Okay, so, I was digging around the internet, just kinda stumbled upon this baseball player named John Candelaria. I mean, the name rang a bell, but I couldn’t quite place him. So, I started to read a bit more about him, and it’s pretty interesting stuff.
First off, I checked when he was born. Turns out, this guy, John Robert Candelaria, came into the world on November 6, 1953, right in Brooklyn, New York. His folks were Puerto Rican, which I thought was cool. He was nicknamed the “Candy Man”.
Then I began to check his career. Man, this guy was a big deal in baseball back in the day! He played from 1975 to 1993, which is like, forever in sports years. And get this, he was with eight different teams during his career. We’re talking about the Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Minnesota, and a couple more. Talk about getting around!
But it wasn’t just about hopping teams. This Candelaria guy was good. In 1976, he had a 16-7 record, and he even threw a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 9th. Can you imagine that? A no-hitter! Then, in 1977, he really shined, going 20-5 with a 2.34 ERA. That’s some top-notch stuff. And he was an All-Star that year, too. Plus, he was part of the 1979 World Series champion Pirates team.
I tried to find out what made him special. One thing that caught my eye was that he was the first Pirates pitcher in 69 years to throw a no-hitter in Pittsburgh. He did that on August 9, 1976, against the Dodgers, and the Pirates won 2-0. That’s history right there!
What really got me hooked was trying to find some personal stuff about him. Apparently, he’s living in North Carolina now and loves to travel the world. Oh, and he’s got a nephew, Zac, who played college baseball. It’s always cool to see that family connection.
Digging Deeper
- Checking His Roots: I found out that his dad, also named John, was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, in 1932, and his mom, Felicia, in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, in 1934. I always like knowing where people come from.
- Career Highlights: It wasn’t just about the no-hitter. He had 1,673 strikeouts in his career. That’s a lot of batters walking back to the dugout shaking their heads.
- Recognition: In 1977, when he was an All-Star, he also finished fifth in the Cy Young Award voting. He was up there with some other legends like Steve Carlton and Tommy John.
So, yeah, that’s my little deep dive on John Candelaria. It started as a random search and turned into a whole learning experience. It’s amazing how much you can find out when you just start digging. And it’s a good reminder that there are so many cool stories out there, just waiting to be discovered.
