Al Hrabosky
| Birthdate | 7/21/1949 |
| Death Date | |
| Debut Year | 1970 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Braves, Cardinals, Royals |
| Position | Pitcher |
In 1975 St. Louis’ Al Hrabosky went 13-3 with a 1.66 ERA & a league-high 22 saves to earn the National League Fireman of the Year Award.
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Hrabosky finished in the top 5 in Cy Young voting in back-to-back seasons starting in 1974
Hrabosky finished in the top 5 in Cy Young voting in back-to-back seasons starting in 1974
A first-round pick of the Cardinals in 1969, Al Hrabosky made it to the bigs the the following season, two months before he was old enough to vote. He soon became one of the elite relievers of the 1970s.
The left-hander made 22 appearances out of the St. Louis bullpen from 1970-72 . He hit his stride in ’73. In 56 innings spanning 44 games, he struck out 57 batters and completed the season with a sparkling 2.09 ERA.
Stardom came in 1974. The Cardinals’ leading save man, Hrabosky went 8-1 with a 2.95 ERA. A workhorse, only 5 NL hurlers pitched in more games. His performance impressed Cy Young voters to a 5th-place finish.
Hrabosky’s finest season came in ’75 when he posted a 228 ERA+. The Pitcher of the Month in July, he topped all National Leaguers in saves and winning percentage by season’s end. In 97 1/3 innings he fashioned 13 victories and a 1.66 ERA. The stellar performance earned him The Sporting News’ NL Fireman of the Year. Hrabosky finished third in Cy Young Award balloting behind the Mets Tom Seaver and San Diego’s Randy Jones.
After another 14 wins and 22 saves over the next two seasons, St. Louis traded Hrabosky across the state to Kansas City. His first year with the Royals resulted in the American League West championship. The reliever’s .0980 WHIP was his lowest over a full season; his 20 saves were good for fifth in the AL. Hrabosky’s second and final year in KC featured a double-digit save total for the fifth consecutive season.
The southpaw’s final three big league campaigns were spent as the Braves’ setup man. His Atlanta tenure was highlighted by strike-shortened 1981. In 33 2/3 innings, Hrabosky posted a 1.07 ERA that helped translate to a 341 ERA+.
He left the majors after the ’82 season. Hrabosky finished his career with a 65-35 record, good for a .646 winning percentage. His 122 ERA+ matches that of Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Eddie Plank and surpasses Cooperstown men Don Drysdale, and Rollie Fingers.
In 1985 Hrabosky moved to the broadcast booth as the Cardinals color man, a position he still holds.
A member of many Halls of Fame, Hrabosky was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2003, the Fullerton College Hall of Fame in 2005, the Savanna High School Hall of Fame in 2012, and the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
In the collection is this pair of Topps cards from ’73 and ’74 autographed by Al Hrabosky.
Because of his heritage and mound antics, Hrabosky was nicknamed The Mad Hungarian
Because of his heritage and mound antics, Hrabosky was nicknamed The Mad Hungarian
With long flowing dark hair and a Fu Manchu mustache, Al Hrabosky developed a persona as a mound menace. Fans watched in delight as the man of Hungarian heritage performed his antics. Whenever he was in a jam, Hrabosky walked behind the mound, took in a deep breath, thoroughly rubbed down the ball, then slammed it into his glove.
With his wild appearance and intense mound routine, Hrabosky soon gained his memorable nickname, The Mad Hungarian.
The southpaw explained that the trips behind the hill helped change his mindset. “You see, the Mad Hungarian thought he was 6’8″ and 292 pounds,” the 5’11” reliever said.
The moniker served him well.
In the collection is this index card signed by Hrabosky. The pitcher has added his famous nickname below his autograph.
