![\"JP](\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/JP-Award.jpg\")
<\/a>In 2014, BRT launched its own baseball award \u2013 The John Paciorek Award<\/strong> \u2013 or JPA (which could stand for \u201cPlayed Just Abit.\u201d) \u00a0The JPA recognizes players who have had short, maybe very short, major league careers, but whose accomplishments, nonetheless, deserve recognition.\u00a0 Just as the emergence of these players on the MLB scene was often unexpected, the JPA is awarded on no specific timetable.\u00a0 BBRT, in fact, most often uncovers these brief, but bright, stars when researching some unrelated baseball topic.<\/p>\n(Note: Information on \u00a0John Paciorek\u2019s career \u2013 the inspiration for the JPA \u2013 can be found at the end of this post.)<\/em><\/p>\n Roy Gleason was a top-rated prospect right out of high school, recruited (for the Boston Red Sox) by the likes of Ted Williams. A big (6\u20195\u201d, 220-pound), speedy, switch-hitting outfielder, Gleason had his heart set on taking the field for the Los Angeles Dodgers. At least briefly, he lived the dream \u2013 signing with the Dodgers and making his major league debut at the age of 20, in just his second professional season (1963). He first appeared in a Dodgers game as a pinch runner on September 3 and, as the season wound down, got into seven games in that capacity \u2013 scoring two runs, but never coming to the plate.<\/p>\n Then, on September 28, 1963 \u2013 in the eighth inning of a game against the Phillies, Gleason was called on to pinch hit for LA pitcher Phil Ortego (the Dodgers were trailing 12-2 at the time). That first MLB at bat would prove to be Gleason\u2019s only MLB plate appearance and he made the most of it \u2013 lining a 1-0 fastball off the Phillies\u2019 Dennis Bennett for a standup double to left (and scoring later in the inning). Thus, Gleason ended his first MLB season \u2013 and his MLB career \u2013 with a 1.000 batting average, 1.000 on base percentage and 2.000 slugging percentage. And, although Gleason was not on the post-season roster, the Dodgers went on to win the 1963 World Series, earning Gleason a coveted World Championship ring.<\/p>\n Gleason spent the next three seasons back in the minors \u2013 where he hit only .213, but showed a combination of power and speed with 44 home runs and 21 stolen bases. Gleason was maturing as a player and a return to the majors seemed on the horizon after he earned an invite to the Dodgers\u2019 1967 major league Spring Training camp. Gleason, however, received another invite that spring \u2013 a draft notice.<\/em> That invite, as noted in Gleason\u2019s book \u201cLost in the Sun\u201d<\/strong><\/em> (by Roy Gleason as told to Wallace Wasinack and Mark Langill) took the young outfielder on an \u201cOdyssey from the Outfield to the Battle Field.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n Gleason, it turns out, was the only baseball player with major league experience on his resume to serve on the front lines in Vietnam. In Vietnam, Gleason earned his Sergeant\u2019s stripes, as well as a Purple Heart (suffering leg and wrist wounds when his squad came under attack on July 24, 1968).\u00a0 By his own admission, a reluctant hero (aren\u2019t those the most heroic), Gleason nonetheless distinguished himself.\u00a0 A few lines from his citation note that, after being wounded, Gleason \u201crefused medical attention and continued to perform his duties as squad leader until all his wounded men had been evacuated.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 In his book Lost in the Sun<\/strong><\/em>, Gleason, describes the moments after he was wounded, \u201cAs I rolled on my belly to return fire, I didn\u2019t have time to think about the reason I was there. Why am I fighting to the death \u2013 an enemy I didn\u2019t even know \u2013 in a world far removed from the small mid-American town of LaGrange, Illinois. The sight of the blood-soaked mud was now the scene, and God \u2026 how I missed the lush green baseball fields I\u2019d played on in America.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Gleason was ultimately airlifted out of the combat area on an Army helicopter \u2013 and left behind was his foot locker and his 1963 World Championship ring,<\/strong> but not his major league dreams.<\/p>\n After recovering from his wounds and enduring extensive rehab, Gleason attempted a comeback \u2013 performing well in 1969 Spring Training before being returned to the minors. A truck accident (Gleason was working construction between the 1970 and 1971 seasons), however, resulted in an arm (rotator cuff) injury that ended his pursuit of major league career.<\/p>\n As a baseball fan and a veteran myself, I am honored to be able to recognize Roy Gleason for his service and his bright and shining major league moment in this Memorial Day post.<\/p>\n On September 20, 2003, the Dodgers held a special ceremony honoring Gleason before their game against the Giants.\u00a0 Roy\u2019s military and athletic accomplishments were recognized in a brief video and Gleason threw out the ceremonial first pitch.\u00a0 Then came the surprise of the day, as Dodger Manager Jim Tracy stepped forward to present the ballfield phenom and battlefield hero with a replacement 1963 World Series ring.\u00a0 Says Gleason, \u201cI was in shock when he when he handed me the World Series ring, and it remains one of the most incredible instants in my life. I felt like I was finally back to where I always wanted to be \u2013 I felt lke I was 20-years-old again.