John Candelaria

John pitched for 8 different clubs during his 19 year Major League Baseball career, but is probably best known for his tremendous years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 6-foot-7-inch southpaw, nicknamed "The Candy Man", came to national attention in his rookie season of 1975, when in the National League Championship Series, he struck out 14 Cincinnati Reds batters in 7 2/3 innings on national television. Then, in only his second season, on August 9th, 1976, he tossed a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Not a bad start to a career!

But 1977 had to be John's best year. That season, he posted 20 wins against only 5 losses for an .800 winning percentage to lead the league in that regard. He also led the National League that season with a 2.34 Earned Run Average and was chosen to the All-Star team. And of course, John was a the workhorse on the mound for the 1979 World Championship Pirates.

From Pittsburgh, John moved on to the California Angels, which began his journey to many different clubs over a short period of time. John was seen by many clubs as a great trade-deadline pick-up and as such, moved frequently in August to contending teams. Following his time with the Angels, Candy Man spent time with his hometown Mets and Yankees, followed by the Expos, Twins, Blue Jays and Dodgers, before ending his career back in Pittsburgh in 1993. Over his career, John won 177 games and posted 1,673 strikeouts.

John's fondest memories of the game of baseball come from his days in Pittsburgh, a city in which he continues to live. He enjoys participating in fantasy camps and working with his marketing agency.