Jack Hamilton

:"for the Canadian bank robber and associate of John Dillinger, see John Hamilton (gangster)"Infobox MLB retired
name = Jack Hamilton
bgcolor1 = #CCCCCC
textcolor1 = Black
bgcolor2 = #CCCCCC
textcolor2 = Black


width =
caption =
position = Pitcher
birthdate = December 25, 1938
deathdate =
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = April 13
debutyear = 1962
debutteam = Philadelphia Phillies
finaldate = August 10
finalyear = 1969
finalteam = Chicago White Sox
stat1label = Win-Loss
stat1value = 32-40
stat2label = Saves
stat2value = 20
stat3label = ERA
stat3value = 4.53
teams = Philadelphia Phillies (1962-1963)
Detroit Tigers (1964-1965)
New York Mets (1966-1967)
California Angels (1967-1968)
Cleveland Indians (1969)
Chicago White Sox (1969)
highlights =

Jack Edwin Hamilton (born December 25, 1938 in Burlington, Iowa) was a Major League Baseball pitcher, notable mainly for being the pitcher that beaned the promising young Boston Red Sox star Tony Conigliaro in 1967.

Professional career

Originally signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as a free agent, he debuted as a starter for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1962 and posted a 9-12 record with an Earned Run Average of 5.09. He showed more promise pitching out of the bullpen, and spent most of his career as a relief pitcher until his retirement in 1969, although he was converted back to a starting pitcher for the 1966 and 1967 seasons.

Tony Conigliaro incident

In 1967, Hamilton was enjoying one of the best seasons of his career when he was traded by the New York Mets to the California Angels. On August 18, the Angels were playing the Boston Red Sox in a game that would have important implications for the American League pennant race. The game became a turning point in the careers of two players. Facing Red Sox outfielder Tony Conigliaro, who was set in a stance close to home plate, Hamilton accidentally hit Conigliaro with a pitch on the left cheekbone that fractured his cheekbone and eye socket and severely damaged his retina. Conigliaro nearly died, and the damage to his vision kept him off the field the remainder of the year and all of 1968. He made a promising-but-brief comeback in 1969-1970 until his vision problems returned, which eventually forced his early retirement from baseball in 1975 at age 30. Hamilton never fully recovered, either --- unwilling to pitch inside for fear of severely injuring another batter, Hamilton's strikeout rate declined, his opponents' batting average rose, and his Earned Run Average soared. He retired in 1969, finishing his career with the Chicago White Sox.

Personal life

Hamilton lives in Branson, Missouri with his wife, Janyce, a son and two daughters. Since his retirement from the Major League, he has owned several restaurants in Branson. Hamilton and his family run a restaurant called "Jack's Plaza View Restaurant".

Career highlights

Accomplishments
*pitched a 7 inning no-hitter in the Appalachian League for the Wytheville Cardinals, beating the Kingsport Orioles 5-0. His opponent? Legendary minor-leaguer Steve Dalkowski. (August 8, 1957)
*a 10-strikeout, complete game 12-2 win vs. the Chicago Cubs (May 11, 1962)
*a two-hit, complete game shutout vs. the Houston Colt .45s (June 26, 1962...game # 2)
*a one-hit, complete game shutout vs. the St. Louis Cardinals (May 4, 1966). The lone hit was a bunt single by Hamilton's mound opponent, Ray Sadecki.
*hit his first and only major league home run, a grand slam, against Al Jackson of the St. Louis Cardinals (May 20, 1967)
*held All-Stars Tommie Agee, Ken Berry, Don Buford, Curt Flood, Tommy Helms, Alex Johnson, Felix Mantilla, Cookie Rojas, Pete Rose, John Roseboro, Don Wert, and Jimmy Wynn to a .112 collective batting average (11-for-98)
*held Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Lou Brock, Rod Carew, Roberto Clemente, Al Kaline, Harmon Killebrew, Mickey Mantle, Willie McCovey, Joe Morgan, Stan Musial, Tony Perez, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, and Carl Yastrzemski to a .175 collective batting average (24-for-137)

Notable statistics
*led the Midwest League with 16 losses and 156 bases on balls while playing for the Keokuk Cardinals in 1958
*led the Eastern League with 134 bases on balls while pitching for the York White Roses in 1959
*led the National League with 107 bases on balls and 22 wild pitches while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1962
*led the International League with a 2.42 ERA while playing for the Syracuse Chiefs in 1965
*gave up Weldon Bowlin's only major league base hit {Anaheim Stadium -- September 16, 1967}
*threw a total of 74 wild pitches in 611.2 innings.

References

* 1958 Baseball Guide, published by The Sporting News, p. 349
*1968 Baseball Register published by The Sporting News
*Passan, Jeff, " [http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AuNPFBW4BbHPEXcaQtg7ilsRvLYF?slug=jp-hamilton081707&prov=yhoo&type=lgns Accidental villain] " (August 17, 2007), "Yahoo! Sports". Retrieved on August 17, 2007.

External links

* [http://www.travelingusa.com/business/jacksplazaviewrestaurantbranson/index.html?from_cat=Food Hamilton's restaurant in Branson]

Statistics
* [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/stats/historical/individual_stats_player.jsp?c_id=mlb&playerID=115381 MLB historical statistics]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hamilja01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Phamij101.htm Retrosheet]