Nelson Briles - Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates

Briles spent most of his first season in Pittsburgh in the bullpen, however, was added to the starting rotation in September. Though he pitched very well, (3-1 with with two shutouts, a complete game and a 1.74 ERA) he did not not make an appearance in the 1971 National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants. He did, however, earn a game five start in the 1971 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. With the series tied at two games apiece, Briles pitched a brilliant two-hitter to carry the eventual World Champions to a 3-2 series lead. He also drove in a run with a second inning single. He pitched three seasons for the Pirates, going 36-28 with a 2.98 ERA.

Briles, who studied drama at Santa Clara, became just as famous off the field in Pittsburgh with a nightclub act in which he sang and told jokes. Perhaps the second most memorable moment of his time with the Pirates had to do with hockey rather than baseball. On his way to training camp in Bradenton, Florida in 1972, Briles made a pit stop at a hockey game between the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins. Between periods, Blues radio broadcaster Dan Kelly interviewed Briles. Comments Briles made about Pittsburgh sports fans and the Pittsburgh Penguins were deemed insulting by Pittsburgh fans. He denied most of the quotes attributed to him and claimed that his words were misconstrued. Following the 1973 season, he was traded with Fernando Gonzalez to the Kansas City Royals for Kurt Bevacqua, Ed Kirkpatrick and minor leaguer Winston Cole.