Greg Terlecky

Greg Terlecky was a starting pitcher for most of his decade-long professional baseball career, though all 20 of his major-league outings came in relief for the 1975 St. Louis Cardinals. He registered a loss in his only decision and carried a 4.45 ERA over 30⅓ innings. He began his brief tenure in the majors by retiring the eventual all-time hit king and ended it by recording an out against a future Hall of Fame catcher.

Greg’s father, John Terlecky, grew up playing baseball in Upstate New York and once caught Cardinals hurler Ted Wilks on a semipro team.1 John’s aspirations of playing professional baseball were interrupted by his service in World War II and dashed by shrapnel wounds sustained in combat.2 Upon returning home from the war, John married the former Sophie Zawko—a fellow first-generation Ukrainian-American—and the pair settled in Southern California. Their firstborn was a daughter named Donna, and then Gregory John came along on March 20, 1952.

John was hesitant to push baseball on Greg. Instead, it was Sophie who took the initiative. John was out playing golf one Saturday morning when she said to her son, “Let’s go for a walk.” Sophie was holding a paper bag, which—unbeknownst to Greg—contained a baseball glove. The pair strolled over to the park, where Sophie signed Greg up for Little League and revealed the bag’s contents. Once Greg started playing, it did not take long for John to get involved. “Dad went to a couple practices, saw what kind of direction I was going, and jumped in with both feet,” recalled Terlecky in 2023. “He became my manager all through Little League to Pony League to Colt League.”3 Greg steadily improved under his father’s tutelage and threw the first ever no-hitter in Colt World Series history versus Canada on August 12, 1968.4

Terlecky attended Covina High School, where he lettered in baseball and basketball. On the ball diamond, he gravitated to full-time pitching because of poor eyesight. He started wearing glasses when he could no longer see the catcher’s signs. After getting whacked on the face during a basketball game and sustaining a cut to the eyebrow from his glasses, he switched to contact lenses.5

During his senior year, Covina played games on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Terlecky was the starting pitcher in every contest, posting a 13-5 record while leading Covina to the California Interscholastic Federation semifinals.6 He also led his team in hitting. One of Terlecky’s wins was a no-hitter against South Hills, which earned him Los Angeles Times co-player of the week honors along with Fred Lynn of nearby El Monte.7

Though Terlecky’s performance on the prep stage garnered attention from professional scouts, his goal was to obtain a college scholarship. John Terlecky had always felt that the lack of a college degree had stalled his own advancement at his long-time employer—Title and Insurance Trust Company. Thus, John emphasized the importance of college to Greg from an early age. Greg accepted a full-ride baseball scholarship to the University of Oregon, where he planned to play both freshman baseball and basketball under coach Jim Dietz and then pitch for the Alaska Goldpanners—a premiere collegiate summer league team coached by Dietz.8 The University of Southern California ultimately extended Terlecky an academic scholarship, but he had already committed to Oregon when the offer came.

The Cardinals selected Terlecky in the fifth round of the 1970 June amateur draft, but their initial offer of only $5,000 and the security of his full ride to Oregon made it easy to turn down. That summer, he pitched for West Covina American Legion Post #790 and enjoyed continued success, compiling a 19-2 record and a sterling 0.75 ERA, while helping his team win the American Legion Baseball World Series title in Klamath Falls, Oregon.9

On the heels of Terlecky’s strong showing that summer, the Cardinals asked for another opportunity to negotiate. The Redbirds were also motivated by the fact that they had lost their first-round draft pick—pitcher Jim Browning—as compensation for Curt Flood, who had been traded from St. Louis to Philadelphia but refused to report. The Cardinals had paid Browning a signing bonus of $25,000.10 Angel Figueroa, who scouted Terlecky, showed up at the house along with a regional scout and a typewriter, ready to produce a contract.11 They asked John what it would take to sign his son and were flabbergasted when he replied, “a hundred grand.” The scouts left without a deal, but after a week of negotiations the two sides settled on a bonus of $70,000. As part of the agreement, the Cardinals paid for Terlecky’s college tuition and allowed him to complete his freshman year at Oregon before reporting to minor-league camp in 1971. Terlecky would continue taking courses most off-seasons, eventually transferring to Whittier College, where he earned a degree in business administration.

Terlecky went to rookie camp in June 1971 and from there was sent to the Arkansas Travelers, the Cardinals’ Double-A affiliate in the Dixie Association. In 15 games (12 starts), he registered a 3-2 record and 2.71 ERA before developing a sore elbow, prompting an evaluation by Dr. Stan London in St. Louis. X-rays revealed a bone chip, but London assessed that it was likely old and recommended a conservative approach rather than surgery. Terlecky spent some time in a cast and then rehabbed that winter with the University of Oregon training staff.

