Tim Plodinec

Plodinec was a member of the United States national baseball team at the 1967 Pan American Games,^[1] where the team won the gold medal.^[2] As a pitcher for the Arizona Wildcats, Plodinec was named to the 1968 College Baseball All-America Team in June 1968.^[3] That month, he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 33rd round of the 1968 MLB draft.^[4]

Plodinec went on to play professionally from 1968 to 1975, primarily in the Cardinals' farm system, appearing in 259 minor-league games while compiling a 45–40 win–loss record and a 3.39 earned run average (ERA).^[5] His one appearance in MLB came on June 2, 1972, against the Los Angeles Dodgers—in one-third of an inning in relief, he faced four batters, allowed three singles, and was charged with one earned run.^[6]

Following his baseball career, Plodinec was a business executive for the Long John Silver's restaurant chain.^[7] In September 2021, Plodinec was inducted to the Sports Hall of Fame at the University of Arizona.^[7][8] In addition to playing college baseball, he also played college football for Arizona,^[9] leading the 1965 Wildcats in receiving.^[10]

• Career statistics from Baseball Reference · Baseball Reference (Minors) · Retrosheet · Baseball Almanac