Mike Corkins

Michael Patrick Corkins

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 200 lb.
• High School Rubidoux High School
• Debut September 8, 1969
• Final Game July 14, 1974
• Born May 25, 1946 in Riverside, CA USA
• Died November 27, 2023 in Lake Havasu City, AZ USA

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Biographical Information

"We beat San Diego 9-2 tonight and I felt sort of sorry for Mike Corkins, their starting pitcher. It was his first start in the majors and on his very first pitch Joe Morgan hit a triple to right field, and on his second pitch Jesus Alou hit another one to right-center. His third pitch was wild and Alou scored. So on three pitches the kid had given up two runs. And Marty Martinez yelled out to him: 'Welcome to the National League, Kid.'" - Jim Bouton, Ball Four

Pitcher Mike Corkins played six seasons in the majors, all with the San Diego Padres.

Originally signed by the San Francisco Giants, Corkins played four years in their organization before being selected by the Padres in the 1968 expansion draft. After spending most of 1969 with the AA Elmira Pioneers, he earned a late-season call-up. He made his big league debut on September 8th, starting against the Houston Astros, and gave up five earned runs in less than two innings to take the loss. He earned his first win a week later (again facing the Astros), and a week after that, he etched his name in the record books when he gave up Willie Mays' 600th career home run. Overall, in 6 games with the Padres, he was 1-3 with an 8.47 ERA

Corkins spent much of 1970 in the San Diego rotation, going 5-6 with a 4.62 ERA in 24 outings. He also made his mark at the plate, clubbing a grand slam in a victory over the Cincinnati Reds on September 4th. He was with the AAA Hawaii Islanders for the majority of 1971, appearing in 8 late-season games at the major league level. He spent the entire 1972 campaign with the Padres, mostly pitching out of the bullpen but also making spot starts. He pitched his only shutout on September 10th against the Atlanta Braves. Overall, he posted the best numbers of his career that year, going 6-9 with a 3.54 ERA and 6 saves. Pitching in a similar role in 1973, he was 5-8 with a 4.50 ERA in 47 appearances while hitting three home runs in 33 at bats. Corkins went 2-2 with a 4.79 ERA in 25 games for San Diego in 1974, his final year in the bigs. He briefly pitched in the California Angels chain the following summer. He died at age 77 in 2023 after a lengthy battle with health issues.