Don Pavletich

{{Short description|American baseball player (1938–2020)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2020}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Don Pavletich

|image=

|position=Catcher / First baseman

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1938|7|13}}

|birth_place=Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.

|death_date={{Death date and age|2020|3|5|1938|7|13}}

|death_place=Brookfield, Wisconsin, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 20

|debutyear=1957

|debutteam=Cincinnati Redlegs

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 1

|finalyear=1971

|finalteam=Boston Red Sox

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.254

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=46

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=193

|teams=

• Cincinnati Redlegs / Reds ({{mlby|1957}}; {{mlby|1959}}; {{mlby|1962}}–{{mlby|1968}})
• Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1969}})
• Boston Red Sox ({{mlby|1970}}–{{mlby|1971}})

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{bb|USA}}}}

{{MedalCompetition|Global World Series}}

{{MedalGold| 1956 Milwaukee | Team}}

}}

Donald Stephen Pavletich (July 13, 1938 – March 5, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. He was a catcher and first baseman for the Cincinnati Redlegs / Reds (1957, 1959 and 1962–68), Chicago White Sox (1969) and Boston Red Sox (1970–71).

Pavletich was a graduate of Nathan Hale High School in West Allis, Wisconsin, and was signed as an amateur free agent in 1956 by the Reds.

Pavletich made his Major League debut at the young age of 18 on April 20, 1957, in a 5–4 loss to the Milwaukee Braves at County Stadium, grounding out as a pinch-hitter for Hal Jeffcoat against Ray Crone. It was his only Major League appearance and at-bat of the season, and he also made one hitless at bat in one appearance in the 1959 season.{{Cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MLN/MLN195704200.shtml |title=Cincinnati Redlegs at Milwaukee Braves Box Score, April 20, 1957 |date=April 20, 1957 |website=baseball-reference.com |publisher=sports-reference.com |accessdate=March 15, 2020}}

Pavletich served in the U.S. Army from May 1957 to February 1959.{{Sabrbio|c000324c|Don Pavletich|Bill Nowlin|March 15, 2020}}

Pavletich's first Major League hit was in the first game of a doubleheader on April 29, 1962, in a 16–3 Reds loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Replacing Reds catcher Johnny Edwards midway through the fourth inning, in the next inning Pavletich singled off the Cardinals' Larry Jackson.{{Cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196204291.shtml |title=Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals Box Score, April 29, 1962 |date=April 29, 1962 |website=baseball-reference.com |publisher=sports-reference.com |accessdate=March 15, 2020}}

Pavletich spent much of his career with the Reds as a backup catcher to all-stars Ed Bailey, Johnny Edwards and Baseball Hall of Fame legend Johnny Bench.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19720303&id=sXVQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6hAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5601,948055]{{dead link|date=March 2020}}

Pavletich was part of a ten-player trade that sent him, George Scott, Jim Lonborg, Ken Brett, Billy Conigliaro and Joe Lahoud from the Boston Red Sox to the Milwaukee Brewers for Tommy Harper, Marty Pattin, Lew Krausse and minor-league outfielder Pat Skrable on October 10, 1971.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/11/archives/red-sox-brewers-in-10player-deal-lonborg-scott-conigliaro-traded-to.html |title=Red Sox, Brewers in 10‐Player Deal |newspaper=The New York Times |page=53 |agency=United Press International (UPI) |date=October 10, 1971 |accessdate=April 13, 2020}}

In 12 Major League seasons Pavletich played in 536 games with 1,373 at bats, 163 runs, 349 hits, 46 home runs, 193 RBI and a .254 batting average. He recorded an overall .987 fielding percentage.{{Cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pavledo01.shtml |title=Don Pavletich Stats |website=baseball-reference.com |publisher=sports-reference.com |accessdate=March 15, 2020}}

Pavletich died at the age of 81 on March 5, 2020, and was interred in Wisconsin Memorial Park, Brookfield, Waukesha County, Wisconsin.{{Cite web |url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/jsonline/obituary.aspx?n=donald-s-pavletich&pid=195624116 |title=Donald Pavletich Obituary |date=March 8, 2020 |website=legacy.com |publisher=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |accessdate=March 15, 2020}}