Terlecky went to big-league camp with the Cardinals in 1972 as a non-roster invitee. He impressed farm director Bob Kennedy, who called him the best pitching prospect in camp.12 Besides enjoying big-league meal money, Terlecky also relished the opportunity to face big-league competition and show his wares in front of the organization’s chief decision makers. At the end of camp, he was assigned to the Tulsa Oilers of the Triple-A American Association, a challenging assignment for a 20-year-old who was five years younger than the league’s average pitcher. “Great people, great baseball town … real small ballpark,” recalled Terlecky. “There was a dirt racetrack behind the stadium. At eight o’clock on Saturday nights, they’d shoot off a cannon, and for the next hour or hour and a half, all you’d hear were race cars with dust clouds coming up over right field.”13 In 27 starts, Terlecky posted a 6-11 record and a 4.80 ERA. He went to the Florida Instructional League after the season and fared better, winning five of six decisions pitching for George Kissell’s squad.14

“I struggled at the beginning,” reflected Terlecky. “People ask me, what would you have done differently. One of the things I look back on … some of my contemporaries like Bob Forsch, John Denny, Al Hrabosky … who had longer big league careers than me. What did they all have in common? They had one full year in Double-A. Looking back, I wished I’d have started my second year in Double-A … I was the youngest guy on my team for three years.”15

In 1973 Terlecky returned to Tulsa and earned the opening day starting nod, but he was saddled with five losses in his first seven decisions. To that point in his professional career, he had relied predominantly on his fastball and an occasional curveball. Terlecky’s season began to turn around when he started throwing a slider, which had been his best pitch in the amateur ranks. He later found out from Skip Jutze—his catcher during his first two years in the minors—that the Cardinals had prohibited Jutze from calling breaking balls when he pitched. “They had a lot of pitchers having arm trouble throwing sliders, so they kept me from throwing it,” recalled Terlecky.16 Once he added the pitch to his arsenal, he found success and ended the campaign with a 10-10 mark and 5.33 ERA, but he was still 3.7 years younger than the average American Association pitcher.

In 1974 Terlecky—known to teammates as Turk—found himself back in Tulsa for a third consecutive year, slotted behind Forsch and ahead of Ray Bare and Denny in the starting rotation under new manager Ken Boyer. Unlike his previous two seasons, Terlecky got off to a splendid start, winning his first seven decisions.17 Boyer credited his ability to locate his breaking pitches and keep the ball down in the strike zone as keys to his impressive start.18 On one stormy day in June, Terlecky found himself in a precarious situation with teammate Keith Hernandez, who lived in the same apartment building. “We were in Tulsa and tornado sirens are going off … [Hernandez] knocks on my door and says, ‘Turk, what are you going to do?’ I said, ‘Whatever the Oklahomans do.’ Just about that time people are coming out of the apartment building and going into this open field across the parking lot. We followed everybody in there. Well, Keith ends up catching poison ivy … and a tornado hit 500 hundred yards away.”19

As the season wore on, Terlecky struggled and finished with a 10-13 record and 4.98 ERA. That offseason, he married fellow Covina native Donna Snyder and pitched winter ball in Puerto Rico for Vaqueros de Bayamón under manager José Pagán.20

Bruised ribs limited Terlecky to only 12 innings in the spring of 1975; he began yet another season in Tulsa when camp ended.21 The 6-foot-3, 200-pound righty was 2-2 with a 4.74 ERA with the Oilers when he was called up to the big-league club on June 5.22 He replaced Hernandez, who had yet to find his hitting stroke in St. Louis. Terlecky learned of his promotion by reading it in the paper. The Cardinals happened to be in Tulsa for an exhibition that day, so he showed up at the ballpark and walked across the diamond to a visiting clubhouse that included four future Hall of Famers: Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Ted Simmons, and manager Red Schoendienst. Terlecky pitched 2⅔ innings in the exhibition that night, allowing a two-run home run to Sergio Robles in Tulsa’s 11-0 rout of the parent club.23

The Cardinals left Tulsa and embarked on a three-city road trip to Houston, Atlanta, and Cincinnati. Terlecky watched anxiously from the bullpen for a week before seeing any action. He finally got his chance on June 12 at Riverfront Stadium against the Reds, who broke open the game in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 10-0 lead. Terlecky was summoned by Schoendienst for mop-up duty, entering the game with a runner on second base, one out, and Pete Rose at the plate. “I finally got in and I looked down and my right leg was shaking uncontrollably, and that’s never happened before or since,” recalled Terlecky. “And I prayed to myself, ‘just don’t make a fool out of yourself.’ I threw [Rose] a waist-high fastball and he hit it right on the button to center field for an out. And I said, ‘I’ll take it.’”24 He then struck out the next man up—Ken Griffey Sr.—on three pitches. Terlecky returned to the mound in the seventh and retired Dave Concepción and Johnny Bench in succession before yielding a double to Bill Plummer, the only hit Terlecky would allow in an impressive 2⅔ innings.

