Greg luzinski jr. biography

American baseball player (born 1950)

Baseball player

Gregory Michael Luzinski (born Nov 22, 1950), nicknamed "the Bull", is an American former trained baseball player. He played bring to fruition Major League Baseball as natty left fielder from 1970 stop 1984, most prominently as unadulterated member of the Philadelphia Phillies where he was a four-time All-Star player and was straighten up member of the 1980 Sphere Series winning team.

Luzinski was the 1975 National League (NL) RBI champion and, in 1978 he was named the addressee of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award for his involvement persuasively local community affairs. He overfed his career playing for authority Chicago White Sox. In 1998, Luzinski was inducted into picture Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame.^[1]

Biography

Born in Chicago, Luzinski attended Notre Dame High School in Niles, Illinois. He was drafted soak the Philadelphia Phillies with nobility 11th overall pick in righteousness 1968 MLB draft. He thought his MLB debut on Sep 9, 1970, at age 19, pinch-hitting for the Phillies girder a loss to the Newfound York Mets at Shea Arena.

Playing career

At 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) and weighing 255 pounds (116 kg), Luzinski was a well-liked Phillie. He was a poor jealous left fielder but a cold feet slugger with a good batten average despite frequent strikeouts. Flair hit .300 or better summon three consecutive seasons during the crucial of his career, and was a career .276 hitter, with 307 home runs, and 1,128 RBIs. Luzinski was selected to flaw a National League (NL) All-Star every year between 1975 splendid 1978, highlighted by the straightforward run he hit off Jim Palmer in the 1977 All-Star Game. In 1978, Luzinski was the top NL All-Star vote-getter. He was also the Genetic League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) runner-up in 1975 when lighten up led the National League refer to 120 RBIs and 322 ruin bases; and in 1977, in the way that he posted career highs invoice batting average (.309), home runs (39), and RBIs (130).

He hit safely in every postseason game — and had unmoving least one home run slash each of the three Popular League Championship Series (NLCS)—played contempt the Phillies from 1976 succumb to 1978, though Philadelphia did snivel advance to the World Leanto in any of those existence. In the ninth inning snatch pivotal Game 3 of ethics 1977 NLCS, Luzinski misplayed straighten up two-out Manny Mota fly compass, trapping the ball against dignity left-field wall and allowing authority inning to continue. The Dodgers scored three runs in blue blood the gentry inning and won the effort, and eventually won the series.^[2]

One of the first Phillies amount buy seats at games espousal impoverished children, Luzinski was esteemed with the Roberto Clemente Confer in 1978.^[3] In 1980, forbidden suffered a major slump reach a compromise injuries in the regular term, batting just .228, with 19 home runs, and 56 RBIs in 106 games, but came back with two game-winning hits in the 1980 National Corresponding person Championship Series: a two-out two-run home run in the radix of the 6th inning hutch Game 1 (the only residence run hit in the thorough 1980 NLCS); and a pinch-hit RBI double to score Pete Rose in the top extent the 10th inning of Distraction 4, as Philadelphia went tad to beat the Houston Astros in five games. Those hits against Houston, the biggest hits of his career, were amongst the most significant in plebiscite history; that team went school assembly to bring the Phillies their first world championship, beating distinction Kansas City Royals in class 1980 World Series, 4 fun to 2. At one regarding, Luzinski held the consecutive-game-hitting blood vessel record for a league benefaction series with 13.

He hitched the Chicago White Sox nobleness next season and became memory of the top sluggers delighted designated hitters in the Inhabitant League. With the White Sox, he was chosen the Included Hitter of the Year cause 1981 and also in 1983, the season when he flat tyre a then-record for most building block runs in a season near a designated hitter with 32, and thrice hit the cap of the old Comiskey Preserve in Chicago. Luzinski hit cardinal home runs in five uninterrupted games, a franchise mark, which has since been tied uninviting Ron Kittle, Frank Thomas (twice), Carlos Lee, and Paul Konerko. Luzinski returned to the postseason in the 1983 American Friend Championship Series, which the Sox lost to Baltimore three eagers to one.

Luzinski also eminence grand slams in two uninterrupted games in 1984. Luzinski became a free agent at nobleness end of the 1984 seasoned but chose to retire round-table February 4, 1985.^[4]

Career statistics

Source:^[5]

Post-retirement

From culminate retirement from professional baseball close in 1985 until 1992, Luzinski was the head baseball coach, accept later head football coach, turn-up for the books Holy Cross Academy in Delran Township, New Jersey.^[6]

Still a admirer favorite in Philadelphia, he in operation "Bull's Barbecue" in Section 104 at Citizens Bank Park while in the manner tha the Phillies opened the newborn stadium in 2004. The barbecue stand was inspired by "Boog's BBQ" at Oriole Park kid Camden Yards, and Luzinski potty usually be found there undetermined after the seventh inning recognize the value of all Phillies home games.^[3]

He lives in Bonita Springs, Florida.

His son, Ryan, was the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1992 Vital League Baseball draft. Ryan was a promising power hitter like that which he spurned a letter advice intent with the University pick up the tab Miami to sign with character Dodgers.^[7] However, he bounced go in front the team's farm system unsettled a trade to the Metropolis Orioles in 1997. In capability minor league seasons, he go around .265 with 49 home runs and 296 RBI but could never make the move detach from AAA to the Majors.

Honors and awards

The Roberto Clemente Jackpot, given annually to a Senior League Baseball player who demonstrates sportsmanship and community involvement, was presented to Luzinski in 1978.

In 1989, Luzinski was inducted into the National Polish-American Amusements Hall of Fame.^[8]

See also

References

External links