Jim Umbricht

James Umbricht (September 17, 1930 – April 8, 1964) was an American professional baseball player. A right-handed relief pitcher, he played Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1959 and 1963 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Colt .45s.

Umbricht was born in Chicago but grew up in Georgia. He started his professional career in 1953, making the majors in 1959. Over the next seasons, he alternated between teams, playing for the Pirates and that team's farm system. Umbricht was drafted by the Colt .45s in 1962, and became one of the National League's top relief pitchers.

Diagnosed with melanoma in his right leg in March 1963, his comeback to baseball following surgery made national headlines and encouraged research on the disease. He spent the 1963 season as a relief pitcher, sometimes in excruciating pain. Umbricht's health deteriorated soon afterwards and he died within six months, from complications from melanoma in a Houston-area hospital at age 33. His ashes were spread over the construction site of the Astrodome, the future home of the Colt .45s. The team retired Umbricht's jersey number, 32, and wore black armbands for the 1964 season in his honor.

Early career

Umbricht was born in Chicago, and moved with his family to Atlanta in 1946. Aspiring to be a professional baseball player, Umbricht practiced every day on a field by his house and became a multi-sport star at Decatur High School in Decatur, Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia on a scholarship and played on the school's baseball and basketball teams, becoming the captain of both for his senior year. He was named to the All-Southeastern Conference first-team as a shortstop in 1951. He made the team, starting his professional baseball career as a pitcher and infielder. In 1953, Umbricht pitched for the Bears in 10 games, starting in eight of them. Umbricht finished with a 4–3 win–loss record and a 2.87 earned run average.

Umbricht missed the 1954 and 1955 seasons while serving in the United States Army, but pitched for a military team at Fort Carson in Colorado. After his discharge in 1956, Umbricht played for the Baton Rouge Rebels of the Evangeline League; he had a 15–15 Win–loss record in 32 games as the team finished with a 53–70 record, The Pirates assigned Umbricht to their Triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake City Bees in the Pacific Coast League. While with the Bees, Umbricht had a 14–8 record with a 2.78 earned run average in 47 games, mostly in relief. He pitched seven innings, giving up five earned runs while striking out three. The Pirates began strongly in spring training, winning 11 in a row at one point. In a game against the Detroit Tigers, Umbricht combined with Daniels to throw a no-hitter. In his next start against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 21, Umbricht had poor control, giving up three runs and walking five batters in 2.1 innings. He made a last-minute start against Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale on May 25, after Pirates starting pitcher Bob Friend had a sore throat and could not play. Umbricht pitched five innings, striking out five batters, but gave up two critical second-inning home runs to Frank Howard and John Roseboro and was charged with the loss. After an off-day and a game postponed because of rain, the Pirates faced the Phillies at home on May 28. After the game went to extra innings, Umbricht pitched the 13th inning. The Pirates won in the later half of the inning, earning Umbricht his first career win.

Umbricht continued to struggle in the bullpen and was demoted alongside Daniels on June 27 to the Columbus Jets of the International League as pitchers Tom Cheney and Earl Francis were promoted to the main squad. Between June 27 and September 9, he appeared in 19 games, 15 of them starts, earning an 8–5 record, two shutouts and a 2.50 earned run average. The Pirates managed to win the National League pennant, but he was not named in the final roster for the World Series, which the Pirates won in seven games. Umbricht was sent back to Columbus, where he spent the rest of the 1961 season as a full-time starter. With the Colts, Umbricht quickly became one of the best relief pitchers in the National League. Umbricht started the season on the Colts roster, but was demoted to the Oklahoma City 89ers of the American Association to make room for veteran pitcher Don McMahon. Ewell said Umbricht "had the most wonderful attitude of anyone you'll ever meet". The perfusion technique was radical at the time, entering use as a surgical procedure not long before Umbricht's surgery. After a month-long hospital stay, Umbricht and his doctors told the media that he beat the cancer, crediting "early detection and good physical condition", further stating that he "should have five or six good years left" in his baseball career. Upon hearing the news, Umbricht decided to keep it a secret outside his immediate family. He appeared in the sixth inning in a 13–3 loss, giving up four runs, including a home run to Frank Robinson in one inning of work. After the game, Umbricht said he felt "real good" despite the poor performance. The surgery took a toll on his leg: he required over 100 stitches, and blood seeped from the wound while he pitched at times. That year Umbricht posted a 4–3 win–loss record and a 2.61 earned run average in 35 games. The back of Umbricht's 1964 Topps baseball card was updated to mention his death shortly before printing. (However, Bond ended his career not with Houston but as a member of the Minnesota Twins.) Journalists criticizing the retirement of numbers sometimes use Umbricht as an example of someone whose number was retired but who is unfamiliar to baseball fans.

Umbricht's death from melanoma helped alert the general public about the disease. Former Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jack Pardee credited Umbricht's battle with melanoma for saving his life in 1965. Pardee, a Pro Bowl linebacker, had been ignoring a mole on his armpit. After hearing of Umbricht's battle with cancer, and that his mole was similar to Umbricht's, he went to the team doctor, who diagnosed him with melanoma. Although Pardee's melanoma had also spread throughout his body, he made a complete recovery.