Jack Baldschun Obituary, Death – On Tuesday, former big league pitcher Jack Baldschun lost his battle with leukemia after a long and courageous fight. He had 86 years under his belt. Born and raised in Ohio, Baldschun began his career in minor league baseball in 1956 with the Washington Senators organization. After that, he was a part of the Reds system for the next four years before being picked up by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft in 1960.
In April of 1961, he made his debut in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Phillies. His first year with the Phillies, he had 65 bullpen appearances (99.2 innings pitched) and finished with a record of 5-3, 59 strikeouts, and a 3.88 earned run average (ERA). The Phillies parted ways with Baldschun and sent him to the Orioles at the end of the 1965 season. Within a few days.
The Orioles would send him back to Cincinnati, where he would be included in a trade along with outfielder Dick Simpson and pitcher Milt Pappas. This transaction would result in the Orioles acquiring future Hall of Famer Frank Robinson for the Orioles. In his debut season with Cincinnati, Baldschun would have a difficult time, as he would finish with a record of 1-5, 44 strikeouts, and a 5.49 earned run average in 57.1 innings of relief work. In 1967, he would play for the Reds in a total of only nine games, and in 1968, he would not appear in any major league games. He would sign with the Padres prior to the start of the 1969 season, and he would remain with the team for the subsequent two seasons, during which he would pitch in 73 games for a total of 90.1 innings.
