Over the course of baseball history, 992 players have had exactly one Major League appearance. However, none of them had a day quite like Houston Astros right fielder John Paciorek.
There is something about those players who make it into one Major League game that captures our imagination. Players like Moonlight Graham fell into that category, with his appearance helping to make him a part of the Field of Dreams novel. And yet, of all of those players, no one had a game quite like John Paciorek of the Houston Astros.
Paciorek, who was born on this day in 1945, came from a baseball playing family. Two of his brothers, Tom Paciorek and Jim Paciorek, made the Majors, while another brother played minor league ball. Two of his sons, and two nephews, also played in the minors. While Jim had just one season in the Majors, and Tom had an 18 year career, John merely had his one appearance.
It was, however, truly memorable. Playing for the second year Colt .45s, as the Astros were called back then, Paciorek made his debut on September 29, 1963, at just 18 years old. In a 13-4 victory over the Mets, he was 3-3 with two walks, driving in three runs while scoring four himself. He handled both of his chances in the outfield flawlessly, and looked the part of a possible star for the Colt .45s to build around.
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However, stardom would not be in the cards. Paciorek had already missed time in 1963 due to a sciatic nerve issue, and had been prescribed rest. His back issues led to Paciorek, who had been considered a lock to make the roster in Spring Training, being sent down to the minors to start the 1964 campaign. He eventually needed spinal fusion surgery, which caused him to miss most of the 1964 season, and all of 1965.
After struggling over the next two seasons in the minors, the Astros organization released Paciorek after the season. He was picked up by the Indians, and had a solid 1968 campaign, producing a combined .268/.357/.543 batting line and 20 home runs in two stops. The next year, he was promoted to the AA level, playing 29 games before tearing his Achilles tendon during warmups. That injury ended his career, as Paciorek retired at just 24 years old.
One has to wonder what would have happened had Paciorek remained healthy. While his one game in the Majors was incredible, his minor league track record was not nearly as notable. Although he battled with injuries, Paciorek only had a .209/.334/.386 batting line and 44 home runs in his six year career. He displayed a solid batting eye, but did not hit the ball with much authority. Would that game have been his shining moment in the Majors, or would he have had a productive career?
John Paciorek had the greatest one game career of any player in Major League history. His name will be remembered for that one shining moment.
