Doc Medich

{{Infobox baseball biography

|image=Doc Medich Rangers.jpg

|name=Doc Medich

|position=Pitcher

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1948|12|9}}

|birth_place=Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 5

|debutyear=1972

|debutteam=New York Yankees

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 2

|finalyear=1982

|finalteam=Milwaukee Brewers

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=124–105

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=3.78

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=955

|teams=

New York Yankees ({{Baseball year|1972}}–{{Baseball year|1975}})
Pittsburgh Pirates ({{Baseball year|1976}})
Oakland Athletics ({{Baseball year|1977}})
Seattle Mariners ({{Baseball year|1977}})
New York Mets ({{Baseball year|1977}})
Texas Rangers ({{Baseball year|1978}}–{{Baseball year|1982}})
Milwaukee Brewers ({{Baseball year|1982}})

}}

George Francis "Doc" Medich (born December 9, 1948) is an American former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1972 to 1982. He was a medical student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and acquired the nickname "Doc" during his early baseball career.

Early years

While in college, Medich (of Serbian descent) pitched for the Pitt baseball team and played tight end on the Pittsburgh Panthers football team.{{Cite book |editor-last=O'Brien |editor-first=Jim |title=Hail to Pitt: A Sports History of the University of Pittsburgh |publisher=Wolfson Publishing Co |year=1982 |isbn=0-916114-08-2 |page=32}}

Professional career

=Draft and minors=

Medich was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 30th round of the 1970 Major League Baseball draft, and spent three seasons as a starting pitcher in their farm system, going 21–13 over that span with a 2.27 ERA.

=New York Yankees=

Medich received a call to the majors in September {{baseball year|1972}}, facing four batters in his major league debut, giving up two singles and two walks.{{Cite web |date=September 5, 1972 |title=New York Yankees 7, Baltimore Orioles 6 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL197209050.shtml |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com}} From there, Medich improved substantially, as he went 14–9 with a 2.95 ERA in {{baseball year|1973}} to finish third in American League Rookie of the Year balloting. He was also the last Yankee winning pitcher at the original Yankee Stadium, pitching a shutout on September 29, 1973 against the Detroit Tigers. In {{baseball year|1974}}, Medich won a career high 19 games for the Yankees, tied with teammate Pat Dobson for most wins on the team. Following a {{baseball year|1975}} season in which he went 16–16 with a 3.50 ERA, the Yankees sent Medich to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Willie Randolph, Dock Ellis and Ken Brett on December 11, 1975.[https://www.nytimes.com/1975/12/12/archives/yanks-send-bonds-to-angels-for-pair-and-medich-to-pirates-for-3.html Durso, Joseph. "Yanks Send Bonds to Angels for Pair And Medich to Pirates for 3 Players," The New York Times, Friday, December 12, 1975.] Retrieved May 3, 2020

=Pittsburgh Pirates=

Medich spent just one injury plagued season with his hometown Pirates, going 8–11 with a 3.52 ERA. Medich put his medical training to good use during a game on the 11th of April against the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium. A 73-year-old spectator collapsed with a heart attack, and Medich performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the spectator.Mackin, Bob, "The Unofficial Guide to Baseball's Most Unusual Records" During spring training in {{baseball year|1977}}, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics with Tony Armas, Doug Bair, Dave Giusti, Rick Langford and Mitchell Page for Chris Batton, Phil Garner and Tommy Helms.{{Cite news |date=March 17, 1977 |title=Pirates, A's Swap 9 Players; Garner and Medich Key Men |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/17/archives/pirates-as-swap-9-players-garner-and-medich-key-men.html |access-date=July 5, 2017}}

