Marty Kutyna

Marion John Kutyna

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 190 lb.
• High School North Catholic High School (Philadelphia)
• Debut September 19, 1959
• Final Game September 22, 1962
• Born November 14, 1932 in Philadelphia, PA USA

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Biographical Information

Marty Kutyna was a relief pitcher with a 14-16 record for the Kansas City Athletics and Washington Senators from 1959 to 1962 and has one very special souvenir from his career which as of this date (2009) the Baseball Hall of Fame has tried without success to get him to relinquish. On Opening Day in Washington, DC in 1962 Marty came up with the baseball thrown out by President John F. Kennedy. There is a photograph of the right-hander presenting the ball and shaking hands with the president.

Kutyna had signed as an amateur free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals before the 1953 season and had a seven-year trip through the minor leagues, with a couple of trades thrown in along the way, before he reached Kansas City in late September of 1959. Marty had just gone 14-10 with a 3.34 ERA with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League and made four appearances with no decisions for the Athletics that September.

Marty talked about his major league debut: "I came into a game in Fenway Park and the first batter I faced was Ted Williams. I threw him what I thought were four straight strikes that were called balls by home plate umpire Eddie Hurley, who told me 'welcome to the big leagues.' Williams walked to first base and yelled over to me 'nice pitching, kid. They were all strikes.'"

Kutyna worked in 51 games for the Athletics in 1960, 50 for the Senators in 1961 and 54 in 1962 before ending his career with the Buffalo Bisons of the International League the following year. Marty had spent ten active seasons in pro baseball with a little over three years in the majors where he ended with a 14-16 record and a 3.88 ERA. His minor league sheet shows a 94-60 record with a 3.61 ERA.

After baseball he became a department store manager at Wanamaker's in his hometown of Philadelphia, PA and was a batting practice pitcher at Philadelphia Phillies home games from 1965 to 1978. He was also a batting practice pitcher for the New York Mets in 1963. As of last notice he was retired in Delray Beach, FL.

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• BR Minors page