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Jack Billingham

Jack Billingham
Pitcher
Born: (1943-02-21) February 21, 1943 (age 74)
Orlando, Florida
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 11, 1968, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Last MLB appearance
June 20, 1980, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
Win–loss record 145–113
Earned run average 3.83
Strikeouts 1,141
Teams
Career highlights and awards

John Eugene Billingham (born February 21, 1943) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1968 through 1980 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox. The 6-foot-4 hurler won at least 10 games for 10 consecutive seasons, and he helped lead Cincinnati's legendary "Big Red Machine" to back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 and 1976. He batted and threw right-handed. Billingham is the cousin of Christy Mathewson.

Billingham proved to be one of the most effective pitchers in World Series history. In seven games (including three starts) for Cincinnati, he went 2–0 with a 0.36 [[earned run average}ERA]], allowing just one earned run in 2513 innings pitched. Billingham came to the Reds in one of baseball's biggest trades. The Reds sent Lee May, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart to the Astros for Billingham, Joe Morgan, Denis Menke, César Gerónimo, and then minor leaguer Ed Armbrister prior to the 1972 season.

Originally signed as a free agent by the Dodgers in 1961, Billingham was groomed as a relief pitcher in the Los Angeles farm system, reaching the major leagues in 1968. Despite a good season (50 games, 3–0 record, eight saves, 2.14 ERA), the Dodgers left Billingham unprotected in the expansion draft and he was selected by the Montreal Expos, though he would never pitch for them. In January 1969, the Expos traded Donn Clendenon to the Houston Astros for Rusty Staub. Clendenon refused to report, and Billingham was later sent to Houston to complete the trade. In 1969, Billingham was again used as a reliever (52 games, 6–7 record, 4.25 ERA). In 1970 he was moved into the starting rotation (46 games, 24 starts), before becoming exclusively a starting pitcher in 1971.


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Wikipedia

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