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n By the way, remember I said BBRT often uncovers the stories of brief, but brilliant, baseball \u201cstars\u201d while researching other baseball stories.\u00a0 Well, Roy Gleason\u2019s name (and story) came up while I was looking into the career of former Dodgers’ (1949) and Cubs’ (1951) first baseman Chuck Connors \u2013 who gained fame as an actor (particularly as the star of the popular TV series The Rifleman.<\/em> (For more on Connors, click here<\/a>.)\u00a0 Turns out, Gleason appeared with Connors in a 1966 episode of the TV Series \u201cBranded.\u201d Gleason\u2019s television credits also included appearances in Batman<\/em> and No Time for Sergeants.<\/em><\/p>\n Previous JPA Winners:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 2014 – Brian\u00a0Dallimore,<\/strong> San Francisco Giants infielder. Had a short (two-season\/games played) MLB career. \u00a0In his first MLB start (as a 30-year-old rookie), Dallimore was on base five times in five plate appearances, had two singles and a home run (grand slam, for his first MLB hit) in three at bats, scored three runs and drove in four. For the full story, click here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Inspiration for the JPA<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n John Paciorek – signed out of Saint Ladislaus High School in Hamtramck, Michigan (where he had starred in football, basketball and baseball) – appeared in his first major league game on the final day of the 1963 season (September 29) at the age of 18.\u00a0 The 6\u2019 1\u201d, 200-pound outfielder had spent the 1963 season with Class A Modesto Colts. The Colts\u2019 parent club, the Houston Colt .45s (that was the current Astros\u2019 franchise name back then) was suffering through a difficult season \u2013 they were 65-96 going into that final game.\u00a0 Looking to the future, Houston had, in fact, fielded and all-rookie lineup (average age 19) on September 27. Youth was still being served two days later when John Paciorek started his first MLB game. The results were surprising \u2013 and worthy of recognition.<\/strong><\/p>\n Playing right field and batting seventh in a 13-4 win over the NY Mets, Paciorek ended up with three hits and two walks in five plate appearances, with four runs scored and three runs batted in.\u00a0 Perhaps equally surprising is that it was not only Paciorek\u2019s first major league appearance, it was his only MLB appearance.\u00a0 Back pain the following spring, followed by surgery (he played 49 minor league games in 1964 and missed all of the 1965 season) put an end to his MLB playing days. (He did play in four more minor league seasons.)\u00a0 Still, you will find John Paciorek in the Baseball Encyclopedia and his is arguably the greatest one-game MLB career ever.\u00a0 Among one-gamers, he holds the record for times on base and runs scored, and shares the record for batting average, on base percentage and RBIs. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n A final note. John Paciorek’s insight into the national pastime should come as no surprise. Paciorek comes from a true \u201cbaseball family.\u201d\u00a0 He was the first born of eight siblings and was followed to the big leagues by younger brothers Jim and Tom Paciorek.\u00a0 (Like John, Jim\u2019s MLB career was short \u2013 48 games for the Brewers in 1987. Brother Tom, however, achieved a .282 average over an 18-season \u2013 1,392 game \u2013 MLB career.)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n In 2014, BRT launched its own baseball award \u2013 The John Paciorek Award \u2013 or JPA (which could stand for \u201cPlayed Just Abit.\u201d) \u00a0The JPA recognizes players who have had short, maybe very short, major league careers, but whose accomplishments, nonetheless, deserve recognition.\u00a0 Just as the emergence of these players on the MLB scene was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11,9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n<\/a>Now the timetable for these recognitions may not be specific, but that does not preclude the presentations from being \u201ctime appropriate.\u201d\u00a0 With that in mind, BBRT\u2019s second JPA is being presented on this Memorial Day to Roy Gleason \u2013<\/span> whose achievements include eight MLB appearances (Dodgers 1963), a career MLB batting average of 1.000, a World Series ring (more on that later) and a Purple Heart (earned in Vietnam).\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>BBRT recommends Lost In The Sun \u2013 Roy Gleason\u2019s Odyssey from the Outfield to the Battlefield.<\/strong><\/em><\/span> It\u2019s moving story of dream chasing, perseverance, reluctant heroism, fear , survivor\u2019s guilt, and the inside of major league negotiations (methods and motives) \u2013 with a helping of history, politics and cultural commentary thrown in.<\/p>\n<\/a>Paciorek, by the way, went on to become a high school teacher and multi-sport coach, and the author of two books (Plato and Socrates \u2013 Baseball\u2019s Wisest Fans<\/em> and The\u00a0Principles of Baseball<\/em>: And\u00a0All There Is To Know About Hitting<\/em>.) You also can enjoy Paciorek’s prose (and expertise) \u00a0directly at his highly recommended blog \u201cPaciorek\u2019s Principles of Perfect Practice\u201d by clicking here.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nI tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBseballRT<\/span><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"