Mike Wegener
Michael Denis Wegener was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. The, right-hander was signed by the Baltimore Orioles before the 1964 season, selected by the Philadelphia Phillies from Baltimore in the 1964 first-year draft, and, four years later, chosen by the Montreal Expos as the 15th pick in the 1968 [Major League Baseball expansion draft|1968 MLB expansion draft]. He was born in Denver, Colorado.
Wegener played for the Expos from to, appearing in 57 games, 42 of them starts. He had "good stuff" but was prone to wildness, as evidenced by 152 bases on balls and 17 wild pitches in just 270 innings pitched. His BB/9IP was 5.07, much higher than the National League average at that time.
Wegener is perhaps best known for giving up Willie Mays's 3,000th hit on July 18, 1970. He would allow eight runs in that game as the Giants defeated the Expos, 10–1.
Career highlights include:
- A four-hit, complete game shutout against the San Francisco Giants
- Going 3-for-4 with 4 RBI and pitching the first 7 innings of an 11–4 victory over the New York Mets.
- Pitching 11 innings with 15 strikeouts, giving up just two runs, with no decision, against the New York Mets
- A three-hit, seven strikeout complete game against the Chicago Cubs, winning 8–2
- A seven-hit, six strikeout complete game against the Chicago Cubs, winning 6–2
He finished his career with a total of eight wins, 20 losses, and an ERA of 4.73.
Mike died December 6, 2023 in Fort Collins, Colorado after a 32-year battle with stage three non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.