#605 Nelson Briles

Solid Career and by all accounts a Renaissance man….Moonlighted as musician in off season…Could be over powering at times matching fellow teammate Bob Gibson….Broke  into MLB during 1965 season as mop up man…. Was hard luck spot starter/reliever pitcher in 1966 going 4-15…kept up the same role but turned his W-L around to 14-5 in 1967 and best NL win Pct.…A cog in the Cardinals 18 game improvement for 1967….was able to get a start, complete game, and win in first WS game vs Bosox….1968 was Briles’ best season falling a game short of 20 wins….His WS series starts were less than stellar however going 0-2…won 15 games in 1969….1970 hit a stumbling block and was a lost season where he could not get untracked…despite this backtrack, Briles was highly positive of a comeback…Just before 1971 was traded to Pittsburgh….In a spot starter role was able to sustain a moderate comeback…caped off season with his other WS win propelling the Bucs upset win of the MLB crown….became a fixture in the starting rotation winning 14 the following two years…A trade to KC was a letdown with a plus 4.00 ERA….had a moderate comeback with the 1976 Texas squad winning 11….Finished career with one season in Texas and then one in Baltimore....….sadly he died while playing in annual Pirates alumni golf tournament