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Pete LaCock
From BR Bullpen
Ralph Pierre LaCock
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 6' 3", Weight 210 lb.
- High School William Howard Taft High School
- Debut September 6, 1972
- Final Game October 5, 1980
- Born January 17, 1952 in Burbank, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Pete LaCock, the son of "Hollywood Squares" host Peter Marshall, was a first baseman, outfielder, and DH for nine years in the major leagues. He is best known for his 1977 and 1978 years, when he hit .303 and .295 respectively for the Kansas City Royals. His last major league appearance was in Game 2 of the 1980 World Series.
A first round pick by the Chicago Cubs in 1970 out of high school, he first broke into the majors in 1972 at age 20.
He was MVP of the American Association in 1974. That year, as the first baseman for the Wichita Aeros, LaCock hit .327 with 23 homers and 91 RBI.
LaCock went to Japan in 1981 with the Taiyo Whales after signing a two-year contract for $800,000. He said he was not worth that much. He hit .273/.359/.433, unimpressive for a 1B. He was criticized for his refusal to bunt in one game, for going into the Yomiuri Giants clubhouse to talk to Yomiuri OF Gary Thomasson and for making excuses when he made an error. He once gave his bat to the umpire as a dispute for a called third strike, saying "You're taking the bat out of my hands, anyway, so you might as well have it." Due to his poor performance and his behavior, he was released even though the club had to pay his full 1982 salary.
In 1989, he played for the St. Petersburg Pelicans and Winter Haven Super Sox of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. LaCock batted .318 with 4 homeruns and 35 RBI's in 71 games.
In 1990, he played for the Sun City Rays, also from the Senior Professional Baseball Association. He was leading the league in both batting average (at .407) and on base percentage (at .500) in 23 games when the league folded.
LaCock served as the Hitting Coach for the Tucson Toros in 2009, helping the club to their first playoff birth in the Golden Baseball League.
Sources include You Gotta Have Wa by Robert Whiting