Although Terlecky was a starting pitcher throughout most of his minor-league career, he adapted well to relieving. “I was pleasantly surprised at how much adrenaline can be an asset,” he said, looking back. “I was able to get the speed up pretty quickly.”25

Terlecky’s successful debut led to more regular appearances. On June 27, he made his seventh appearance with the Cards in the first game of a doubleheader versus Montreal at Jarry Park. Gibson had started and was replaced by Ron Bryant in the bottom of the seventh. Terlecky entered later in the inning with one out, runners on second and third, and the Cardinals ahead, 4-1. Both inherited runners scored on a Bob Bailey single, but Terlecky escaped without further damage. He returned to the mound in the bottom of the eighth and worked around a leadoff walk by setting down the next three Expos in order. In the top of ninth, Terlecky recorded what would be his only big-league hit—a single off Dale Murray in the midst of a two-run inning that extended the Cards’ lead to 6-3. Terlecky exited in the bottom of the ninth after allowing two men to reach base with one out. Mike Garman relieved and saved what would be Gibson’s 250th and penultimate big-league win.

Terlecky’s only career decision came on July 18 versus the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. He entered a 1-1 game in bottom of the 10th inning and gave up a leadoff single. After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk, a passed ball by Ted Simmons put runners on second and third. Terlecky issued another intentional walk to load the bases, then surrendered a game-winning single to Chris Speier.

Through Terlecky’s first 14 appearances—eight of which were multi-inning efforts—he possessed a solid 3.04 ERA. However, when St. Louis acquired Harry Parker from the New York Mets on August 4, Terlecky was demoted back to Tulsa. “I was the one to go because I had options,” said Terlecky at the time. “Red told me not to be discouraged and that I’d be back in September.”26

In his first outing back following his September recall, Terlecky faced the Phillies and was greeted with back-to-back home runs by Mike Schmidt and Ollie Brown. In his six September appearances, Terlecky was roughed up for seven runs in 6⅔ innings. He ended what would be his final major-league outing by inducing a comebacker off the bat of Expos catcher Gary Carter. The Cardinals (82-80) finished the season tied with the Mets for third place in the National League East.

Terlecky finished his major-league season with the Cardinals with 30⅓ innings pitched over 20 appearances. Ironically, his 4.45 ERA was better than any ERA he registered at Triple-A Tulsa.

In December, Terlecky got a call from Figueroa, who told him he was slated to be the Cardinals’ fifth starter and long reliever in 1976. However, just hours later, Terlecky was traded to the Chicago White Sox as part of a flurry of transactions made by the Southsiders’ new brass—owner Bill Veeck and general manager Roland Hemond—just before the interleague trade deadline. The White Sox wanted to purchase Buddy Bradford from St. Louis, but Cardinals GM Bing Devine instead wanted a player in return. The Redbirds had expressed interest in infielder Lee Richard, so Hemond offered Richard for Bradford and asked that Terlecky be included. With just seconds to spare before the midnight deadline, the two sides agreed to the deal.27

Terlecky was the last player cut from the White Sox at the end of spring training in 1976. To make matters worse, when Chicago played the Cardinals in the Grapefruit League finale, Simmons told Terlecky, “You’d have made our team, no problem.”28 As it was, Terlecky was assigned to the Triple-A Iowa Oaks of the American Association. He pitched well early and improved his record to 5-1 with an 83-pitch two-hitter versus Omaha on May 30.29 At season’s end, he had a winning record of 10-6, but his ERA of 5.05 ultimately settled around his career norm.

In 1977 Terlecky pitched in five games for Iowa and was loaned out for most of the season to the Columbus Clippers, then the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Triple-A farm club, where he was used mostly as a starter. Between the two stops, he accumulated an 8-6 record and 4.76 ERA. Following the season, he was able to declare himself a free agent and returned to the Cardinals on a minor-league contract for 1978. He attended big-league camp but was ultimately assigned to the Cardinals’ new Triple-A affiliate—the Springfield (Illinois) Redbirds of the American Association. He spent the 1978 and 1979 seasons in the Land of Lincoln, where he posted positive records of 8-5 and 9-5, respectively. However, his ERAs were north of five in each campaign.

