| Erik Pappas | |
|---|---|
.webp) Pappas with theMidland Angelsc. 1988 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: (1966-04-25)April 25, 1966 (age 58) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 19, 1991, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| April 30, 1994, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .242 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Runs batted in | 35 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Erik Daniel Pappas (born April 25, 1966) is anAmerican former professionalbaseball player andcoach.[1] He played as acatcher inMajor League Baseball for theChicago Cubs andSt. Louis Cardinals.
TheChicago native is a 1984 graduate ofMount Carmel High School.[2] Pappas was selected by theCalifornia Angels as the 6th overall pick in the first round of the1984 Major League Baseball draft.[3] He made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on April 19, 1991, at the age of 24.[1] He appeared in 8 games for the Cubs during the1991 season and appeared in a total of 97 games for the Cardinals during1993 and1994 seasons.[1] During the 1993 season, he had onehome run and 28RBIs. Pappas played in his final major league game on April 30, 1994, at the age of 28.[1] On August 13, 1996, while a member of theTexas Rangers' Triple-AOklahoma City 89ers, Pappas caught aperfect game pitched byRick Helling against theNashville Sounds.[4]
Pappas, who is ofGreek ancestry, was selected to play for theGreek national baseball team in the2004 Summer Olympics inAthens,Greece.[citation needed] He played for Greece in the2023 European Baseball Championship.[5]
In a three-year major league career, Pappas played in 104games, accumulating 70hits in 289at bats for a .242 careerbatting average along with 1home run, 35runs batted in and a .342on-base percentage.[1] He ended his career with a .978fielding percentage.[1]
After his playing career, Pappas became the hitting coach for thePeoria Chiefs. Pappas spent 2006–12 at the Cangelosi Baseball Academy in Orland Park, Illinois, while also serving as a scout for theTexas Rangers from 2005 to 2009. Pappas became a coach in the Cardinals system as theSpringfield Cardinals Hitting Coach for the 2014 season.
Pappas currently resides in the Beverly neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois.