Eric Vaughn Show

Major League Baseball Player. Called up to the San Diego Padres in September of 1981, he went 1-3. Inserted into the rotation in 1982, he proceeded to go 10-6 with a strong 2.64 ERA. Over the course of his first four full seasons, he averaged 13 wins a year. He also led his teams in innings pitched from 1983 to 1985. Diagnosed with flexor tendinitis in the right elbow in August of 1986, he missed the rest of the season. He came back to pitch over 200 innings over the next two seasons, leading the Padres staff again in that category in 1987. Eric Show is maybe best remembered as the pitcher who surrendered Pete Rose's record-setting 4,192nd hit. During the long presentation of the ball to Rose and the subsequent ovation, he sat on the mound, disgruntled at the lengthy interruption of the contest. Always a competitor, he was known to throw inside. He once started a bench clearing brawl with the Chicago Cubs when he beaned Andre Dawson in the face. He ranks among the all-time club leaders in ERA, innings pitched, strikeouts, complete games, and shutouts. Following two sub par seasons, he joined the Oakland A's in 1990. After leaving baseball, his life spiraled dramatically. Fighting cocaine and alcohol addiction, he finally checked himself into the Rancho L'Abri drug rehabilitation center in Dulzura, California. On March 16th, 1994, he was found dead in bed by attendants. An autopsy later revealed that he died from an accidental drug overdose. Over 11 major league seasons, he accrued a 101-89 win-loss record and a 3.66 ERA with 11 shutouts and 7 saves over 1,655 innings pitched.