John Candelaria
Encyclopedia
John Robert Candelaria. He attended The Caton School P.S. 249. Nicknamed "The Candy Man," is a former professional left-handed pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates
, California Angels
, New York Mets
, New York Yankees
, Montreal Expos
, Minnesota Twins
, Toronto Blue Jays
, and Los Angeles Dodgers
between 1975-1993. Prior to joining the Pirates, "Candy" played center for the Quebradillas Pirates in Puerto Rico. Known as a basketball player in Puerto Rico
, when he announced he was leaving the Quebradillas basketball "Pirates" for the Pittsburgh Pirates many were skeptical. The local newspaper featured him pitching a basketball in the front page of the sports section. He had attended La Salle Academy
in lower Manhattan and gained fame as a basketball center, including leading his team to a championship in 1971.
Candelaria pitched to a 177-122 career record with a 3.33 ERA. His best season was 1977 when he was 20-5 with a 2.34 ERA in 230.2 innings pitched, and he was a member of the 1979 World Series champion Pirates team. He pitched a no-hitter
against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 9, 1976
. This was the first no hitter pitched by a Pirate in Pittsburgh.
Candelaria stood 6'7" and wielded a mid- to upper-90's fastball with spectacular natural movement. One veteran Dodger scout who witnessed 15-year-old Candelaria at a tryout called him the best he had ever seen. The tryout catcher had to be replaced with a major league catcher for fear of injuring the stand-in. By the account of this same scout, Candelaria was in line to sign with the Dodgers before he appeared at a later tryout wearing a shirt that featured a marijuana leaf with the caption "try some, you'll like it." The Dodger executives at the tryout were so appalled by this lighthearted display that they declined to sign him.
Candelaria played for both New York teams (Mets and Yankees), both Los Angeles teams (Dodgers and Angels) and both Canadian teams (Blue Jays and Expos).
, North Carolina
, and is an avid world traveler.
Pittsburgh 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...
, California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, 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...
, Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
, Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, and 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...
between 1975-1993. Prior to joining the Pirates, "Candy" played center for the Quebradillas Pirates in Puerto Rico. Known as a basketball player in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, when he announced he was leaving the Quebradillas basketball "Pirates" for the Pittsburgh Pirates many were skeptical. The local newspaper featured him pitching a basketball in the front page of the sports section. He had attended La Salle Academy
La Salle Academy
La Salle Academy is a private, all boys high school in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York....
in lower Manhattan and gained fame as a basketball center, including leading his team to a championship in 1971.
Candelaria pitched to a 177-122 career record with a 3.33 ERA. His best season was 1977 when he was 20-5 with a 2.34 ERA in 230.2 innings pitched, and he was a member of the 1979 World Series champion Pirates team. He pitched a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 9, 1976
1976 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 90th in the National League, and the 95th in franchise history. The Pirates compiled a 92-70 record during the season, as they finished in second place in the NL East, nine games behind their cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies. As a result, their...
. This was the first no hitter pitched by a Pirate in Pittsburgh.
Candelaria stood 6'7" and wielded a mid- to upper-90's fastball with spectacular natural movement. One veteran Dodger scout who witnessed 15-year-old Candelaria at a tryout called him the best he had ever seen. The tryout catcher had to be replaced with a major league catcher for fear of injuring the stand-in. By the account of this same scout, Candelaria was in line to sign with the Dodgers before he appeared at a later tryout wearing a shirt that featured a marijuana leaf with the caption "try some, you'll like it." The Dodger executives at the tryout were so appalled by this lighthearted display that they declined to sign him.
Candelaria played for both New York teams (Mets and Yankees), both Los Angeles teams (Dodgers and Angels) and both Canadian teams (Blue Jays and Expos).
Life After Baseball
Candelaria currently lives in DavidsonDavidson, North Carolina
Davidson is a town in Mecklenburg County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 7,139 at the 2000 census. It is home to Davidson College...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and is an avid world traveler.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters