| Johnny Hetki | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1922-05-12)May 12, 1922 Leavenworth, Kansas, U.S. | |
| Died: January 10, 2019(2019-01-10) (aged 96) Parma, Ohio, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 14, 1945, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 22, 1954, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 18–26 |
| Earned run average | 4.39 |
| Saves | 13 |
| Games pitched | 214 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
John Edward Hetki (May 12, 1922 – January 10, 2019) was an Americanlong relief pitcher inMajor League Baseball who played for theCincinnati Reds,St. Louis Browns andPittsburgh Pirates in all or parts of eight seasons spanning 1945–54. Listed at 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 202 lb (92 kg), Hetki batted and threwright-handed. He was born inLeavenworth, Kansas.[1]
Hetki first played in theMinor Leagues at the age of 18. He had a promising debut, winning 16 games and losing 10 for theAlbuquerque Cardinals of theArizona–Texas League in 1941.[2] Hetki then was signed by the Reds organization before the 1942 season, and he went 4–1 with a 2.16ERA with theBirmingham Barons before joining theOgden Reds, where he was 13–8 and led thePioneer League with a 2.24 ERA. Overall, he finished the split season with a 17–9 record and a 2.22 ERA in 29 games pitched.[2] His career was interrupted, however, by two years of military service duringWorld War II.[3]
Returning to baseball in early 1945, Hetki made his major league debut with the Reds in September of that year. He went 1–2 with a 3.58 ERA in two starts and three relief appearances. His most productive season came in 1946, when he finished 6–6 with a 2.99 ERA in 32 games, including 11starts and fourcomplete games. Hetki was with the Reds through the 1950 season, spending part of this time in the minor leagues. As a result, in 1949 he went 16–14 for theSyracuse Chiefs of theInternational League, ending fifth in the league in wins and second in innings (250) behindAl Widmar (294).[4] He then was purchased by the St. Louis Browns from Cincinnati in October 1950.[1]
Hetki spent 1951 with theToronto Maple Leafs, and this time he led the International League with 19 victories and 256 innings pitched, while tying for second in ERA withKarl Drews (2.85) behindJackie Collum (2.80).[5] He was called up by the Browns in 1952 and appeared in only three outings for St. Louis, going 0–1. After that, he was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Browns in the 1952Rule 5 draft. Working mostly out of the bullpen, Hetki won 3 and lost 6 for the Pirates in 1953 and went 4–4 in 1954, leading theNational League ingames finished (46) in that last season.[1]
Overall, Hetki posted an 18–26 record with a 4.39 ERA and 13saves in 214 pitching appearances (23 starts),striking out 175 batters whilewalking 185 in 5251⁄3 innings of work.[1] Additionally, he went 101–71 with an ERA of 3.27 in eight Minor League seasons between 1942 and 1956.[2]
As a hitter, Hetki posted a .235batting average (27-for-115) with nohome runs and 6RBI in 214 games. Defensively, he committed only one error in 119total chances for a .992fielding percentage.[1]
In between, Hetki played winter ball from 1951–52 with theNavegantes del Magallanes club of theVenezuelan Professional Baseball League, collecting an 18–12 record with a 3.26 ERA in 52 games during the two seasons.[6] On February 14, 1952, Hetki made history during the longest game played in Winter League history, as Magallanes andCervecería Caracas battled to a 3–3, 18–inning tie game which lasted three hours and ten minutes. Hetki hurled all 18 innings for Magallanes, setting a record for a pitcher that still stands.[7][8]
Hetki later pitched two complete games for the VPBL champion Magallanes in the1952 Caribbean Series, including an 11-inning, 2–1 victory againstPanama's championCarta Vieja Yankees.[9]
After baseball, Hetki worked for several years as a traffic foreman forSimpkins Industries inCleveland, Ohio.[3] He moved toParma, Ohio, after retiring. He died on January 10, 2019.[10]