Al Milnar

Who was Al Milnar?

Albert Joseph Milnar was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns and Philadelphia Phillies. Milnar batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio.

In an eight-season career, Milnar posted a 57–58 record with 350 strikeouts and a 4.18 ERA in 1043 innings pitched, including 127 starts, 49 complete games, 10 shutouts and seven saves. Milnar is notable for giving up the single that extended Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak to 56 games at League Park in 1941.

During the 1940 season, Milnar was taught how to throw a slider by teammate Johnny Allen. However, Milnar injured his shoulder throwing the slider during the 1941 season, and his career suffered as a result. Milnar later stated, "If I had left well enough alone, my career probably would have been much better... it was a pitch I should not have used."

On August 11, 1942, Milnar came within one out of a no-hitter, but it was broken up with two outs in the ninth inning by Doc Cramer. The game ended up a scoreless tie after 14 innings, with Milnar pitching the entire game. Milnar spent the 1944 and 1945 seasons in military service during World War II.