| Al Hrabosky | |
|---|---|
 Hrabosky in 1995 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1949-07-21)July 21, 1949 (age 75) Oakland, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 16, 1970, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 18, 1982, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 64–35 |
| Earned run average | 3.10 |
| Strikeouts | 548 |
| Saves | 97 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Alan Thomas Hrabosky (/rəˈbɒski/; born July 21, 1949) is an American former professionalbaseballpitcher. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) from 1970 to 1982 for theSt. Louis Cardinals,Kansas City Royals, andAtlanta Braves. As of 2024, he is thecolor commentator on Cardinals regular-season pre-game and post-game broadcasts onBally Sports Midwest.
Hrabosky's nickname is "the Mad Hungarian" because of his unusual last name and colorful character.[1]
Hrabosky played baseball and football atSavanna High School[2] inAnaheim, California. He was selected by theMinnesota Twins in the eleventh round of the1967 amateur draft. Instead of signing with the club, he enrolled atFullerton College.At Fullerton, Hrabosky set career records for most strikeouts (264), most innings pitched (197), and most strikeouts/9 innings pitched (14.07). His 26 games started is 4th on the Hornets’ all-time list, as is his 2.01 career ERA. Hrabosky is only one of two Hornet players ever to throw a no-hitter.
In January 1969, theCardinals made him their first round choice. He appeared in fewer than 50 games in the Minor Leagues and, at the age of twenty, he made hisMajor League debut with a scoreless inning against theSan Diego Padres on June 16,1970.[3]
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 theNational League in saves in1975 with 22 (a career-best) en route to winningThe Sporting News "NLFireman of the Year" award.[4] 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 ahorseshoe moustache. WhenVern Rapp became Cardinals manager in1977, 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."[5] 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."[6][7]
Perhaps Hrabosky's most memorable performance came in 1977 during anABCMonday Night Baseball game against theCincinnati 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, andDan 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 hittersGeorge Foster,Johnny Bench, andBob Bailey. The Cardinals went on to win 6–5 on aTed Simmons home run in the tenth inning.[8][9]
Hrabosky was traded from the Cardinals to theKansas City Royals forMark Littell andBuck Martinez during theWinter Meetings on December 8, 1977.[10] In1978, he went 8–7 for the Royals, and posted a 2.88 ERA with twenty saves in 75 innings of work in 58 appearances. Hrabosky had sixty strikeouts and 35 walks while allowing fewer hits and runs than the year before. He appeared in three games of theALCS that year, his first and only time pitching in the postseason. He pitched in the eighth inning of the first three games, allowing a combined total of three hits and one run, but the Royals lost to theNew York Yankees for a third straight year, this time in four games.[11]
In thefollowing 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 theAtlanta Braves.
During his time with the Braves, Hrabosky saw diminished playing time and recorded just seven saves over three seasons. Hrabosky's last appearance in the majors was in1982, atAtlanta-Fulton County Stadium against theMontreal Expos on August 18. He pitched the final two innings of a blowout, allowing four runs on four hits with a strikeout and two home runs (byAndre Dawson andTim Wallach) allowed in a 12–2 loss.[12]
Twelve days later, he was released by the Braves. Hrabosky signed with theChicago White Sox duringspring training in1983, but retired before the season began.
In 13 seasons, Hrabosky recorded 64 wins, 35 losses, and 97 saves with anERA of 3.10.
Hrabosky has providedcolor commentary for Cardinals games since 1985 and has been withBally Sports Midwest since 1997. He also hosted his own radio show onKFNS 590AM in St. Louis. Hrabosky also serves as an occasional fill-in analyst on theCardinals Radio Network.
Hrabosky and his wife June reside in St. Louis.[13]The couple have four daughters – Tiffany, Nickie, Kim, and Lisa – and two grandsons, West and Ford.[14]