Editing John Milner

{{Short description|American baseball player (1949–2000)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=John Milner
|image=John Milner - New York Mets.jpg
|caption=Milner with the [[New York Mets]] in 1974
|position=[[First baseman]] / [[Left fielder]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{Birth date|1949|12|28}}
|birth_place=[[Atlanta, Georgia]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2000|1|4|1949|12|28}}
|death_place=[[East Point, Georgia]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 15
|debutyear=1971
|debutteam=New York Mets
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=October 3
|finalyear=1982
|finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.249
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=131
|stat3label=[[Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=498
|teams=
* [[New York Mets]] ({{mlby|1971}}–{{mlby|1977}})
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1978}}–{{mlby|1981}})
* [[Montreal Expos]] ({{mlby|1981}}–{{mlby|1982}})
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1982}})
|highlights=
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1979}})
}}

'''John David Milner''' (December 28, 1949 – January 4, 2000) was an [[Americans|American]] professional [[baseball]] player. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] as a [[first baseman]] and [[left fielder]] from {{mlby|1971}} to {{mlby|1982}} for the [[New York Mets]], [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] and the [[Montreal Expos]]. Milner was a member of the {{By|1973}} National League pennant-winning New York Mets team, as well as a member of the {{By|1979}} [[List of World Series champions|world champion]] Pittsburgh Pirates team. A native of [[Atlanta, Georgia]], he grew up a huge [[Hank Aaron]] fan, even appropriating his idol's nickname, "'''the Hammer'''".

==New York Mets==
Milner was drafted by the [[New York Mets]] in the 14th round of the [[1968 Major League Baseball Draft]] out of South Fulton High School in [[East Point, Georgia]], where he was All-State in [[baseball]], football and [[basketball]]. He batted .307 with 58 [[home runs]] and 168 [[runs batted in]] over three seasons in their [[farm system]] before making his major league debut with the Mets in September {{mlby|1971}}. He earned the job of "left-handed bat off the bench" on the opening day roster in {{mlby|1972}} by batting .296 with a team high three home runs during [[spring training]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NfwmAAAAIBAJ&pg=5036,369834&dq=john+milner+spring+training&hl=en|title=One to Watch: The Hammer|author=Fred Girard|date=April 1, 1972|publisher=St. Petersburg Times}}</ref> and quickly moved into a platoon with [[Cleon Jones]] in [[left field]]. In the first game of a September 8 [[Doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] with the [[St. Louis Cardinals]], Milner became the first Mets rookie in franchise history to record a five-hit game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197209081.shtml|title=New York Mets 8, St. Louis Cardinals 2|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=September 8, 1972}}</ref> For the season, he batted .238 with a team high 17 home runs and 38 runs batted in to finish third in [[National League (baseball)|National League]] [[Rookie of the Year (award)|Rookie of the Year]] balloting behind teammate [[Jon Matlack]].
[[File:John Milner (LOC) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Milner in [[spring training]] with the Mets]]
For {{by|1973}}, Milner was moved to first base. He was leading his team with a .328 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]], five home runs and thirteen runs batted in when he suffered a [[hamstring]] injury against the [[Houston Astros]] on April 25,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=785dAAAAIBAJ&pg=4007,5626264&dq=john+milner+hamstring&hl=en|title=Milner Suffers Leg Injury|publisher=Observer-Reporter|date=April 27, 1973}}</ref> an injury that plagued him for the rest of his career. He returned to the club in mid-May, but went into a 12-for-82 slump that saw his batting average fall to .216. He returned to form by the end of the season to lead his team with 72 runs batted in and a career high 23 home runs as the Mets completed their improbable run to their second [[National League East]] crown.

The Mets pulled off the surprise victory over Cincinnati's "[[Big Red Machine]]" in the [[1973 National League Championship Series]], but lost in seven games to the [[Oakland Athletics]] in the [[1973 World Series]]. Milner batted .250 in the post-season with three runs batted in and four [[runs scored]]. Though he was not credited with a run batted in, his [[at-bat]] in the twelfth inning of game two drove in two [[run (baseball)|runs]] for the Mets' extra innings victory.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK197310140.shtml|title=1973 World Series, Game Two|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=October 14, 1973}}</ref>

On September 11, {{by|1974}}, Milner tied a major league record by making twelve [[plate appearances]] in the Mets' 25 inning marathon with the Cardinals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197409110.shtml|title=St. Louis Cardinals 4, New York Mets 3|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=September 11, 1974}}</ref> That season, he led his team in home runs for the third year in a row, with 20, and also led his team with 70 runs scored. For his career with the Mets, Milner batted .245 with 94 home runs and 338 runs batted in.

