Educator, Coach and Mentor Now a Special Footnote in MLB History

/ Polonia / By

By Raymond Rolak

John Paciorek, a native Detroiter and longtime educator in California was featured on the Monday, June 29th “CBS This Morning” show. Paciorek, 70, is now a veteran and well-respected consummate baseball instructor at a private school in San Gabriel, California. He has been teaching and coaching for over 40 years.

CBS producer Chris Spinder and reporter Lee Cowan showcased a man who is much more than the sum of his stats. (Baseball speak) The feature ran five and a half minutes.

Award winning author Steven K. Wagner and John Paciorek in Dodger Stadium. Photo courtesy of Rolco Sports & Entertainment
Award winning author Steven K. Wagner and John Paciorek in Dodger Stadium. Photo courtesy of Rolco Sports & Entertainment

Growing up in a working class predominately Polish-American neighborhood, Paciorek became a famed Detroit Catholic League High School sports phenomenon in the early 1960’s. While playing at Hamtramck St. Ladislaus High School, he developed a life-stream that took him all the way to Major League Baseball, albeit with a special twist. Most of all, he has become the answer to a unique Major League Baseball trivia question. This folklore starts with the question, “Who has the all-time best lifetime MLB baseball batting average?”

On September 29, 1963 against the New York Mets in his first Major League game for the Houston Colt 45’s, John Paciorek went 3 for 3 with two walks. Batting in the seventh spot for Houston, he also had three R.B.I.’s and scored four times. His career 1.000 % batting average is considered a special footnote in baseball history. He had a perfect day at bat and in the field for the National League club. There are plenty of players with a 1.000 % batting average (one or two hits). But none has three hits like John Paciorek. Only John Paciorek.

At the time, the 18 year old outfielder developed a serious back injury in the off season and never made it back to the Major Leagues. The Colt 45’s beat the Mets, 13-4 in that game and serendipitously another native Detroiter played shortstop for the Mets, Al Moran. Moran was a few years older and had attended Detroit Catholic Central High School. Harry Craft, the Houston manager submitted a unique starting lineup in that game. He started 8 rookies as his position players.

“John carved out this fame because of that one special game,” said former teammate Rusty Staub. Staub was a six-time All-Star and 23 year MLB veteran. “No one was a better athlete than he was. He was certainly a star in the making.” Staub and Paciorek were roommates with the Colt 45’s.

“It was the last game of the season and the crowd was only 4,000 but they made noise every time I came up to bat. By my last at bat, they sounded like 50,000 people as they were so loud,” John remembered fondly.

Younger brother Tom was another outstanding athlete but had more baseball notoriety because of his 18 year MLB career. Tom also is a beloved personality in Chicago for his longtime award winning television broadcasts with the Chicago White Sox. Tom was renowned for his lively and entertaining Polish-American memories growing up in that same Polish household in Detroit. Tom brags about learning Polish as a second language from the Sisters of Saint Francis at St. Lad’s and will recite counting to ten at any request. All five of the Paciorek brothers excelled in sports when they played in the Detroit area. John, Tom, Mike and Bobby shined at St. Lad’s and the youngest Jim, did the same at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. Jim went on to the Milwaukee Brewers and had an extended career playing professional baseball in Japan. Mike played in the Dodgers system and has a second career in the movies, most notably in the 2005 remake of the “Bad News Bears” starring Billy Bob Thornton.

During the special CBS interview feature, Hall of Fame baseball manager, Tom LaSorda had high praise for the Paciorek brothers. LaSorda said, “Everyone had scouted John and the Dodgers would have loved him but Houston was an expansion team and they gave large bonuses. They were collecting young prospects by the bushel baskets.” LaSorda added, “You know, this young man at that time (John), had everything going for him, you could see a great career with him. No telling what he could have accomplished.”

John Paciorek was All-State in high school in three sports, football, basketball and baseball. Many of John’s early coaches set the stage and were great examples for him. Besides being tutored at a young age in baseball by his father (John), while at St. Ladislaus High School, John Radwanski started developing modern training methods that Paciorek noticed. Radwanski went on to become a school administrator and in 1962, St. Lad’s baseball was led by Robert Samaras, Ph.D., who went on to a fine collegiate coaching career. Samaras applied a humanistic psychology approach. He later became a motivator, author and well-respected baseball and basketball innovator. These were seeds planted for Paciorek, without John realizing it. Recently, Samaras reflected about John, “John looked as a sure thing. He never complained and he always tried to play through his back discomforts. He was a champion. Because of his perseverance, he made every team that he was on, much better.”

