Milt Wilcox

Milton Edward Wilcox (born April 20, 1950) is an American former baseball pitcher. He pitched for 16 years in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds (1970–1971), Cleveland Indians (1972–1974), Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers (1977–1985), and Seattle Mariners (1986).

In his first major-league season, he won Game 3 of the 1970 National League Championship Series and lost Game 2 of the 1970 World Series. Fourteen years later, he won 17 games for the 1984 Detroit Tigers team, pitched a shutout in the final game of the 1984 American League Championship Series, and was the winning pitcher in Game 3 of the 1984 World Series.

In 16 major-league seasons Wilcox appeared in 394 games, including 283 as a starter, and compiled a 119–113 win–loss record with a 4.07 earned run average (ERA) and 1,137 strikeouts, 2,016 innings pitched, and 770 bases on balls. When Wilcox was three years old, he moved with his family to Crooked Oak, Oklahoma. He attended Crooked Oak High School where he was a star for the baseball and basketball teams.

Professional baseball Cincinnati Reds Wilcox graduated from high school in June 1968 and had a scholarship offer from the University of Oklahoma.

Wilcox next split the 1969 season between the Florida Instructional League Reds and the Tampa Tarpons. In 1970, he was promoted to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians of the American Association. He appeared in 28 games for Indianapolis and compiled a 12–10 record with a career-high 110 strikeouts.

After a strong season with Indianapolis, Wilcox was called up by the Reds in September 1970. He made his major-league debut on September 5, pitching five innings and getting the win against the San Diego Padres. He appeared in five games for Sparky Anderson’s Reds in 1970, compiling a 3–1 record with a 2.42 ERA and 13 strikeouts.

Wilcox became part of the Indians' starting rotation in 1972. He began the season strong, compiling an early record of 4–2 with a 0.92 ERA. On May 27, 1972, he appeared on the cover of The Sporting News. He was then sidelined with strep throat and tried to come back too early. He tore a muscle in his pitching arm and later developed tendinitis in his elbow. The injuries began a four-year slide in Wilcox's career. He finished the 1972 season with a 7–14 record, a 3.40 ERA, and 90 strikeouts. This incident preceded the 10 Cent Beer Night riot in Cleveland six days later on June 4.

Chicago Cubs On February 25, 1975, the Indians traded Wilcox to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for outfielder Brock Davis and pitcher Dave LaRoche. He spent the remainder of the 1976 season with the Evansville Triplets, the Tigers’ Triple-A club in the American Association. His doctor told him that bowling might help his sore arm, so he joined a bowling league in 1976.

Wilcox spent the first part of the 1977 season in Evansville, compiling a 9–4 record in 14 starts with a 2.44 ERA and 69 strikeout.

Wilcox was also the Tigers' union representative during these years, including during the 1981 Major League Baseball strike. He struck out George Brett twice and said after the game, "I felt I could throw the ball through a wall."

Wilcox won 31 games for the Tigers during the 1970s, ranking him fourth on the club, behind Mickey Lolich, Joe Coleman, and John Hiller. He also ranked third in winning percentage (.564) for the 1970s.

Almost perfect On April 15, 1983, Wilcox came within one out of a perfect game. He took out the first two Chicago White Sox batters (Carlton Fisk and Mike Squires) in the ninth inning, but with two outs in the ninth, pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston, Sr. hit a single to center field on the first pitch. Wilcox had eight strikeouts in the game, and the White Sox hit only four balls beyond the infield. The fans in Chicago gave Wilcox a standing ovation at the start of the ninth inning and booed when Hairston got the hit.

During the full 1983 season, Wilcox started 26 games and compiled an 11–10 record with a 3.97 ERA and 101 strikeouts.

17 wins and World Series In 1984, the Tigers started the season with a 35–5 record. Wilcox set a team record by starting the season with a 6–0 record. He finished the season with career highs in wins (17) and strikeouts (132). He lost only eight games for a .680 winning percentage with a 4.00 ERA. On October 12, Wilcox was also the winning pitcher in Game 3 of the 1984 World Series.

Shoulder injury and release Wilcox had shoulder surgery after the 1984 season. He missed most of the 1985 season with ongoing shoulder problems and tendinitis. He appeared in only eight games and compiled a 1–3 record with a 4.85 ERA.

Family and later years In September 1969, Wilcox married Lajuanda Faye Erwin.

In 2003, he served as a broadcaster for the West Michigan Whitecaps. He also bred chinchillas and operated an aquatic dog jumping attraction called Ultimate Air Dogs.