| Tom Phoebus | |
|---|---|
 Phoebus in 1970 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1942-04-07)April 7, 1942 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| Died: September 5, 2019(2019-09-05) (aged 77) Palm City, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 15, 1966, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 2, 1972, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 56–52 |
| Earned run average | 3.33 |
| Strikeouts | 725 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Thomas Harold Stephen Phoebus[1] (April 7, 1942 – September 5, 2019) was an American professionalbaseball player. He played inMajor League Baseball as a right-handedpitcher from1966 through1972, most notably as a member of theBaltimore Orioles dynasty that won threeAmerican League pennants and twoWorld Series championships between 1966 and 1970. He also played for theSan Diego Padres and theChicago Cubs.
Phoebus attended high school atMount Saint Joseph College, a private high school in Baltimore. As a boy, he played baseball in Baltimore through theMary Dobkin Athletic Clubs, as well as playing baseball and football in high school.[2] He also went to Orioles games in the 1950s, sitting in the right field bleachers of Baltimore's oldMemorial Stadium and dreaming of one day playing for the hometown team, he told aBaltimore Sun reporter in an interview almost a half-century later after signing with the Orioles in 1960 for a $10,000 bonus.[3]
In minor league baseball, Phoebus led theFlorida State League with 12 losses while playing for theLeesburg Orioles in 1961. In 1962, he was tops in theNorthern League, with 195 strikeouts and 152 bases on balls while playing for theAberdeen Pheasants. The next season, Phoebus led theEastern League with 124 bases on balls while playing for theElmira Pioneers. The minor leaguer'spitch count performance continued to be impressive in 1964, again leading theInternational League with 120 bases on balls while playing for theRochester Red Wings. In 1966, Phoebus' walks were down and his Ks were still high, but he still managed to get the league lead in the International League with 208 strikeouts and 95 bases on balls while playing for the Rochester Red Wings.
Phoebus began his major league career with the Baltimore Orioles, pitching complete-game shutouts in his first two starts,[3] on September 15 and 20,1966, against theAngels andKansas City A's. He thus became just the fourthAmerican League pitcher ever to do so. In 1967, Phoebus finished 14–9 with 179strikeouts and a 3.33ERA, en route to being selectedThe Sporting News Rookie of the Year.
On April 27, 1968, Phoebusno-hit theRed Sox 6–0 atMemorial Stadium.[3][4][5] ConvertedoutfielderCurt Blefary was thecatcher. Meanwhile,third basemanBrooks Robinson helped at bat and made a great catch to rob ahit fromRico Petrocelli in the eighth inning. Frank Robinson would contribute with three RBIs in the win.[6]
Phoebus won a career-high 15 games in that season, and 14 in 1969, including theAmerican League Eastern Division clincher overCleveland. He also won Game Two of the1970 World Series as arelief pitcher in the third and fourth innings.[3][7] Orioles teammateBoog Powell recalled that Phoebus had such an impressively arced curveball that even though his pitching motion tipped batters that a curve ball was coming, "It didn't matter because they couldn't hit it anyway."[3]
Phoebus was traded along withEnzo Hernández,Fred Beene andAl Severinsen from the Orioles to theSan Diego Padres forPat Dobson andTom Dukes on December 1, 1970.[8] He finished his career with the Cubs in 1972.
In a seven-year career, Phoebus compiled a 56–52 record with 725 strikeouts and a 3.33 ERA in 1,030 innings pitched.
Following baseball, Phoebus earned an education degree and taught grade school physical education in Bradenton, Florida and Port St. Lucie, Florida.[9][10] He was divorced and the father of two children. Phoebus died on September 5, 2019, at the age of 77.[11]
| Preceded by | No-hitter pitcher April 27, 1968 | Succeeded by |