- Tom Paciorek
Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#005c5c
bgcolor2=#0c2c56
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Tom Paciorek
position=Outfielder /First baseman
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1946|11|2
debutdate=September 12
debutyear=by|1970
debutteam=Los Angeles Dodgers
finaldate=October 4
finalyear=by|1987
finalteam=Texas Rangers
stat1label=Batting Average
stat1value=.282
stat2label=Hits
stat2value=1,162
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=503
teams=
*Los Angeles Dodgers (by|1970-by|1975)
*Atlanta Braves (by|1976-by|1978)
*Seattle Mariners (by|1978-by|1981)
*Chicago White Sox (by|1982-by|1985)
*New York Mets (by|1985)
*Texas Rangers (by|1986-by|1987)
highlights=
*National League pennant: 1974
*All-Star (AL): 1981
*Major League Record, most hits in one game by a substitute for a starter (5), May 8-9, 1984.Thomas Marian Paciorek (born
November 2 ,1946 inDetroit, Michigan ) was a Major Leagueoutfielder andfirst baseman for 18 seasons between by|1970 and by|1987.Major league career
Paciorek played baseball and football for the
University of Houston from1965 -1968 . He was drafted by theLos Angeles Dodgers in by|1968, one of 14 players drafted by the Dodgers that year to reach the majors. A top prospect, he wasThe Sporting News ' Minor League Player of the Year in by|1972. He spent the by|1973 through by|1975 seasons as a fourthoutfielder andpinch hitter . After hitting under .200 in 1975, he was traded to theAtlanta Braves as part of a trade forDusty Baker . He hit .290 in a platoon role for Atlanta in by|1976 but he struggled to duplicate those numbers the following year.The Braves released him after spring training in by|1978, but signed him again just a week later. However, six weeks and only nine at bats later, the Braves gave him his release a second time. Paciorek then signed with the
Seattle Mariners , where he finished the season hitting .299.Following two solid years as a platoon player, Paciorek put together a career season with the Mariners in the by|1981 season. Playing full-time for the only time in his career, Paciorek batted .326, second in the
American League , and was fourth in the AL inslugging percentage . He earned his only appearance to anAll-Star team in by|1981 and was 10th in the ALMVP race.In the offseason, the Mariners traded Paciorek to the
Chicago White Sox for three players, none of whom would make an impact with Seattle. Paciorek hit over .300 his first two years with the Sox, and was part of Chicago's division championship team in by|1983.With the White Sox in by|1984, he set an unusual MLB record. Paciorek replaced
Ron Kittle in left field in the fourth inning of a May 8 game with theMilwaukee Brewers - a game which then proceeded to last 25 innings, becoming the longest game in Major League history (as measured in time on the field). By the time the game ended the following day, Paciorek had amassed five hits in nine at bats, a record for most hits in a game by a player that did not start the game which still stands (several players have had four hits in a game as a substitute, most recentlyQuinton McCracken of theArizona Diamondbacks in by|2002). [http://www.baseball-reference.com/sotd/archives/585] , [http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA198405080.shtml]He was traded to the
New York Mets in by|1985, then spent his final two years with the Texas Rangers.Tom was one of three brothers to play in the Majors. His younger brother Jim played for the
Milwaukee Brewers in by|1987, while older brother John played one game for theHouston Colt .45's (in which he went 3-3 and walked twice) in by|1963.After baseball
Paciorek has served as a broadcaster for several years since retiring as a player, with his most notable stint as the
color commentator for White Sox broadcasterKen Harrelson . He served that role forAtlanta Braves games onFSN South from2001 to2005 , and someDetroit Tigers games forFSN Detroit from2001 -2003 . In 2006 he was the color commentator for theWashington Nationals , but his contract was not renewed for 2007 [http://www.callofthegame.com/news/index.php?itemid=2026] .He is fondly remembered amongst Nationals fans for his distinct pronunciation of "Alfonso Soriano": "Eelfahnso Soriaahno".
In the spring of
2002 , Paciorek told the Detroit Free Press in a report that priestGerald Shirilla molested him and three of his four brothers while working as a teacher at St. Ladislaus in the 1960s. "I was molested by him for a period of four years," Paciorek is reported to have said. "I would refer to them as attacks. I would say there was at least a hundred of them." The former All-Star said he didn't tell anyone because no one would have believed him. "When you're a kid, and you're not able to articulate, who's going to believe you?" he asked. "The church back then was so powerful, there's nothing that a kid could do," [http://espn.go.com/gen/news/2002/0322/1356082.html] , one of many abuse cases reported among priests at the time.ee also
*
List of Washington Nationals broadcasters External links
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