Steve Bilko
| Steve Bilko | |
|---|---|
Bilko with the Los Angeles Angels in 1956 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: November 13, 1928 Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| Died: March 7, 1978 (aged 49) Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 22, 1949, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 14, 1962, for the Los Angeles Angels | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .249 |
| Home runs | 76 |
| Run batted in | 276 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Stephen Thomas Bilko (November 13, 1928 – March 7, 1978) was an American professional baseball player known for his home run hitting as a minor leaguer during the 1950s. He was 20 years old when he broke into Major League Baseball on September 22, 1949, with the St. Louis Cardinals. Bilko threw and batted right-handed; he was listed as 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) tall, and 230 lb (100 kg), and was nicknamed "Stout Steve" during his career because of his ample girth.
Nat Hiken, creator of The Phil Silvers Show, supposedly took the name of the character Sgt. Bilko from the ballplayer, whose long-ball heroics for one of Los Angeles' two minor-league teams of the mid-1950s made him a local celebrity.