#399 Milt Wilcox

A late bloomer....didn’t reach full effectiveness until 1978 his 9^th season after his MLB debut in 1970.... Had consideration for Comeback Player of the Year and then quipped  “How can I come back when I’ve never been anywhere before?”….Milt was right about himself…. On the margins of Reds pitching staff and the minors…traveled cross state to Cleveland….got plenty of work but never overwhelming….fortunes rode parallel to that of the Indians….a jump in ERA started a period of re-tooling in AAA….that road led to Evansville Indiana home of the top farm club of the Tigers…an impressive start there in 1977 got him a call up to the big club…6-2 record in 14 starts….for next five seasons had winning record and a consistent starter winning either 11, 12, or 13 games….stepped it up in 1984 with career best pitching line of 17-8 as Tiger bulldozed the competition to the World Series….with an injury in 1985 bottom dropped out and quickly….went 1-11 over two seasons….has dabbled in many activities since retiring….was scheduled to pitch the second half of a doubleheader of Disco Demolition Night….most everybody knows the rest.