Mike Szemplenski

Theodore Michael Szemplenski

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.
• School University of Nebraska at Omaha
• High School Parsippany High School
• Born August 11, 1942 in Morristown, NJ USA
• Died November 3, 2022 in Osage Beach, MO USA

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Mike Szemplenski only pitched three seasons in the minors but made one league's Hall of Fame.

Mike split 1963 between the Statesville Owls (14-10, 2.72) and Winston-Salem Red Sox (0-1, 4 R in 6 IP). He struck out a Western Carolinas League-record 313 batters, reaching double-digit Ks 19 times. He tied for third in the loop in wins, tied for 6th in losses, led in innings (225), led in hits allowed (202), led in runs allowed (108), was 6th in ERA (between Ronald Venable and Glenn Davis), led in walks (107, one more than the runner-up) and led in complete games (18). No one else reached even 200 whiffs that year in the WCL. He was not as sharp in 1964 with Winston-Salem (4-5, 4.24) and the Wellsville Red Sox (4-7, 6.65), his strikeout total tumbling to 108 in 137 IP. He was 1-0 with a 4.94 ERA for Wellsville in '65 to end his career at 23-23, 3.88. For his record-setting 1963 campaign, though, he won induction to the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame in 2000, the only player picked that year. He was the 7th pitcher to be inducted, following Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Lou Brissie, Bob Gibson, Bill Bethea and Hoyt Wilhelm.

Sources

• SAL Hall of Fame
• 1964-1965 Baseball Guides