Frank Goodpasture

Infobox MLB player
name=Frank Goodpasture


caption=Frank Goodpasture during Spring training of his famed 1988 campaign
width=150
position=Relief pitcher
team=retired
number=46
bats=left
throws=left
birthdate=birth date and age|1955|4|16
debutdate=June 3
debutyear=1984
debutteam=NY Mets
statyear=October 1, 1994
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=4-7
stat2label=Earned Run Average| stat2value=5.22
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=27
teams=
*NY Mets (by|1984-by|1986,
*Kansas City Royals (by|1986-by|1990)

Franklin Eric Goodpasture (born April 16, 1955) was a pitcher for the NY Mets and Kansas City Royals. Best remembered for his fiery temper and slurve, he is considered by many to be one of the best AL central left handed long relievers of the 1988 season.

Early life

Frank Goodpasture was born in San Angelo, Texas. His father was a bricklayer and his mother worked part time as a telephone operator. Life was not easy for young Frank as he was 'the smallest kid in lower school.' Teachers remember Frank as being a hellion, as such he was a regular visitor to the principal's office.

In an interview with the Milwalkee times, Frank mentions that his adolescence was the toughest time of his life. "My Dad was an alcoholic and my mother was addicted to cough medicine. It was tough living in that environment. However, baseball gave me an out. It gave me a way to escape my home life and thrive."

Amateur career

Frank enrolled at junior college in Tucson, Arizona. He was a walk-on for his JuCo team, the Tucson Crush. It was during this time that Frank started to develop his sluve and pick-off move, two items that would prove indispensable during his brief MLB career.

Professional career

Chicago Cubs (1976-1982)

Goodpasture was drafted in the 27th round of the by|1977 amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs. His contract was a meager 10,000$ a year with a 2500$ signing bonus. Frank remembered considering pursuing his ambitions in broadcast journalism. However, 'the Cubs contract was more money then I would have been paid as a weatherman. I would have been remiss to say no.'

New York Mets (1982-1985)

Frank toiled in the Cubs system for 6 years, never ascending past AA. During the last year of his contract, he was traded to the Mets for cash considerations. Frank exploded onto the scene in the Mets system, posting a 3.22 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP which earned him his contract expansion. He made his MLB debut in 1984 vs. the Padres in the 7th inning of a 9-2 rout. Frank let up 3 runs in 2/3's innings pitched.

Kansas City Royals (1986-1990)

1986 Season

During the '85 offseason, the Mets traded Goodpasture to the Royals for one prospect and cash. The GM of the Mets cited that Goodpasture's repeated trips between AAA Long Island and the parent club made him difficult to protect from waivers. Indeed, Frank has ended the season with just one move left in his contract before being exposed waivers. The Mets felt that a AAA demotion was unavoidable and thus sought some recompose. From '84-'85, Frank posted a 5.88 ERA during 8 separate stints with the Mets.

Although the Met's GM denies it, Frank insisted there were other motives to being shunted out of the Mets system. During a December interview with the Pawtukett express, Goodpasture was adamant that 'no one in that organization [Mets] knew nothing about baseball (sic).'

Rumors had circulated that Frank was not fitting in with the club. He would routinely peg opposing batters if he let up more than a 2 run homer, despite being only used in long relief. The Mets always seemed reluctant to break up the handful of fights that started over these incidents. Another thing that Frank was noted for doing was being furious for being used in back-to-back games. Of course, this only happened 4 times during his Mets tenure. After being pulled, he would storm of the field amidst an invective laden rant.

The Royals extended a spring training invite to Goodpasture on the condition that he re-structure his contract. Frank, against the advice of his agent, accepted the Royals proposal. After bitter competition during the '86 Spring tryouts in Jupiter Fl., Goodpasture captured the 7th reliever spot.

Despite two trips to the DL in '86, Frank managed to remain on the Royals for the entire season. Part of his success during this season was a marked increase in his pickoffs. Frank's pickoff move was considered well above average for a long reliever. Moreover, as a left hander, Frank was naturally predisposed to nailing runners at first. Another change in Frank during this season was centered around the pitcher's attitude on the mound. Frank became more and more livid whenever he let up a run. In fact, during a loss to the Orioles, Frank went on such a violent rant after giving up a 3-run homer that several parents left the ball park with their children. When asked about the 14-3 loss to Baltimore and his invective laden rant after Murray's homer run, Frank said "serves that [expletive] right, no one swings on a 3-1 count against me. The next time I see that [expletive] piece of [expletive] , I am drilling him in the [expletive] head." Frank did not face the Orioles again that season.

During the '86 season, Frank pitched 45 innings and picked off 13 runners. He ended the season with a 5.21 ERA and 2.45 WHIP.

1987 Season

Frank again broke spring training with the Royals but was quickly demoted to AAA Topeka. Frank earned the demotion after posting a 5.88 ERA in 7.2 inning's pitched. Frank remained at Topeka for the rest of the season, earning a call-up when rosters expanded in September. Frank pitched only once in September, during a rain-delayed loss to the then Californian Angels.

Frank ended his disappointing '87 season with a 6.01 ERA. He picked off only 3 runners during the '87 campaign.

1988 Season

After a disappointing '87 campaign, Frank undertook an aggressive off-season workout regimen. As he was in the last year of his contract, Goodpasture knew he needed a big season to garner interest from big league clubs. Eating a high carb diet based on oat-meal and spaghetti, Frank reported to Spring Training the first eligible day in the best shape of his life. He lit up the grapefruit league, posting a 3.89 ERA in 8 appearances. He made the roster and pitched on opening day in long relief of a 10-2 loss to the Brewers.

Like his first season with the Royals, Frank managed to stay on the 23 man roster for all 162 games. However, unlike '85, Frank maintained an excellent ERA of 4.11, earning him brief regular relief appearances. Frank tagged 4 wins onto his record, a number that he would never beat.

Another key to Frank's success was his perfection of his pickoff move. Frank picked off 18 runners in the '86 campaign, 9 of these coming in the month of July. His July '86 record is a mark that has yet to be bested by any Royals reliever.

Post 1988 Career

Despite Frank's outstanding 1988 season, the Royals were reluctant to extend him a contract offer. Although Royal's officials denied it, rumors swirrled that Goodpasture had not meshed well with the other players on the team. This was shown by the fact that after being pulled from a game, Frank would sit by himself at the end of the dugout bench. Albiet, he would only be pulled generally when he let up a lot of runs, per his status as a long reliever.

Frank's agent tried to get him a big league contract offer for 1989. The best he could do was get Frank a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox with a spring training invite. Frank reported on the last eligable day noticably overweight. He pitched once in an exhibition game versus the [LA Dodgers] where he gave up 6 runs in 2/3rds innings pitched. Frank was designated to the Red Sox minor league camp. Goodpasture decided to opt out of his contract instead of accepting the assignment. No other team was willing to give him a big league spring training invite.

Frank announced his retirement in March of 1989.

Rumored 1990 comeback

A Junuary 1990 article in the Chicago Tribune mentioned that the Chicago Black Sox might have interest in the firey left hander, provided he would be willing to sign a minor league contract with a weight clause. Goodpasture, having not worked out since his spring shelling by the LA Dodgers, denied interest in a possible return.

Post professional life

Wife beating incident

Frank Goodpasture was arrested in the summer of 1993 at his summer home in Kissamme Florida. Police responded to a domestic abuse report filed by concerned neighbors. The residents of the neighborhood reported sounds of altercations coming from the Goodpasture household at night.

Frank's wife, Elizabeth Goodpasture, did not press charges.

Career statistics