Greg Minton

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Greg Minton

|image=Greg Minton 1983.jpg

|caption=Minton in 1983

|position=Pitcher

|bats=Switch

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1951|7|29}}

|birth_place=Lubbock, Texas, U.S.

|death_date=

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 7

|debutyear=1975

|debutteam=San Francisco Giants

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 29

|finalyear=1990

|finalteam=California Angels

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=59–65

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=3.10

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=479

|stat4label=Saves

|stat4value=150

|teams=

San Francisco Giants ({{mlby|1975}}–{{mlby|1987}})
California Angels ({{mlby|1987}}–{{mlby|1990}})

|highlights=

}}

Gregory Brian Minton (born July 29, 1951), nicknamed "Moon Man", is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) right-handed pitcher who played for the California Angels and San Francisco Giants. Minton had a 16-year major league career, from {{Baseball year|1975}} to {{Baseball year|1990}}, and was a member of the {{Baseball year|1982}} National League All-Star Team.

Career

A crippling injury in {{Baseball year|1979}} caused Minton to alter his delivery. Instead of using his high leg kick, Minton shortened his stride to take pressure off his knee. The new delivery gave Minton a 92-mph sinker that batters were unable to drive.{{cite magazine|last1=Fimrite|first1=Ron|title=Hitters don't gopher Greg|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1981/06/08/825688/hitters-dont-gopher-greg-san-francisco-reliever-greg-minton-hasnt-thrown-a-home-run-ball-in-212-innings-an-other-worldly-performance-that-has-nothing-to-do-with-his-nickname-moon-man|accessdate=February 10, 2016|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=June 8, 1981}} Minton went three full seasons (269{{fraction|1|3}} innings) without allowing a home run until John Stearns homered against him on May 2, 1982. {{asof|{{currentyear}}}}, this is the longest such streak in the period for which game-by-game data is available (since 1904).{{cite web |title=Pitching Streak Finder |url=https://stathead.com/baseball/streak_finder.cgi?request=1&series=any&series_game=any&min_year_game=1904&max_year_game=2019&as=result_pitcher&class=player&offset=0&type=p&scomp%5B1%5D=eq&sval%5B1%5D=0&sstat%5B1%5D=HR&scomp=gt&ccomp=gt&team_id=ANY&opp_id=ANY&throws=R&Role=anyGS&DEC=any&location=pob&locationMatch=is&HV=any |website=Stathead.com |accessdate=28 June 2020 |language=en}} Also in 1982, Minton appeared in his only All-Star Game and finished sixth in National League Cy Young Award voting. On August 14, 1986, Minton gave up the last of Pete Rose's MLB record 4,256 career hits.

In 1989, Minton made 62 appearances in relief. He earned eight saves and a 2.20 earned run average (ERA). Over portions of 1988 and 1989, he pitched another {{fract|105|2|3}} consecutive innings without giving up a home run, which was the longest stretch of this type by any pitcher in Angels history. He signed a one-year extension for 1990 worth $850,000.{{cite news|last1=Elliott|first1=Helene|title=Angels' Minton accepts $850,000 deal|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-22-sp-1654-story.html|access-date=February 10, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=February 22, 1990}} He spent much of the 1990 season on the disabled list with elbow problems, and he pitched only {{fract|15|1|3}} innings before announcing his retirement that October.{{cite news|last1=Penner|first1=Mike|title=Moon Man blasts off to retirement|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-07-sp-3121-story.html|access-date=February 10, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 7, 1990}}

After his career as a player, Minton was a pitching coach in the California Angels organization and managed the independent Lubbock Crickets for two years.

Personal

Minton's nickname, "Moon Man," stemmed from various escapades such as the hijacking of the team bus and the flooding of a minor league ballpark so he could leave Amarillo one day early at the end of the season.

Minton is married to Kari Jill Granville, a Phoenix attorney and former USA Archery team member.{{fact|date=March 2019}}