Freddie Patek
Encyclopedia
Frederick Joseph Patek is a former Major League Baseball
shortstop
. At 5'5" tall (by some accounts he was 5'4"), he was the shortest player of his time.
in the 22nd round of the 1965 Major League Baseball Draft
out of Seguin High School in Seguin, Texas
. He made his major league debut on June 3, against the Los Angeles Dodgers
at short, and played all but six of his 292 games with the Pirates at short. However, with All-Star Gene Alley
firmly entrenched at shortstop there was a desire on the part of management to convert him into a utility player
.
and Jerry May
to the Kansas City Royals
for Jim Campanis
, Jackie Hernandez
and Bob Johnson
. In his first season with the Royals, Patek hit for the cycle
on July 9, , and led the American League
with eleven triples
to finish sixth in A.L. M.V.P. balloting. He earned his first of three All-Star
selections the following season, and was a staple of the Royals line-up that won the American League West
from through . A memorable image was captured by NBC-TV of Patek sitting painfully alone in the Royals' empty dugout while the New York Yankees
celebrated on-field their come-from-behind victory to win the last game of the 1977 American League Championship Series
, played in Kansas City on Patek's 33rd birthday. The game and series ended when Patek grounded into a double play
. He led the American League with 53 stolen bases in .
with the California Angels. He became the second shortstop, after Ernie Banks
, to hit three home runs in a single game on June 20, against the Boston Red Sox
at Fenway Park
. In , Patek was relegated to a utility role, actually seeing more playing time backing up Bobby Grich
at second base than he did at short.
season with a career batting average
of .242. Patek was better known for his speed and his defensive abilities; former manager Whitey Herzog
called Patek the best artificial turf
shortstop he ever managed, ranking him even higher than Ozzie Smith
. When asked by a reporter what it felt like to be the smallest player in the major leagues, Patek replied- "I'd rather be the smallest player in the majors than the tallest player in the minors" - Patek."
Although Patek played in 4 American League Championship Series
, his teams never got to the World Series
. The Pirates won the World Series the season after Patek left the Pirates , and the Royals lost the World Series the season after Patek left the Royals . Baseball analyst Bill James
has ranked Patek, a member of the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame, the 14th best player in Royals' history.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
. At 5'5" tall (by some accounts he was 5'4"), he was the shortest player of his time.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Patek was drafted by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in the 22nd round of the 1965 Major League Baseball Draft
1965 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1965 Major League Baseball Draft is the first year in which a draft took place for Major League Baseball.In Major League Baseball's first Free Agent Amateur Draft, the Kansas City Athletics selected Arizona State sophomore Rick Monday as the number one pick...
out of Seguin High School in Seguin, Texas
Seguin, Texas
Seguin is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, in the United States. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842...
. He made his major league debut on June 3, against the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
at short, and played all but six of his 292 games with the Pirates at short. However, with All-Star Gene Alley
Gene Alley
Leonard Eugene Alley is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played his entire career for the Pittsburgh Pirates ....
firmly entrenched at shortstop there was a desire on the part of management to convert him into a utility player
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
.
Kansas City Royals
Following the season, the Pirates dealt Patek, Bruce Dal CantonBruce Dal Canton
John Bruce Dal Canton , born in California, Pennsylvania, was a major league pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Kansas City Royals , Atlanta Braves , and Chicago White Sox...
and Jerry May
Jerry May
Jerry Lee May , was an American professional baseball player who played as a catcher in the Major Leagues from 1964 to 1973. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, and Kansas City Royals...
to the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
for Jim Campanis
Jim Campanis
James Alexander Campanis , is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as a catcher from 1966–1970 and 1973...
, Jackie Hernandez
Jackie Hernandez
Jacinto Hernández Zulueta is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman from 1965 to 1973....
and Bob Johnson
Bob Johnson (pitcher)
Robert Dale Johnson is a former professional baseball player. He was a pitcher over parts of seven seasons with the New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.Johnson was a member of the 1971 World...
. In his first season with the Royals, Patek hit for the cycle
Hitting for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
on July 9, , and led the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with eleven triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
to finish sixth in A.L. M.V.P. balloting. He earned his first of three All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
selections the following season, and was a staple of the Royals line-up that won the American League West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
from through . A memorable image was captured by NBC-TV of Patek sitting painfully alone in the Royals' empty dugout while the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
celebrated on-field their come-from-behind victory to win the last game of the 1977 American League Championship Series
1977 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 5, 1977 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe visiting Royals jumped on the sore-shouldered Don Gullett early and never looked back. Hal McRae hit a two-run homer in the first, Freddie Patek had a two-run double in the second, and John Mayberry a two-run blast in the...
, played in Kansas City on Patek's 33rd birthday. The game and series ended when Patek grounded into a double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
. He led the American League with 53 stolen bases in .
California Angels
Following the season, Patek signed as a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
with the California Angels. He became the second shortstop, after Ernie Banks
Ernie Banks
Ernest "Ernie" Banks , nicknamed "Mr. Cub", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and first baseman. He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the Chicago Cubs . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.-High school years:Banks was a letterman and standout in football,...
, to hit three home runs in a single game on June 20, against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
. In , Patek was relegated to a utility role, actually seeing more playing time backing up Bobby Grich
Bobby Grich
Robert Anthony "Bobby" Grich is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels of Major League Baseball...
at second base than he did at short.
Retirement
Patek retired after the 19811981 in sports
1981 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup –** Men's overall season champion: Phil Mahre, USA** Women's overall season champion: Marie-Theres Nadig, Switzerland-American football:...
season with a career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .242. Patek was better known for his speed and his defensive abilities; former manager Whitey Herzog
Whitey Herzog
Dorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog is a former Major League Baseball manager. Born in New Athens, Illinois, he made his debut as a player in 1956 with the Washington Senators. After his playing career ended in 1963, Herzog went on to perform a variety of roles in Major League Baseball, including...
called Patek the best artificial turf
Artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
shortstop he ever managed, ranking him even higher than Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
. When asked by a reporter what it felt like to be the smallest player in the major leagues, Patek replied- "I'd rather be the smallest player in the majors than the tallest player in the minors" - Patek."
Although Patek played in 4 American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
, his teams never got to the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. The Pirates won the World Series the season after Patek left the Pirates , and the Royals lost the World Series the season after Patek left the Royals . Baseball analyst Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
has ranked Patek, a member of the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame, the 14th best player in Royals' history.
Personal
On July 21, 1992 his daughter Kimberlie was paralyzed from the neck down in a car accident. Several fund raisers were held by former teammates and the Baseball Assistance Team to help with his uninsured daughters medical bills. She died on June 15, 1995.See also
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases