Charlie Leibrandt
Charlie Leibrandt | |
---|---|
Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Left | |
MLB debut | |
September 17, 1979, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 21, 1993, for the Texas Rangers | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 140–119 |
Earned run average | 3.71 |
Strikeouts | 1,121 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Charles Louis Leibrandt Jr. (/ˈliːbrænt/; born October 4, 1956) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1979 to 1993 for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, and Texas Rangers. Leibrandt was a productive pitcher throughout his 14-year career and a member of the 1985 World Series champion Royals team.
Early years and education
Leibrandt was born in
He attended Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, from 1975–1978, where he earned four letters as a pitcher on the baseball team. During his senior year, Leibrandt was selected first-team All-MAC; he compiled a record of 7–2 with an ERA of 1.65.[2]
Career
Leibrandt was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth round of the 1978 free agent draft. He made his debut in Major League Baseball on September 17, 1979, in a Cincinnati Reds uniform. A few weeks later, he made his first post-season appearance in the 1979 National League Championship Series, recording an out of the only batter he faced, John Milner.
In 1980, Leibrandt made his first major league start in the 4th game of the season as the Reds beat the Atlanta Braves, 5–0, and Leibrandt threw a five-hit shutout for his first career win. But Leibrandt, while 10–9 in 1980, showed little promise in Cincinnati and was traded to the Kansas City Royals for Bob Tufts on June 7, 1983. The following year, Leibrandt went 11–7 with a 3.63 ERA as the Royals won the Western Division championship.
In 1985, Leibrandt had the best year of his career, going 17–9 with a 2.69 ERA as the Royals won the World Series. Over the next three years, Leibrandt won 14, 16, and 13 games, but after a disastrous 1989 when he went 5–11 on a second place (but 92-wins) team, the Royals traded Leibrandt and Rick Luecken to the Atlanta Braves for Gerald Perry and Jim Lemasters.
On May 16, 1987, Leibrandt pitched a complete game one-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers. The only hit for the Brewers was a bunt hit by backup Brewers catcher Bill Schroeder. Schroeder would go on to become the TV color commentator for the Brewers.[3]
On the last place Braves in 1990, Leibrandt went 9–11 with a 3.16 ERA, finishing behind only
On December 9, 1992, Leibrandt was traded to the Texas Rangers along with Pat Gomez for everyday utility player Jose Oliva.
In 1993, despite six straight road wins (which no subsequent Texas Rangers pitcher matched until 2009, when it was surpassed by Scott Feldman), he ended with a season record of 9–10 record with a 4.55 ERA, and subsequently retired.[4]
Post-season
Kansas City Royals
For all of his successes as a pitcher, Leibrandt is best known for a series of post-season failures and suffering hard luck. In 1984, Leibrandt and the Royals faced elimination in the best-of-five American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers. Leibrandt threw a complete game three-hitter only to lose, 1–0, on a fielder's choice in the second inning.
In the following year's ALCS, the Toronto Blue Jays beat Leibrandt badly in Game 1 but he turned in an effective pitching performance in Game 4. However, he lost when, leading 1–0 in the ninth, he walked Dámaso García, who scored on Lloyd Moseby's double. Responsible for Moseby, Leibrandt watched as the Blue Jays scored twice off reliever Dan Quisenberry and got tagged with the loss. He redeemed himself, however, coming out of the bullpen to replace the injured Bret Saberhagen in Game 7 and picking up the win that sent the Royals to the World Series.
In the World Series against the
Atlanta Braves
In 1991, Braves manager
Leibrandt played in the World Series with the Braves the following year. The Braves lost that series also, this time to the Toronto Blue Jays in six games. In the final game, in circumstances eerily similar to Game 6 of the prior year's Series, Leibrandt was called in as a reliever in an extra-inning game. Just as in 1991, Cox was criticized for using Leibrandt as a reliever with closer Jeff Reardon and relievers Marvin Freeman and David Nied still available. Toronto rallied for two runs in the top of the 11th on a hit by Dave Winfield. The Braves did manage to get one of those runs back in the bottom of the 11th; however, it was not enough and Leibrandt ended up as the losing pitcher.
Personal life
Leibrandt and his wife, Corrine, have four children—a daughter and three sons. He and his family continued to make their home in the Atlanta area after his retirement, and he coached his sons’ high school baseball teams at Marist School. The youngest son, Brandon, has played in Major League Baseball for the Miami Marlins.[5] His middle son, Brodie, was a starter at Columbus State University, in Columbus, Georgia. Leibrandt's oldest son, Ryan, is a physician in New York City.[6]
References
- ^ Verdi, Bob (October 21, 1985). "Leibrandt Is a Work of Art". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "Biographical information from Miami University Athletics Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on August 7, 2013.
- ^ "Milwaukee Brewers at Kansas City Royals Box Score, May 16, 1987". baseball-reference.com. sports-reference.com. May 16, 1987. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ Campbell, Dave (August 30, 2009). "Feldman picks up 14th win, pitches Rangers to 3–0 victory over Twins with help from Hamilton". gaeatimes.com. Associated Press (AP). Retrieved August 30, 2009.
- ^ "Sons of Dykstra, Leibrandt drafted on Day 2". espn.com. Associated Press (AP). June 6, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ "MSBI Internal Medicine Residency". January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Charlie Leibrandt at Baseball Library