Bill Gogolewski

William Joseph Gogolewski
(Gogo)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 190 lb.
• High School Oshkosh High School
• Debut September 3, 1970
• Final Game August 5, 1975
• Born October 26, 1947 in Oshkosh, WI USA

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Biographical Information

Bill Gogolewski pitched a one-hitter on September 12, 1972 as a member of the Texas Rangers against the California Angels. He gave up 2 walks and struck out 3. The losing pitcher was Nolan Ryan; the lone hit was a 3rd-inning single by Billy Parker. It was one of the few highlights of a dreadful first season for the Rangers in Texas, as they were the worst team in the American League that season.

Bill played six seasons in the big leagues, appearing in 144 games of which 44 were starts. Most of his appearances in 1970-1972 in the majors were starts, and when he became primarily a reliever with the Rangers in 1973 he had 6 saves. In all, he played for four different American League teams (counting the Washington Senators and Rangers as separate teams).

Coming out of Oshkosh High School, he pitched six years in the minors before getting his shot at the majors with the Senators in September of 1970. That came after his most impressive minor league season, with the Pittsfield Senators, for whom he went 14-5 with a 2.47 ERA. Later, near the end of his pro career, he also pitched most of a season for the Oklahoma City 89ers in 1974.

His SABR biography states that he was in the National Guard. He was injured for three weeks early in the 1971 season. His first manager in the big leagues was Ted Williams. He retired because he had elbow and back problems. After baseball, he worked in a clothing store and then for a trucking company.

Further Reading

• Gregory H. Wolf: "Bill Gogolewski", in Steve West and Bill Nowlin, eds.: The Team That Couldn't Hit: The 1972 Texas Rangers, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2019, pp. 67-72. ISBN 978-1-943816-93-4

Related Sites

• Bill Gogolewski at the SABR Bio Project