Baseball profile: Al Hrabosky—former pitcher

Baseball Digest, May, 2004 by Rick Sorci

FULL NAME: Alan Thomas Hrabosky

AGE, HT., WT.: 54-5-10-200

Born: July 21, 1949 Oakland, California

HOME: St. Louis, Missouri

STATUS/FAMILY: Married with four daughters and three grandchildren

NICKNAME: The Mad Hungarian (I'm taking lithium for my condition)

LIFE OUTSIDE BASEBALL: Everything still revolves around baseball for me. I try to have trips in the off-season, and when I am home, I enjoy golfing. My therapy is probably gardening ... who woulda thunk it?

SPORTS HERO WHEN I WAS YOUNG: I grew up a Dodgers fan and the guy that I admired most was Junior Gilliam. I appreciate the fact that he was so unselfish, batting second behind Maury Wills and helping to push him along. I admired him because he was such a team player.

PEOPLE WHO INFLUENCED ME THE MOST: Probably Bob Gibson because of the way he conducted himself and the way people perceived him. I remember listening to what he said and watched how he went about his business. He was the greatest competitor I was ever around. I didn't have the physical skills he had, but in my mind and through the "Mad Hungarian," I tried to create the same aura.

BEST ADVICE ANYONE EVER GAVE ME: Be myself.

PLAYERS, PAST OR PRESENT, I'D PAY TO WATCH PLAY: Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and George Brett.

HOBBIES: Golfing and gardening. My gardening consists of flowers.

TYPE OF CAR: Jeep Cherokee

FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS: Who it would be depends on what their political stances are at the moment.

FAVORITE MOVIE: I'm a real movie buff, so I wouldn't say there is one favorite. I'm still looking for the next good one.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: I'm not one who necessarily watches a particular TV program. I'm more of a guy who likes to watch the news.

FAVORITE MUSIC: I'm really more into talk radio than music.

FAVORITE FOOD: Italian

FAVORITE BALLPARK: Dodger Stadium

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM OUTSIDE OF BASEBALL: The St. Louis Rams

PLAYER I LEARNED THE MOST FROM: Bob Gibson. Rookies back in my day were supposed to be seen and not heard. My locker was next to his and he was a very caring guy. If you took the time to ask him a question, he took the time to respond.

THE TRUE SIGN OF SUCCESS: I think that's up to each individual's definition. Success to one person could be irrelevant to someone else. To me, I think it's being able to look at myself in the mirror and know that, for the most part, I'm doing all the right things--taking care of my family.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE A BASEBALL PLAYER NEEDS: To be balanced. To be centered--not too high or too low. Also, show respect towards the fans.

CHARACTERISTIC I ADMIRE MOST IN A PERSON: Honesty

BEST TIME OF MY LIFE/WHY? I would never narrow it down to one. I've been very, very fortunate to live the life that I have. I wouldn't like to think that the best has not yet come. I don't want to say it's downhill from here.

IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT BASEBALL IT WOULD BE: I'm not smart enough to change it for the better. I think I'm happy for the players and the money they make today. I just ask that they earn it and stay fan-friendly.

IF NOT A BASEBALL PLAYER I WOULD HAVE BEEN: A Navy fighter pilot.

BEHIND MY BACK THEY SAY: This is a family magazine, you can't print it. But, I think the guys who hated me, deepdown respected my competitiveness.

TOUGHEST BATTER I'VE FACED: I can't answer that question because I wouldn't want to give that guy an advantage in an old-timer's game. Actually, guys like Joe Morgan and Rod Carew who sprayed the ball to all fields, gave me the most trouble.

LIFE AFTER BASEBALL: It's been absolutely perfect. I still go to the ballpark (as a broadcaster) and still travel with the ballclub. The only difference is my ERA doesn't go up.

MY BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Probably that I didn't take better care of myself toward the end of my career. I think I could have played longer.

MY MOST EMBARRASSING BASEBALL EXPERIENCE: One day I went behind the mound to psyche myself up and I went to throw the ball in my glove and missed. When over to pick up the ball, I swore if I ever did that again I'd just go on the mound and pitch.

MY MOST MEMORABLE GAME: In a selfish mode, it was when I was kept off the 1975 All-Star team. It was a situation where Dodgers manager Walt Alston picked his pitcher Mike Marshall over me--which he should have. When the Dodgers came to town the weekend before the All-Star break, the Cardinals held a "Hra-banner Day," where the fans got in free it they brought a banner to remind Alston that I should have been on the All-Star roster. That weekend, I got into two of the games against the Dodgers and was the winner in both--beating Marshall in one of them. And the next week, when the Cardinals went to LA, I picked up another win.

Some AL HRABOSKY Firsts

First Major League Game: June 16, 1970--pitched one scoreless inning for St. Louis in a 4-0 loss to the Padres in San Diego.

First Batter Faced: Ollie Brown, who singled off third baseman Joe Torre.

First Strikeout: Jim Hickman of the Cubs in the 16th inning on June 19, 1970.

Find Victory: June 19, 1970--a 5-3 win over the Cubs in a game that went 17 innings at Wrigley Field. Hrabosky pitched the final two innings without allowing a base runner and fanning three batters.