Dan Osinski

Daniel Osinski (November 17, 1933 – September 13, 2013), nicknamed "The Silencer", was an American Major League Baseball relief pitcher.

Osinski was born in Chicago on November 17, 1933, the first child of Anthony and Veronica Osinski.

He had one younger sibling, brother Ed.

After his first two years of high school, his family moved from Wauconda, Illinois, to Barrington, Illinois.

Osinski played baseball, football, and basketball in high school.

During his senior year, he threw back-to-back no-hitters and drew the interest of baseball scouts, though Osinski claimed that football and basketball were his main sports.

Once he graduated high school, Osinski had planned to attend the United States Naval Academy, but he flunked his physical.

The Navy planned to admit him anyway on a football scholarship, causing media outlets to wonder if they were favoring athletes over the general population.

Not wanting to be caught up in the controversy, Osinski chose to pursue a baseball career.

He worked out with the St. Louis Browns, but Wally Laskowski, a scout for the Cleveland Indians, spotted him and signed him to a $4,000 contract, the most he could get without being considered a bonus baby (which would have forced the Indians to keep the 17-year-old Osinski in the major leagues all of his first professional season without getting a chance to develop his skills at the minor league level).

The 6ft 2in, 195 lb right-hander was signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before the 1952 season.

In 1952, Osinski played his first professional season with the Fort Smith Indians of the Class C Western Association.

Years later, he recalled facing John Blanchard of the Joplin Miners.

"I can remember throwing him a fastball and he hit that thing up the light tower in right-center field. I never had a ball hit that hard off me ever."

In 37 games (12 starts), he had 11 wins, a 3.58 earned run average (ERA), and 155 strikeouts in 221 innings pitched.

However, he led the Western Association in losses (16) and walks (171).

Osinski remained at the Class C level in 1953 but this time pitched for the Sherbrooke Indians of the Provincial League.

"I remember going swimming [at Lake Magog] one time, and I never got sunburned so bad. And then I had to come back and pitch the next day," Osinski recalled about one of his starts with Sherbrooke.

"I had sunburn all over and I just covered myself up with this Noxzema, and I had a wool sweatshirt on, and I went out there. I was loose, don't get me wrong, I got very loose. I walked 17 batters and I still had a shutout going in the eighth inning...I won the ballgame 5-1."

In 30 games (26 starts), he had an 18–7 record, a 2.80 ERA, and 135 strikeouts (a Sherbrooke record) in 196 innings.

He played minor league baseball with them for a few years but was plagued by mononucleosis, which he was diagnosed with in 1955.

In 1957, Osinski was drafted by the United States Army, serving at Fort Campbell for two years.

Unsure whether he should continue playing baseball or not, Osinski tried out with the White Sox in 1959 and was added to one of their minor league clubs.

He played for the Kansas City Athletics (1962), Los Angeles Angels (1962–1964), Milwaukee Braves (1965), Boston Red Sox (1966–1967), Chicago White Sox (1969), and Houston Astros (1970).

Born in Chicago, Osinski played baseball, football, and basketball in high school.

He almost attended the United States Naval Academy on a football scholarship, but after flunking his physical, he chose instead to sign a contract with the Indians.

He focused on serving as a relief pitcher and made his major league debut with the Athletics in 1962.

Though he did not last long with the Athletics, Osinski impressed the Angels' general manager while pitching for the minor league Portland Beavers.

The Angels acquired him in a trade, and he helped give the team one of the best bullpens in the major leagues in 1962.

In 1963, he made 16 starts for the club, though he also appeared in 31 games in relief.

He posted a 3.48 earned run average (ERA) used mainly in relief in 1964, then was traded to Milwaukee.

Osinski posted a 2.82 ERA with the Braves in 1965 and also was asked by broadcaster Howard Cosell to demonstrate the spitball on national television.

He was traded to the Red Sox in December, with whom he spent the next two seasons.

Osinski had the lowest ERA of his career (2.54) in 1967 and pitched in two games in the 1967 World Series, which Boston lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

However, he was released during 1968 spring training and spent the season in the minor leagues.

He earned a spot on the White Sox' roster in 1969 and posted a 3.56 ERA in 51 games.

In 1970, he began the year with Houston but was assigned to the minor leagues after three games; he retired after the year.

Following his baseball career, Osinski owned a restaurant as well a steel fabrication shop in Oak Forest, Illinois.

Later, he sold cars in Sun City, Arizona.

He died on September 13, 2013.