4/27/2007

Know your Appleton Baseball Alumni (4/27)

Hipolito Pichardo, 1989 Foxes.


Baseball card from Baseballcardproject.com

Since the program in the post below this one is from 1989, I selected one of the two members of that Foxes team to make it to the Majors for today's Know Your Alumni post.

Pichardo was signed by the Royals as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 1987. He was 5-4 with a 2.97 ERA in twelve starts as a 20 year old for the Foxes in 1989. After a quick move through the Kansas City system, Pichardo made his major league debut with the Royals on April 21, 1992. He entered in relief of Mark Gubicza and gave up three runs on three hits over 2-2/3 innings.

In that rookie season, Pichardo made 31 appearances -- 24 starts -- and went 9-6. His first major league win was on May 20, 1992 at Chicago. He pitched five shutout innings allowing just three hits and striking out two. Mike Boddicker worked the final four innings for the save in a 7-2 Royal win.

Pichardo stayed with the Royals through the 1998 season and won 41 games while losing 39, but missed all of the 1999 season. The Red Sox signed him as a free agent in 2000 and he worked his way back to the bigs with a stint in both Sarasota and Pawtucket. Pichardo would go 6-3 with a 3.46ERA pitching in 38 games (all but one in relief) for the Red Sox that season.

In 2001, Pichardo was placed on the disabled list twice and worked in Sarasota, Pawtucket, and Boston again. During the off-season, he signed with the Astros, but wound up on their DL before the season started.

Pichardo got the call to the Astros in May and he pitched one last game as a major leaguer. In 1/3 of an inning at Shea Stadium, he allowed three runs and was charged with the loss.

Hipolito Pichardo BaseballAlmanac Page

Hipolito Pichardo Baseball Cube Page

Hipolito Pichardo Retrosheet Page

Hipolito Pichardo BaseballReference Page

Hipolito Pichardo Wikipedia Page

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