The back: Kison would pitch in five more seasons, and went 10-3 in those Septembers, giving him a career 33-9 mark in that month! In all other months, he was a combined 82-79.
The player: As good as Kison was in September, he was arguably even better in October. In 10 postseason games (4 starts) he went 5-1 with a 1.98 ERA. As a rookie in 1971, Kison entered Game 4 of the World Series with the Pirates down by three runs in the game and 2-1 in the series. He pitched 6.1 innings of scoreless relief, enabling the Pirates to come back, win the game and ultimately the series. Primarily a starter with the Pirates in the 1970s, he was more frequently used as a reliever by the Angels in the 1980s. He ended his career with Boston in 1985.
The man: Kison was a tough competitor known for pitching inside, and was involved in several bench-clearing brawls. After his career Kison was a long time coach and scout. He died of cancer in 2018.
My collection: I have 30 of his cards, from 1972 to 1986. I would be interested in trading for 1976 O-Pee-Chee #161.
I remember Kison pitching with Pirates in the Series. Such a fun Series to watch!
ReplyDeleteHuh, for someone who seemingly had a decent amount of success, I feel like I should've heard of him prior to this.
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