Bob Sebra

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Bob Sebra

|image=Bob Sebra 1987 Broder Rookies.jpg

|position=Pitcher

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1961|12|11}}

|birth_place=Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S.

|death_date={{Death date and age|2020|07|22|1961|12|11}}

|death_place=Miami, Florida, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=June 26

|debutyear=1985

|debutteam=Texas Rangers

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=June 30

|finalyear=1990

|finalteam=Milwaukee Brewers

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=15–29

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=4.71

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=281

|teams=

Texas Rangers ({{mlby|1985}})
Montreal Expos ({{mlby|1986}}–{{mlby|1987}})
Philadelphia Phillies ({{mlby|1988}}–{{mlby|1989}})
Cincinnati Reds ({{mlby|1989}})
Milwaukee Brewers ({{mlby|1990}})

}}

Robert Bush Sebra (December 11, 1961 – July 22, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers from {{baseball year|1985}} to {{baseball year|1990}}.

Career

Sebra played prep baseball at Gloucester Catholic High School in New Jersey. He then attended the University of Nebraska, and in 1981 he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.{{cite web|author= |url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf |title=Major League Baseball Players from the Cape Cod League |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |date= |accessdate=September 25, 2019}} He was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the fifth round of the 1983 Major League Baseball draft.

Over the course of his big league career, Sebra pitched in 94 games, 52 of them as a starting pitcher. Included among Sebra's MLB highlights are 2 shutouts, a 1–0 and a 2–0, accomplished while with Montreal.{{Cite web |title=Bob Sebra Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sebrabo01.shtml |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

On July 26, 1986, Sebra became the last pitcher ever to give up a walk-off win where the winning run was scored by the other team's manager. He hit Cincinnati Reds player/manager Pete Rose with a pitch, then issued a bases loaded walk to score Rose.{{cite web |title=Montreal Expos at Cincinnati Reds |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN198607260.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference |accessdate=3 August 2020}}

Sebra was primarily a starting pitcher, but on July 28, 1989, he picked up his lone career save. He pitched a scoreless 17th inning to close out a 4–2 Reds victory over Atlanta.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL198907280.shtml|title=Cincinnati Reds at Atlanta Braves Box Score, July 28, 1989}} He was traded along with Ron Robinson from the Reds to the Milwaukee Brewers for Glenn Braggs and Billy Bates on June 9, 1990.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-10-sp-465-story.html "Reds Trade Ron Robinson, Sebra to Brewers for Braggs and Bates," The Associated Press (AP), Sunday, June 9, 1990.] Retrieved October 25, 2020

Sebra's final pitch in the majors ignited a major brawl between the Brewers and Mariners on June 30, 1990. He hit Tracey Jones, then later charged home plate to confront Jones. Sebra admitted he intended to hit Jones. Sebra received a 5-game suspension but had been sent down to the minors before receiving his punishment.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=1990-07-02 |title=Brawl May Result in Fines; Suspensions Possible : Baseball: Eight players were ejected for fighting Saturday night after Milwaukee's Bob Sebra intentionally hit Seattle's Tracy Jones with a pitch. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-02-sp-480-story.html |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Los Angeles Times |agency=Associated Press}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOyauOUguVQ |title=Benches empty at the Kingdome |date=2015-01-29 |last=MLB |author-link=Major League Baseball |type=Television production |access-date=2025-02-14 |via=YouTube}}{{Cite web |date=July 5, 1990 |title=8 Brewers Suspended For Brawl |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19900705/1080564/8-brewers-suspended-for-brawl |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=The Seattle Times |agency=Associated Press}}{{Cite web |date=2017-05-30 |title=Milwaukee Brewers: RetroBrawl 6/30/90 at Seattle |url=https://reviewingthebrew.com/2017/05/30/milwaukee-brewers-90s-brawl-seattle-mariners/ |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Reviewing the Brew |language=en-us}}

Sebra pitched in Triple-A through the 1993 season. He then attempted a comeback with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League in 1998.{{Cite web |title=Bob Sebra Minor & Independent Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=sebra-001rob |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

Death

Sebra died at the age of 58 on July 22, 2020, after spending a year in intensive care at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, as a result of multiple organ failure.{{Cite web |date=2020-07-22 |title=MLB : L’ancien lanceur des Expos Bob Sebra est décédé |trans-title=Former Expos pitcher Bob Sebra has died |url=https://www.rds.ca/baseball/mlb/mlb-l-ancien-lanceur-des-expos-bob-sebra-est-decede-1.7672938 |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=RDS.ca |language=fr}} He had undergone a liver transplant several years earlier.{{Cite web |last=Gazdziak |first=Sam |date=2020-07-24 |title=Obituary: Bob Sebra (1961-2020) |url=https://ripbaseball.com/2020/07/24/obituary-bob-sebra-1961-2020/ |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=RIP Baseball |language=en}}