| Eric Show | |
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| Pitcher | |
| Born: May 19, 1956 Riverside, California |
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| Died: March 16, 1994 (aged 37) Dulzura, California |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| September 2, 1981 for the San Diego Padres | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 1991 for the Oakland Athletics | |
| Career statistics | |
| Win-Loss record | 101-89 |
| Earned run average | 3.66 |
| Strikeouts | 971 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Eric Vaughn Show (pronounced /ˈʃaʊ/, rhymes with "now") (May 19, 1956 – March 16, 1994) was a Major League Baseball player for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics. On September 11, 1985, Show gave up Pete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd career hit.
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Playing career
A native of Riverside, California, Show was the ace of the 1984 Padres team that won the National League pennant, and is the winningest pitcher in San Diego Padres history, but had his career and life cut short by drug abuse.
1981-1984
Show made his debut in late September of 1981, and the following year went 10-6 while splitting time between the starting rotation and bullpen. In 1983 he won 15 games and established himself as the ace of the Padres' staff. In 1984, he followed with a 15-6 record. However, he struggled in the postseason, going a combined 0-2 with a 12.38 earned run average in three games.
"The Hit"
On September 11, 1985, Show became famous for giving up Pete Rose's 4,192nd hit, surpassing Ty Cobb's 4,191 career hits record, to set the all-time mark. Show sat on the mound during the delay for festivities, an action which Padre Garry Templeton later said was "bush." Then he got into a dugout shoving match with leftfielder Carmelo Martínez, over a ball that fell for a single and led to the game-winning run. Finally, Show refused to stay to answer the post-game questions and, in his absence, his teammates ripped him.
"I'm tired of hearing about his unlucky luck," said Tim Flannery. "That's been at the root of the problem all year. If something goes wrong, he quits. That's why runs aren't scored for him. Guys don't want to play for him. One guy got tired of hearing it."
Before the game, when Show had been asked about the possibility of giving up "The Hit", he came up with this droll answer: "I guess it doesn't mean as much to me as it does to other baseball enthusiasts. Don't get me wrong. I'm certainly not putting down Pete. It's a fantastic accomplishment. But in the eternal scheme of things, how much does this matter? I don't like to say this, but I don't care."
One light note was struck by Graig Nettles, who said, "The Birch Society is going to expel Eric for making a Red famous."
Later career
Show made his last appearance on the National League leaderboard in 1988, a season in which he went 16-11 with 13 complete games and pitched 234 2/3 innings. His effectiveness diminished significantly after that season and by 1990 he had lost his regular spot in San Diego's rotation. He signed with Oakland as a free agent the following year but did not regain his old form and was cut the following season. He also played in 1980-81 with the Mayaguez Indians of the Puerto Rican Winter League.
Personal
Show, along with teammates Dave Dravecky and Mark Thurmond, was an outspoken political conservative, a Christian, and a member of the anti-communist John Birch Society.[1] He was also an accomplished jazz musician.
Over time Show's mental health and drug abuse seemed to worsen. He was once arrested by the police in downtown San Diego while yelling that someone was trying to kill him. Placed inside the police car, he kicked out the window and fled on foot. He was apprehended later that same day. Show additionally showed up at the Oakland A's training camp with bandaged hands after police had pursued him on another occasion after reports were made of his acting oddly inside an adult bookstore. [2]
Death
After he was out of baseball, Show fell victim to drug abuse. He died of a heart attack after taking a speedball (i.e. injecting a mixture of cocaine and heroin) in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in the San Diego suburb of Dulzura.
Controversial Moments
On July 7, 1987 Show hit the year's eventual MVP Andre Dawson in the left cheekbone with a fastball during a game. Dawson had homered in 3 of his last 5 plate appearances at that point, and the Cubs reacted with a bench-clearing brawl. Show and his manager, Larry Bowa, later denied that the pitch was purposeful, while Bowa acknowledged that he could understand why the Cubs would think it was. [3]
References
- Dravecky, Dave and Yorkey, Mike (2004). Called Up: Stories of Life and Faith from the Great Game of Baseball. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. ISBN 0-310-25230-6.
Sources
- ^ Berkow, Ira (1994-03-27). "Eric Show's Solitary Life, and Death". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE6DA1F3CF934A15750C0A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all. Retrieved on 2008-06-26.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
- Obituary
- Retrosheet
- An account of the game that featured a bench-clearing brawl after Show hit Dawson with a pitch
- [4] "Mystery Man." San Diego Tribune. Sunday, May 18, 2008.
- [5] "All's Right With His World" Sports Illustrated. August 6, 1984.
- Eric Show at Find A Grave
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