.[1] He was the first position player in major league history to sign a 10-year contract.[2]

Career

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Pittsburgh Pirates

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Zisk was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Seton Hall University in the third round of the 1967 Major League Baseball draft.[3] He made his major league debut on September 8, 1971, replacing Roberto Clemente in right field in the eighth inning of Pittsburgh's 10–1 victory over the Chicago Cubs, and got a single in his first major league at-bat.[4] Zisk also appeared in 17 games with the 1972 Pirates, however, he was not on either team's post-season roster.[5]

In Zisk's rookie season, 1973, he batted .324 with 10 home runs and 54 RBI in 103 games.[5] On June 9, 1974, he hit for the cycle in a 14–1 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park.[6] For the season, he hit .313 with 17 home runs and a team-high 100 RBI in 149 games.[5][7] He made his only post-season appearances with the 1974 and 1975 Pirates. While batting an impressive .400 in the post-season, Zisk only scored one run and had no RBI as the Pirates lost in four games to the Dodgers in the 1974 NLCS and were swept by the Reds in the 1975 NLCS.[5]

Chicago White Sox

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Zisk with 1977 White Sox

Zisk was acquired along with Silvio Martinez by the Chicago White Sox from the Pirates for Goose Gossage and Terry Forster at the Winter Meetings on December 10, 1976.[8] His best season was in 1977, his lone year with the White Sox, when he hit 30 home runs and had 101 RBI, both career highs, in addition to a .290 batting average in 141 games.[5] He started in left field for the American League in the 1977 All-Star Game, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.[9]

Texas Rangers

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Zisk became a free agent at the end of the 1977 season. On November 9, 1977, he signed a 10-year, $2.75 million contract with the Texas Rangers.[10] This made him the first major league position player to sign a 10-year contract.[2] He batted clean-up, and started in right field at the 1978 All-Star Game at San Diego Stadium in San Diego.[11] For the season, Zisk batted .262 with 22 home runs and 85 RBI in 140 games while splitting time between left field, right field and designated hitter.[5]

Seattle Mariners

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1983 Seattle Mariners #22 Richie Zisk road jersey

After three seasons in Texas, Zisk was traded along with Jerry Don Gleaton, Rick Auerbach, Ken Clay, Brian Allard and minor-league right-handed pitcher Steve Finch from the Rangers to the Mariners for Willie Horton, Rick Honeycutt, Leon Roberts, Mario Mendoza and Larry Cox in an 11-player blockbuster deal on December 18, 1980.[12] His first season in Seattle, he batted .311 with 16 home runs and 43 RBI in 94 games to earn 1981 AL Comeback Player of the Year honors.[5] After three seasons as the Mariners' designated hitter, he retired after the 1983 season.

Career stats

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Seasons Games AB Runs Hits 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO HBP Avg. Slg. OBP TB FLD%
13 1,453 5,144 681 1,477 245 26 207 792 8 533 910 12 .287 .466 .353 2395 .981

Personal life

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Zisk was raised in Parsippany–Troy Hills, New Jersey,[13] and played baseball at Parsippany High School.[14] The Daytona Cubs retired Richie's number 22 on July 20, 2007, with his family in attendance and on his bobblehead day. His younger brother, John, played a season in the Texas Rangers' organization, and two for the independent Wausau Timbers of the Midwest League.[15]

In 2004, Zisk was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.[16]

During 2011 and 2012, Zisk was in charge of pro scouting in Florida for the Chicago Cubs.[17][18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Zisk's Star Trident Comeback". baseballhall.org. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Langs, Sarah (February 5, 2024). "The longest contracts in baseball history". MLB.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  3. ^ "3rd Round of the 1967 MLB June Amateur Draft". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  4. ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates 10, Chicago Cubs 1". Baseball-Reference.com. September 8, 1971.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Richie Zisk Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  6. ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates 14, San Francisco Giants 1". Baseball-Reference.com. June 9, 1974.
  7. ^ "1974 Pittsburgh Pirates Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  8. ^ Chass, Murray (December 11, 1976). "White Sox Acquire Zisk from Pirates". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  9. ^ "1977 Major League Baseball All-Star Game". Baseball-Reference.com. July 19, 1977.
  10. ^ Chass, Murray (November 9, 1977). "Zisk Lured by Rangers' Offer: $2.75 Million, 10‐Year Contract". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  11. ^ "1978 All-Star Game Box Score, July 11". Baseball-Reference.com. July 11, 1978. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  12. ^ "The Texas Rangers Thursday completed an 11-player trade with..." United Press International. December 18, 1980. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  13. ^ Politi, Steve (May 31, 2017). "Ranking N.J.'s 50 all-time greatest baseball players". NJ.com. Retrieved April 22, 2021. Zisk, who grew up in Parsippany and later played at Seton Hall, had 207 home runs and 792 RBI in a 13-year career.
  14. ^ Taveras, Danny (November 9, 2004). "Classroom a thrill for teacher: Students say Caprio gives and receives respect, offers encouragement". Daily Record. Retrieved May 14, 2007. Caprio fondly recalls some of his former students who achieved success in the world of sports -- Joe Orsulak, the former professional baseball player, and Johnnie Morant, a recent graduate who is now a rookie playing football for the Oakland Raiders. 'My most famous student is Richie Zisk,' he says of the former professional baseball player. [dead link]
  15. ^ "John Zisk Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  16. ^ "Richie Zisk". National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  17. ^ Timmers, Josh (April 6, 2011). "Get To Know: The 2011 Daytona Cubs". Bleed Cubbie Blue. SB Nation.
  18. ^ Padilla, Doug (August 22, 2012). "Change continues: Cubs fire six scouts". ESPN. Retrieved November 24, 2017.

Further reading

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Achievements
Preceded by Hitting for the cycle
June 9, 1974 		Succeeded by
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