=1977 season=

Medich was unhappy with his trade as he was a student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and wished to remain near the school. He threatened to retire, but later joined the A's, and went 10–6 with a 4.69 ERA. As he was slated to become a free agent at the end of the season, A's owner Charlie Finley attempted to sign Medich to an extension. Unsuccessful, he sold Medich's contract to the expansion Seattle Mariners in September. He was 2–0 with a 3.63 ERA in three starts for the Mariners before being placed on waivers, and selected by the New York Mets. He made one start for the Mets, losing to the Pirates.{{Cite web |date=September 29, 1977 |title=Pittsburgh Pirates 5, New York Mets 2 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT197709290.shtml |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com}}

=Texas Rangers=

Medich signed as a Free Agent with the Texas Rangers following the season, going 9–8 with a 3.74 ERA his first season with the club. His best season was the strike shortened {{baseball year|1981}} season in which he went 10–6 with a 3.08 ERA, and tied for the AL lead with four shutouts with Richard Dotson, Ken Forsch, and Steve McCatty. In five seasons with the club, Medich went 50–43 with a 3.95 ERA.{{Cite web |last=Adam J. Morris |date=March 2, 2006 |title=The Greatest Rangers of All Time – #42 Doc Medich |url=http://www.lonestarball.com/2006/3/2/173854/5160 |publisher=Lone Star Ball}}

=Milwaukee Brewers=

With the Rangers languishing in sixth place in the American League West, Medich's contract was sold to the Milwaukee Brewers, who were in first place in the American League East, on August 11, {{baseball year|1982}}. On August 27, Rickey Henderson broke Lou Brock's record for most stolen bases in one season against the Brewers with Medich on the mound.Baseball's Top 100: The Game's Greatest Records, p.52, Kerry Banks, 2010, Greystone Books, Vancouver, BC, {{ISBN|978-1-55365-507-7}} Medich reached the post-season for the only time in his career as a member of the Brewers. His only post-season appearance came in game six of the 1982 World Series. Already down 7–0 to the St. Louis Cardinals, Medich entered in the sixth inning, and gave up six runs (four earned) in two innings of work.{{Cite web |date=October 19, 1982 |title=1982 World Series, Game Six |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN198210190.shtml |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com}}

Medical career

Medich entered the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1970 where he obtained his MD degree in 1977.[https://www.nytimes.com/1974/10/01/archives/doc-medich-and-pennant-trauma-dave-anderson.html Doc Medich and Pennant Trauma] – website of the daily newspaper The New York Times

Twice during his baseball career, Medich went into the stands during a game to aid a fan who was suffering a heart attack. In 1976 in Philadelphia, he performed CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a fan who died later that day. In a game on July 17, 1978, between the Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles, he revived a man who was suffering a heart attack.Klingaman, Mike. "This Week in Sports", Baltimore Sun, July 18, 2016, page 2-Sports. The man survived and lived several more years.

Medich was charged in November 1983 with improperly prescribing Percodan and admitted into a substance abuse treatment program.{{cite news |title=Ex-Pitcher Medich Gets Probation |url=https://apnews.com/article/0cc2af4478b1d287eae11baa73136eb3 |access-date=4 October 2021 |work=Associated Press |date=March 6, 2001}} At the time he was a resident in surgery at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.{{Cite web |date=November 17, 1983 |title=Medich in Drug Program |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D05E6D61239F934A25752C1A965948260 |website=The New York Times}} In 1984, he was sentenced to two years of probation and fined $5,000 ({{Inflation|US|5000|1984|fmt=eq}}) in connection with those charges.{{cite news |title='Doc' Medich gets 9-year sentence |url=https://archive.triblive.com/news/doc-medich-gets-9-year-sentence/ |access-date=4 October 2021 |work=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |date=March 7, 2001}}

Medich was subsequently accused of having written twelve false prescriptions for painkillers in 1999. In 2001, he pleaded guilty to twelve counts of possession of a controlled substance. In March, he was sentenced to nine years of probation and voluntarily surrendered his right to prescribe painkillers.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons voted to expel Medich.(Source: AAOS Bulletin – August 2006 – http://www2.aaos.org/bulletin/aug06/fline14.asp)