Milner was dealt from the Mets to the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] in the first four-team blockbuster deal in Major League Baseball history on December 8, 1977.  The trade also involved the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]], [[Atlanta Braves]], and a total of 11 players changing teams. The Pirates also acquired [[Bert Blyleven]] from the Rangers. The Mets got [[Willie Montañez]] from the Braves and [[Tom Grieve]] and [[Ken Henderson]] from the Rangers (Henderson was sent to New York to complete the transaction three months later, on March 15, 1978). The Rangers received [[Al Oliver]] and [[Nelson Norman]] from the Pirates and [[Jon Matlack]] from the Mets. [[Adrian Devine]], [[Tommy Boggs]], and [[Eddie Miller (outfielder)|Eddie Miller]] were traded from the Rangers to the Braves.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/09/archives/matlack-milner-go-in-fourteam-trade.html Durso, Joseph. "Matlack, Milner Go In Four‐Team Trade," ''The New York Times'', Friday, December 9, 1977.] Retrieved April 30, 2020</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/16/archives/mets-get-ken-henderson-outfielder-from-rangers-fourth-straight.html Durso, Joseph. "Mets Get Ken Henderson, Outfielder, From Rangers," ''The New York Times'', Thursday, March 16, 1978.] Retrieved April 30, 2020</ref>

==Pittsburgh Pirates==
Milner found himself in more of a reserve role with Pittsburgh, with the 333 at-bats he logged in {{mlby|1978}} being his fewest outside of his injury plagued {{mlby|1975}} season. His finest season with the Pirates came in {{mlby|1979}}, when he hit 16 home runs and drove in 60 backing up [[Willie Stargell]] at first and [[Bill Robinson (outfielder)|Bill Robinson]] in left field. Milner was held hitless in nine at-bats in the [[1979 National League Championship Series]] against the [[Cincinnati Reds]], but was 3-for-9 in the World Series with a run batted in and two runs scored.

Milner developed and refined a reputation as a reliable [[pinch hitter]] who thrived in pressure situations during his tenure with the Pirates. On August 20, {{mlby|1981}}, he was traded to the [[Montreal Expos]] for [[Willie Montañez]], who also was part of the four-team trade in 1977.   Milner reached the post-season for the third time in his career as the Expos won the second half of the [[1981 Major League Baseball strike|strike shortened 1981 season]]. He was 1-for-2 in the [[1981 National League Division Series]] against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] with a run batted in during the fourth game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI198110100.shtml|title=1981 National League Division Series, Game Four|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=October 10, 1981}}</ref> When Milner was released by the Expos midway through the {{mlby|1982}} season, he rejoined the Pirates. He was released by the Pirates the following spring, and retired.

==Career stats==
<div>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|Games
|[[Plate appearances|PA]]
|[[At-bat|AB]]
|[[Run (baseball)|Runs]]
|[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
|[[double (baseball)|2B]]
|[[triple (baseball)|3B]]
|[[Home runs|HR]]
|[[Grand slam (baseball)|GS]]
|[[Runs batted in|RBI]]
|SB
|[[Walk (baseball)|BB]]
|[[Strikeout|SO]]
|[[Batting average (baseball)|Avg.]]
|[[Slugging percentage|Slg.]]
|[[On-base percentage|OBP]]
|OPS
|[[fielding percentage|Fld%]]
|-
|1215
|3958
|3436
|455
|855
|140
|16
|131
|10
|498
|31
|504
|473
|.249
|.413
|.344
|.757
|.989
|}
</div>
A pure [[fastball]] hitter with lightning-quick wrists, Milner posted a 1.066 [[walk-to-strikeout ratio]] (504-to-473) for his career. Milner hit 10 career [[grand slam (baseball)|grand slams]], including three with the Mets in {{mlby|1976}}.

==Pittsburgh drug trials==
{{Main|Pittsburgh drug trials}}
After his playing career, Milner was called to testify at the [[cocaine]] distribution trial of Curtis Strong. He stated during his testimony that he used cocaine from 1978 through {{mlby|1984}}, and that he bought two grams of cocaine for $200 in the bathroom stalls at [[Three Rivers Stadium]] during a June 13, {{mlby|1980}}, Pirates-Astros game, and on September 30, {{mlby|1981}}. He also claimed to have used a liquid form of [[amphetamines]] called "red juice" he acquired from [[Willie Mays]] while both played with the Mets, and that "greenies" (also an amphetamine) were often anonymously placed in his locker while he played with the Pirates. [[Dale Berra]] and [[Dave Parker]] both attributed the greenies to Willie Stargell.  Both Stargell and Mays denied the claims made against them.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,959943,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307080459/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,959943,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 7, 2008|title=Sport: The Cocaine Agonies Continue|author=Richard Lacayo & Joseph N. Boyce|date=Sep 23, 1985|publisher=[[Time Magazine]]}}</ref> Berra also claimed to have shared cocaine with Milner, Parker, [[Lee Lacy]], [[Lee Mazzilli]], and [[Rod Scurry]] while all were members of the Pirates.

==Death==

Milner died of cancer in [[East Point, Georgia]], on January 4, 2000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/07/sports/john-milner-50-slugger-for-mets-and-pirates.html|title=John Milner, 50, Slugger for Mets & Pirates|author=Richard Goldstein|date=January 7, 2000|work=New York Times}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|mlb=119159|espn=349|br=m/milnejo01|fangraphs=1008965|brm=milner001joh|retro=M/Pmilnj101}}

{{1979 Pittsburgh Pirates}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Milner, John}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:African-American baseball players]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Atlanta]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball left fielders]]
[[Category:Marion Mets players]]
[[Category:Montreal Expos players]]
[[Category:New York Mets players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]]
[[Category:Pompano Beach Mets players]]
[[Category:Tidewater Tides players]]
[[Category:Visalia Mets players]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]