Steve Mingori
A crafty left-handed reliever whose deceptive sidearm delivery baffled hitters for a decade in the American League.
1944–2008 (age 64)·American baseball player·Birthday: February 29·The Silent Generation
Biography
Steve Mingori didn't overpower batters; he out-thought them. With a distinctive sidearm slinging motion, he carved out a niche as a reliable situational lefty in the 1970s. His journey saw him start with the Cleveland Indians before finding his most significant role with the Kansas City Royals, where he became a key piece of their bullpen during their rise to contention. Mingori's value was in his consistency and his ability to get crucial outs against tough left-handed hitters, a specialist role before it was fully en vogue. He pitched in the 1976 ALCS for the Royals and was part of the fabric of a team that transformed from expansion newcomers to perennial contenders, his unorthodox style leaving a quiet but definite mark on the era.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Steve was born in 1944, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1944
#1 Movie
Going My Way
Best Picture
Going My Way
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1944Born
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1949Started school
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1957Became a teenager
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Could drive
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1962Could vote
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Turned 21
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1974Turned 30
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 40
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 50
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 60
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2008Died at 64
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Key Achievements
- Pitched in 386 major league games over ten seasons, primarily as a relief specialist for the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals.
- Posted a career 3.03 ERA, with his best season in 1973 recording a 2.78 ERA over 74 innings for Cleveland and Kansas City.
- Was a member of the Kansas City Royals team that won the American League West in 1976, appearing in the ALCS.
- Held left-handed hitters to a .234 batting average over his career with his sidearm delivery.
Did You Know?
He was traded from the Cleveland Indians to the Kansas City Royals in 1973 for catcher Carl Taylor.
His nickname among teammates and fans was 'Mongo,' a reference to the character from the film 'Blazing Saddles.'
He missed the entire 1969 season while serving in the United States Army.
After his playing career, he worked as a pitching coach in the Royals' minor league system.
“You don't throw it by them, you throw it through them.”