Paciorek started getting notoriety in 1960 playing American Legion Baseball for Detroit Beaudry Post-126. He was a shortstop then and was playing against older age competition. John still excelled. Things started really heating up and got into high-drive in the summer of 1962. Phil Frakes, as coach of Detroit Citizen’s Insurance team had a national reputation in elite youth baseball circles. His goal was to win the national championship every year. He built his 1962 national championship team around John. Paciorek really came to prominence as a baseball pro prospect when he was named MVP for leading the Detroit Citizen’s Insurance team to the National Amateur Baseball Federation national championship in Louisville, Kentucky. Morris Moorawnick, a famed sports statistician of celebrated reputation called him, “The next Mickey Mantle.”

Former Minnesota Twins pitcher, Bill Zepp, a teammate of John’s on that 1962 NABF national championship Citizen’s Insurance squad said, “John was only 17 and he overshadowed all the 18 year olds. And as he prepared for his Major League chance through hard work, one could tell he was determined. Besides outworking everyone, in my opinion, his best attribute was that he could run. Many a times he bunted and beat out a hit. He was fast and he worked on his speed.”

Fred Lauck, a retired attorney and former American Legion Baseball competitor while playing for Detroit Edison Post-187 said, “John was younger than most of us but he could just do things on the ball diamond better, no matter how hard we tried, he still dominated.”

Dick Honig who played shortstop on the 1962 NCAA University of Michigan national championship baseball team and who is currently an international baseball consultant and equipment supplier (Honig’s Whistle Stop) was a special coach and tutor for that championship 1962 Detroit Citizen’s Insurance team. He said recently, “It might be an overused cliché but John Paciorek was a man playing among boys. He was that good and more. He had a complete game.”

Paul Richards, the general manager of the expansion Houston Colt .45s, came to Michigan in 1962 to persuade Paciorek to sign a professional contract with Houston. Tom Paciorek reminisced, “None of us had ever been to a restaurant before. They took us to this fancy restaurant in Detroit. We ate steaks, and when they asked John if he wanted anything else, he said, ‘Yeah, I’ll take another one of those steaks.’”

After the successful summer season with Detroit Citizen’s Insurance, John accepted Houston’s offer of $45,000, an enormous amount of money for the son of an auto factory worker. From that bonus, $15,000 went to help pay off the family house. He also got himself a powder blue Chevy Malibu convertible to drive to his minor league assignment team in Arizona. At the insistence of his father, the Colt .45s included a scholarship fund to someday pay for John’s college education. John started taking classes at the University of Houston when he was placed on the disabled list because of his back problems. He started working on his degree. John eventually graduated in the 70’s with a Physical Education teaching degree from the University of Houston. His first teaching job was at the Jewish Community Center in Houston.

John Cullen, famed coach at Detroit Benedictine High School said in his memoirs, “In 1960, I had my ace, Fred Fleming pitching against St. Lad’s and John Paciorek. As a high school sophomore, Paciorek hit one so far and high at Jayne Field in Detroit, I know the ball is still up there as a satellite.”

Award winning journalist and author, Steven K. Wagner just released a new book on John Paciorek, “The Rise and Fall of John Paciorek, Baseball’s Greatest One-Game Wonder”. This volume will hold a special fascination for anyone who loves the game of baseball. Besides the great nostalgia, there is a story of hope and inspiration for young players aspiring to find their baseball greatness. The book chronicles interesting Detroit, Houston and Los Angeles baseball history. The anecdote that chronicles the reunion of brothers John and Tom and Detroit baseball personality, Pinky Deras, when they crossed paths in Modesto after a California League game is not to be missed. The entire book is an enjoyable read for lovers of baseball nostalgia all with a great peek at the 1960’s ‘Golden Age of Baseball’.

John said, “I have no regrets, no hard feelings. Nothing ever happens by accident. And I was relatively free from bad things happening, except for the back problems. People think oh, that’s the worst thing that could ever happened. It’s not. I lost a spouse to breast cancer. But since, I think everything that’s happened to me since then, has been good. No regrets.”

Wagner added, “Baseball imitates life. We all win and lose, and baseball is the same. Some make it to the Hall of Fame, some play only one game. When the dust has settled the important thing is that you do your best, strive for excellence and everything else will take care of itself. We’re not all Hall of Famers, in life or in baseball.”

Wagner concluded by saying, “In all my interviews with John I never got the impression that he believed his accomplishment was that big a deal. He is very down to earth and believes–to his credit–that the work he does with children holds far more value. Many kids where he teaches have no idea what he accomplished, and that is a testament to his modesty.”

Best of all, for all those children that Coach Paciorek has influenced, he has earned an honored and respected title. “Mr. Paciorek, YOU ARE A GREAT EXAMPLE.”

The book, “The Rise and Fall of John Paciorek, Baseball’s Greatest One-Game Wonder” by Steven K. Wagner and Breakaway Books, Halcottsville, N.Y. 12438, is available at Amazon or any book store.