Al Pilarcik, who played for the Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox from 1956 to 1961 passed away on September 20 at age 80.
Pilarcik played most of his career with the Orioles, spending 1957 to 1960 with the team. In that time, he developed into a solid hitter with a good eye at the plate—in four years with the Birds, he walked 140 times with only 107 strikeouts. Perhaps his best season was his first with the O’s—he hit .278 with a career-high nine home runs and 14 stolen bases.
He played with the Athletics in 1956 and for part of 1961 and with the White Sox for part of 1961 as well. Interestingly, Pilarcik was traded by the Athletics to the White Sox for multiple players, including pitcher Bob Shaw—who coincidentally died just two days after Pilarcik.
