| Freddie Patek | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Shortstop | |
| Born: (1944-10-09)October 9, 1944 (age 81) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 3, 1968, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 1981, for the California Angels | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .242 |
| Home runs | 41 |
| Runs batted in | 490 |
| Stolen bases | 385 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Freddie Joseph Patek (/ˈpɑːtɛk/; born October 9, 1944), nicknamed "the Flea" or "the Cricket", is an American former professionalbaseballshortstop who played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for thePittsburgh Pirates,Kansas City Royals andCalifornia Angels. At 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) tall, he was the shortest MLB player of his time.
Patek was drafted by thePittsburgh Pirates in the 22nd round of the1965 Major League Baseball draft out ofSeguin High School inSeguin, Texas. He made his major league debut on June 3, 1968, against theLos Angeles Dodgers at shortstop,[1] and played all but six of his 292 games with the Pirates at shortstop. However, with All-StarGene Alley firmly entrenched at shortstop there was a desire on the part of management to convert him into autility player.[2]
Patek was traded along withBruce Dal Canton andJerry May from thePirates to theRoyals forJackie Hernández,Bob Johnson andJim Campanis at theWinter Meetings on December 2, 1970.[3] In his first season with the Royals, Patek hit for the cycle on July 9, 1971, and led theAmerican League with 11triples to finish sixth in A.L. M.V.P. balloting. He earned his first of threeAll-Star selections the following season,[4] and was a staple of the Royals line-up that won theAmerican League West from1976 through1978. He led the American League with 53 stolen bases in1977. For 8 consecutive years, Patek posted 30 or more stolen bases and he led the American league in double plays turned 4 straight years. A memorable image was captured byNBC television of Patek sitting painfully alone in the Royals' empty dugout[5] while theNew York Yankees celebrated on-field their come-from-behind victory to win the last game of the1977 American League Championship Series, played in Kansas City on Patek's 33rd birthday. The game and series ended when Patek grounded into adouble play.[6] He was the starting shortstop for the American League in the1978 All-Star Game.[7][8]
A durable player at shortstop, he ranks among the Royals all-time leaders in hits (1,076), walks (413), runs scored (571), stolen bases (336), and games played (1,245).
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Following the 1979 season, Patek signed as afree agent with theCalifornia Angels. He became the second shortstop, afterErnie Banks, to hit three home runs in a single game on June 20, 1980, against theBoston Red Sox atFenway Park.[9] In 1981, Patek was relegated to a utility role, actually seeing more playing time backing upBobby Grich atsecond base than he did at short.
Patek retired after the 1981 season with a careerbatting average of .242 with 41 home runs and 490 runs batted in.
Patek was better known for his speed and his defensive abilities; former managerWhitey Herzog called Patek the bestartificial turf shortstop he ever managed, ranking him even higher thanOzzie Smith. When asked by a reporter what it felt like to be the smallest player in the major leagues, Patek replied, "I'd rather be the smallest player in the majors than the tallest player in the minors."[10] Although Patek played in fourAmerican League Championship Series, his teams never reached theWorld Series. The Pirates won the World Series the season after Patek left the Pirates (1971), and the Royals lost the World Series the season after Patek left the Royals (1980). Baseball analystBill James has ranked Patek, a member of theKansas City Royals Hall of Fame, the 14th best player in Royals' history.
Patek briefly served as a part-time baseball analyst forNBC after his retirement. He was a color commentator for Texas Rangers games on television in 1985.
On July 21, 1992, Patek's daughter Kimberlie wasparalyzed from the neck down in a car accident.[11] Community fund raisers and charity events, and a donation from theBaseball Assistance Team, helped the family defray significant medical expenses.[12][13] Kimberlie died on June 14, 1995.[11][13]
SABR BioProject| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Hitting for the cycle July 9, 1971 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American League Triples Leader 1971 | Succeeded by |
