Steve Bilko
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| Steve Bilko | ||
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| First baseman | ||
| Born: November 13, 1928, | ||
| Died: March 7, 1978 (aged 49) | ||
| Batted: Right | Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | ||
| September 22, 1949 for the St. Louis Cardinals |
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| Final game | ||
| August 14, 1962 for the Los Angeles Angels |
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| Career statistics | ||
| AVG | .249 | |
| HR | 76 | |
| RBI | 276 | |
| Teams | ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
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Stephen Thomas Bilko (November 13, 1928, Nanticoke, Pennsylvania - March 7, 1978), was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 22, 1949, with the St. Louis Cardinals.
[edit] Biography
[edit] Career
He was a home run-hitting first baseman of the 1950s and early 1960s who enjoyed his greatest fame with the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League from 1955–1957. His greatest year came in 1956 when he won the PCL's Triple Crown with a .360 batting average, 55 home runs, and 164 RBIs.
He also played for several major league teams, including the Los Angeles Angels of the American League in 1961 and 1962, but never enjoyed the success that he had with the PCL Angels in the 1950s. As an original LA Angel (American League version), he became the first player to play for both the L.A. Dodgers and the American League L.A. Angels.
He was nicknamed "Stout Steve" during his career because of his ample girth.
During his brief stay with the Cubs, announcer Bert Wilson placed Bilko at the end of what he hoped would be a soon-to-be-famous double play combination of Ernie Banks, Gene Baker and Steve Bilko. His name for that trio was "Bingo to Bango to Bilko".
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
- The Deadball Era
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