Synopses & Reviews
THE MAN WHO BATTED A THOUSANDA spectacular debut major-league gameand#151;then obscurity.
On the final day of the 1963 major-league baseball season, Houston Colt .45s teen sensation John Paciorekand#151;in his one and only big-league gameand#151;went three-for-three, giving him a career batting average of 1.000. He also notched three RBI and scored four times. In the outfield John played magnificently, cleanly fielding all four balls hit to him. His was, truly, a perfect gameand#151;the most spectacular game ever by a player in his only big-league appearance. Then, a back injury dropped him just as quickly back down to the minor leagues, where he soon departed from baseball forever.
A rare jewel of baseball history, Perfect tells Johnand#8217;s remarkable story, from his childhood in Detroit, to athletic excellence in high school, to a solitary season in the low minors, to his one shining day in the majors and everything that followed. It includes excerpts from the play-by-play announcers watching his performanceand#151;Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner and Lindsey Nelsonand#151;and reflections from numerous outstanding major-league players who crossed paths with John that day, including Rusty Staub and Jim Wynn.
The big question remains: What might John Paciorek have become? His story is a fascinating one for anyone who loves the game of baseball: wonderful nostalgia for older fans, a bit of trivia brought fully to life, and a tantalizing story of hope and inspiration for young players aspiring to greatness.
Review
and#147;A great book that captures the essence of baseball and every boyand#8217;s dream: to play in the major leagues. The story of John Paciorek is the stuff of legends.and#8221;
and#151;Gary Adams, former UCLA baseball coach
and#147;By perfect illogical fate, John Pacorek's 1.000 career batting average for one day's work in the big leagues is really more the measure of a man who came to understand that the baseball Gods simply threw him a proverbial curve ball. It can't be explained, yet Steve Wagnerand#8217;s chronicling of that day does it, and makes you wonder more why John, and not Moonlight Graham, wasnand#8217;t the perfect person to have in the movie Field of Dreams.and#8221;
and#151;Tom Hoffarth, columnist, Los Angeles Daily News
Synopsis
A phenomenally talented young man who played in only one major league game, dazzled everyone, and never returned.
Synopsis
In the final game of the 1963 season, Houston's teen sensation John Paciorek went three-for-three, batting 1.000 in his one and only big league game, had three RBI, and scored four times. He played magnificently in the outfield, cleanly fielding all four balls hit to him. His was, truly, a perfect gameand#151;the most spectacular game ever by a player in his only big league appearance. Then a back injury returned him to the minors, and eventually out the bottom of the system. The big question remains: What might he have become? A fascinating story for any baseball fan, and for young players aspiring to greatness.
About the Author
STEVEN K. WAGNER has worked as a freelance journalist since 1989. The author began his career with the
Monmouth Sun-Enterprise in Oregon and later worked for the
Oregon City Enterprise-Courier and the
Portland Daily Journal of Commerce before joining United Press International as a staff writer in Boise, Idaho. He also worked for the
Portland Oregonian as its Vancouver, Washington, bureau chief and as the newspaperand#8217;s night crime reporter. Mr. Wagner has freelanced extensively for the
Los Angeles Times and his work also has appeared in the
New York Times, Oklahoma City Oklahoman, Seattle Times, Baseball America, and numerous other newspapers and magazines. He is married, has two grown children, and currently resides in Claremont, California.