Dennis Musgraves

Dennis Eugene Musgraves (born December 25, 1943) is an American former professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher who appeared in five Major League Baseball games as a member of the 1965 New York Mets. As a 21-year-old rookie, Musgraves was extremely successful in his Major League debut. In his first four appearances, all in relief, he surrendered only one unearned run in nine complete innings. In his fifth appearance, a starting assignment against the Chicago Cubs, he gave up only one earned run in seven innings. But, according to a Met fan site, Musgraves injured his arm during the game and, in the event, it was his final appearance in the Major Leagues.

Musgraves attended the University of Missouri, stood 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall and weighed 188 pounds (85 kg). He signed with New York in 1964, and all of Musgraves' Major League appearances occurred during July 1965. As a reliever, he yielded only four total hits in nine innings in stints against the Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. In his fifth game, a start against the Cubs on July 29, 1965, at Wrigley Field, Musgraves went seven full innings and gave up his first (and only) earned run in Major League Baseball on a bunt single by Doug Clemens in the fifth inning, but then blanked the Cubs the rest of the way. In the top of the eighth inning, he was replaced by pinch hitter Joe Christopher. Chicago won the game 2–1 in extra innings.

He injured his elbow during the game, however, and underwent two surgeries in an attempt to solve the problem. But the rest of his career would be spent in minor league baseball, continuing in the Mets' system through 1970 and then retiring after a stint with the 1971 Omaha Royals. Musgraves' Major League totals included only 11 hits allowed in 16 innings pitched, with seven bases on balls and 11 strikeouts.