1966-1968
JOHN WYATT   P

John Wyatt was born on April 19, 1934, in Chicago and graduated from Hutchinson High School in Buffalo, New York, in 1953. When he was 16 he worked racking balls in a billiards parlor and became a pretty good player. He worked in a steel mill from 11 at night until 7 in the morning. and would go right from work to school. After school he played football and wouldn’t get home until 6:30. Then he'd sleep four hours and go to work in the steel mill again.

His professional baseball career began in the Negro Leagues, starting with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League from 1953 to 1955. In 1954 he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and played for Hannibal of the Class-D Mississippi-Ohio Valley League. In 1955, though, he spent the whole year playing again for the Clowns again, having been released by the Cardinals.

In April 1956 he was sold by the Indianapolis Clowns to the Milwaukee Braves, where he appeared in a pair of games for Jacksonville of the Class-A South Atlantic (Sally) League.  He was returned to Indianapolis in May and then played for the unaffiliated El Paso club of the Class-B Southwestern League. In July, he was sold by El Paso to the Kansas City Athletics organization and pitched for the A’s Pocatello club in the Class-C Pioneer League. 

John served in the military during the 1957 and 1958 seasons. Then in 1959, he pitched in 19 games for Albany in the Class-A Eastern League and Sioux City of the Class-B Three-I League over 26 games. The 1960 season was his last full season in the minor leagues. He was with Dallas-Fort Worth of the Triple-A American Association, Monterrey of the Mexican League and in four games for Sioux City. In 1961 he earned his ticket to “The Show” with Portsmouth of the Sally League. 

In September, he made his major-league debut for the Kansas City Athletics and established himself as the workhorse of the A’s bullpen. In 1964, he was named for the only time in his career to the American League All-Star team. 

Meanwhile, in Boston, Dick Radatz had been disappointing in 1965, and in June 1966, the Red Sox traded him to the Cleveland Indians and followed up with the acquisition of John. Don McMahon and John split the important relief duties during the balance of the 1966 season.

It wasn’t a smooth start for John in 1967 as he failed to endear himself to skipper Dick Williams, by hitting Tony Conigliaro on the left arm with a fastball in batting practice during spring training. But as John heated up, it gave the team the luxury of trading McMahon in June.

Crucial to keeping the Red Sox pitching afloat and the team in pennant contention were the starting of  Jim Lonborg and the finishing of John Wyatt. John, acting as the Sox ace reliever in ’67, pitched in 60 games during the pennant drive, finishing 43, saving 20. His worth to the Sox was also great in terms of filling a gap in the starting rotation. He appeared in 60 games, including 17 in August and 10 in September, compiling a record of 10-7 with a 2.60 ERA. He held opposing hitters to a .217 average (right-handed batters hit only .205). 

John had two appearances in the 1967 World Series against the Cardinals. He picked up a win in Game #6, the fourth African American pitcher in history to record a World Series win.

He pitched in eight games from April through May in 1968, giving up earned runs in his first four appearances, allowing nine hits and five earned runs in 10 2/3 innings, and was sold to the Yankees. In June he was again sold, this time to the Detroit Tigers. In 22 games for pennant-winning Tigers, from June through August, he was 1-0 with a 2.37 ERA.

In April 1969, he was released by the Tigers, and signed with the Oakland A’s but was released in May. He finished his big-league career with a 42-44 record, 103 saves, and a 3.47 ERA. 

During his playing career, he had begun work as a real-estate developer in Kansas City, Missouri. He built a 12-unit apartment building in Kansas City, and in one day, sold three apartments.

John Wyatt moved to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1987, had a heart attack and passed away, at age 63, on April 6, 1998.