By 1980 Terlecky, 28, was no longer part of the Cardinals’ future plans. In spring training, he was pulled aside by farm director Jim Bayens and offered a pitching coach job with the Cardinals’ rookie league team in Johnson City, Tennessee. It would have meant a significant pay cut, so Terlecky turned it down. The Cardinals then asked if he would consider playing in the Mexican League. The financial terms were more appealing, so he agreed. The Cardinals sold his contract to the Mexico City Tigers for $8,000.30 Terlecky went 8-7 with a 2.60 ERA during his stint south of the border – the season was interrupted by a players’ strike – and stepped away from baseball after the 1980 season. He finished his career in the affiliated minor leagues with a record of 67-62.31

Following his baseball career, Terlecky spent 40 years in the life insurance and financial planning business in Southern California. He had a daughter, Megan, from his first marriage. Terlecky helped coach youth pitchers at a Covina Valley baseball camp for a number of years. As of 2023, he was enjoying retirement in La Quinta, California, with his second wife, Alice, and working on his golf game.

Last revised: March 20, 2023

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Greg Terlecky for sharing detailed memories of his career in a telephone interview with the author on January 6, 2023, and follow-up e-mail on March 13, 2023.

This biography was reviewed by Rory Costello and Rick Zucker and fact-checked by Rod Nelson.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author relied on Baseball-Reference.com.

Notes

1 Neal Russo, “Good News for Terlecky,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 6, 1975: 30.

2 Russo, “Good News for Terlecky.”

3 Unless otherwise cited, all Greg Terlecky quotes are from a telephone interview with the author on January 6, 2023 (hereafter “Terlecky interview”).

4 Jeff Washburn, “Tampa Relaxes, Pitches No-Hitter,” Journal and Courier (Lafayette, Indiana), August 11, 2009: 16.

5 Greg Terlecky, email to the author, March 13, 2023.

6 Terlecky interview. See also Ken Pivernetz, “Lakewood Larrups Covina,” the Independent (Long Beach, California), May 29, 1970: 29.

7 Don Snyder, “2 No-Hit Pitchers and Slugging El Monte Hurler Share Honors,” Los Angeles Times, April 23, 1970: 179.

8 Dietz later went on to a highly successful run as head baseball coach at San Diego State University from 1972-2002.

9 Terlecky interview. See also “Legion World Series – California Wins Crown,” Albany (Oregon) Democrat-Herald, September 10, 1970: 26.

10 https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?draft_round=1&year_ID=1970&draft_type=junreg&query_type=year_round.

11 The regional scout was Harrison Wickel according to Terlecky’s publicity questionnaire for William J Weiss from April 17, 1971.

12 John Ferguson, “Young Oiler ‘Coolly’ Chills Denver, 5-3,” Tulsa World, April 4, 1972: 18.

13 Terlecky interview.

14 “Cards Champs,” Tampa Bay Times, November 16, 1972: 38.

15 Terlecky interview.

16 Terlecky interview.

17 John Ferguson, “Triplets Ramble Past Oilers, 7-3,” Tulsa World, June 10, 1974: 17.

18 John Ferguson, “Terlecky Keeps Ball Low in Fast Spurt with Tulsa,” The Sporting News, June 29, 1974: 33.

19 Terlecky interview.

20 John Ferguson, “Pointers Picked Up in St. Louis Serving Terlecky Well in Tulsa,” Tulsa World, August 24, 1975: 89.

21 Russo, “Good News for Terlecky.”

22 Russo, “Good News for Terlecky.”

23 Neal Russo, “Tulsa Drubs Bryant, Rolls Over Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 6, 1975: 29.

24 Terlecky interview.

25 Terlecky interview.

26 Ferguson, “Pointers Picked Up in St. Louis Serving Terlecky Well in Tulsa.”

27 Tom Hawley, “Fast-Talker Hemond Beats Deadline,” Wisconsin State Journal, January 25, 1976: 29.

28 Terlecky interview.

29 Bill Bryson, “Terlecky Gem Lifts Oaks Past Omaha,” Des Moines Register, May 31, 1976: 17.

30 Terlecky interview.

31 After the strike, the Mexican League extended its season with just six teams playing. Terlecky’s record was 2-1 in this edition of the league.