Mike Bielecki | |||
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Pitcher | |||
Born: Baltimore, Maryland |
July 31, 1959 |||
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MLB debut | |||
September 14, 1984, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
August 16, 1997, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Win–loss record | 70–73 | ||
Earned run average | 4.18 | ||
Strikeouts | 783 | ||
Teams | |||
Michael Joseph Bielecki (born July 31, 1959) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues for five different teams.
After graduating from Dundalk High School, Bielecki attended Loyola College in Maryland for the 1977–78 academic year. He pitched for the Greyhounds for only one season due to the university discontinuing its intercollegiate baseball program in the autumn of 1978. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round (8th pick) of the 1979 amateur draft (Secondary Phase). He made his debut on September 14, 1984. He spent the next four seasons with the Pirates, only playing full-time in 1986, finishing that season with a 6-11 record and a 4.66 earned run average.
In 1989, he won a career high 18 games for the Cubs and finished ninth in Cy Young Award voting. He was nicknamed "BOOM BOOM" Bielecki by Steve Stone for his 2 run single he collected against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a game from April 13, 1991. Bielecki pitched the first night game ever at Wrigley Field, on August 9, 1988.
In 1993, as an Indian, Bielecki had been invited to join Steve Olin, Tim Crews and Bob Ojeda on a fishing boat in spring training, but declined. The subsequent crash of the boat killed Olin and Crews, and nearly killed Ojeda. Bielecki didn't stay long in Cleveland, he ended the season pitiching for the Baltimore Orioles AAA farm team.
In 1995 Bielecki pitched for the California Angels, and had a 5.97 ERA in 22 appearances with the team.
In 1991 Bielecki was acquired by the Braves along with Damon Berryhill. With only two days left in the season, in 1992 he was named the fifth starter for the Braves but his season ended in August due to an elbow injury. In 1994 he returned to the Braves. Appeared in the 1996 World Series as a member of the Braves. His final game was on August 16, 1997.