It’s something you do not see these days, a nickname given to a player that is LESS than flattering that sticks and taken in a good-natured way.
Blefary came up in fine fashion during the 1965 season with the young and promising Baltimore Orioles, and he did not disappoint, going on to hit 22 homers and drive in 70 on his way to top Rookie honors.
He would go on to have two more solid seasons for the Orioles in 1966 and 1967, but his well-known temper and drinking began eating away at his talents, to the point where after a sub-par season in 1968 he was traded to the Houston Astros as part of the deal that brought them multiple 20-game winner Mike Cuellar among others.
For Blefary, even though he was still only 25 year-old, he could never put it back together, and after one season in Houston he found himself in the Bronx with the floundering New York Yankees, where he’d play for a season and a half before moving on to the Oakland A’s in 1971 after a mid-season trade.
In 1972 he once again was on the move, heading to the San Diego Padres where he’d hit under the “Mendoza Line” before being released at season’s end.
He did sign as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves to open 1973, but after only seven games in their Minor League system, he was done with Pro Ball for good as a player.
By the time he retired, he played eight seasons of Big League ball, hitting .237 with 112 home runs, driving in 382 runs while scoring 394, also winning a World Championship in 1966 when the Orioles shocked the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers in four straight.
