Mike LaCoss

Born: 5/30/1956 in Glendale, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1978-07-18 | Final Game: 1991-07-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'5" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Michael James LaCoss

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Biography

Mike LaCoss, born in 1956, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1978 to 1991. He made his mark in Major League Baseball during an era characterized by a blend of traditional pitching styles and the evolving tactics of the game. LaCoss played for several teams throughout his career, most notably the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants. He finished his career with a record of 98-103 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.02, showcasing his ability to compete against some of the best hitters in the league. Throughout his time in the majors, LaCoss recorded 783 strikeouts and achieved 12 saves, highlighting his versatility as both a starter and a reliever. His performance earned him an All-Star selection, a testament to his skill and dedication on the mound. LaCoss's contributions to the game extended beyond statistics; he was known for his competitive spirit and ability to adapt to the changing landscape of baseball, making him a respected figure among his peers and fans alike. After retiring in 1991, LaCoss left a lasting impact on the teams he played for and remains a notable figure in the history of baseball pitching.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
98 103 415 243 26 9 12 1739.7 1786 777 99 725 783 4.02 0

Career ERA 4.02 vs. league average 3.87 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1978 CIN NL 4 8 16 15 2 1 0 96.0 104 48 46 31 4.50 3.69 (-22%) -973.8
1979 CIN NL 14 8 35 32 6 1 0 205.7 202 80 79 73 3.50 4.00 (+13%) -126.0
1980 CIN NL 10 12 34 29 4 2 0 169.3 207 87 68 59 4.62 3.84 (-20%) -556.7
1981 CIN NL 4 7 20 13 1 1 1 78.0 102 53 30 22 6.12 3.58 (-71%) -1608.0
1982 HOU NL 6 6 41 8 0 0 0 115.0 107 37 54 51 2.90 3.86 (+25%) 533.1
1983 HOU NL 5 7 38 17 2 0 1 138.0 142 68 56 53 4.43 3.87 (-15%) -1126.3
1984 HOU NL 7 5 39 18 2 1 3 132.0 132 59 55 86 4.02 3.81 (-6%) 2712.9
1985 KCR AL 1 1 21 0 0 0 1 40.7 49 23 29 26 5.09 3.89 (-31%) -
1986 SFG NL 10 13 37 31 4 1 0 204.3 179 81 70 86 3.57 3.97 (+10%) -
1987 SFG NL 13 10 39 26 2 1 0 171.0 184 70 63 79 3.68 4.29 (+14%) -
1988 SFG NL 7 7 19 19 1 1 0 114.3 99 46 47 70 3.62 3.73 (+3%) -
1989 SFG NL 10 10 45 18 1 0 6 150.3 143 53 65 78 3.17 3.71 (+14%) -
1990 SFG NL 6 4 13 12 1 0 0 77.7 75 34 39 39 3.94 3.86 (-2%) -
1991 SFG NL 1 5 18 5 0 0 0 47.3 61 38 24 30 7.23 3.91 (-85%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
416 481 30 60 11 0 2 19 0 18 194 0.125 0.159 0.160 0.319 -2123.6

Career AVG .125 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 51.8% below league average.

Career OBP .159 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 50.8% below league average.

Career SLG .160 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 58.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.319 vs. league average 0.712 across their career seasons — 55.1% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1978 CIN NL 17 30 3 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 17 0.067 — — — — 0.0
1979 CIN NL 35 70 3 9 1 0 0 0 0 3 25 0.129 .265 (-52%) .329 (-50%) .397 (-64%) .727 (-58%) -686.2
1980 CIN NL 34 55 2 5 1 0 0 1 0 1 23 0.091 .264 (-66%) .326 (-62%) .387 (-72%) .714 (-68%) -620.3
1981 CIN NL 20 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1982 HOU NL 41 24 2 6 1 0 0 0 0 1 8 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1983 HOU NL 38 35 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 12 0.086 — — — — 0.0
1984 HOU NL 39 31 1 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 16 0.129 — — — — 0.0
1985 KCR AL 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1986 SFG NL 37 61 8 14 2 0 2 9 0 3 24 0.230 .257 (-11%) .325 (-18%) .395 (-9%) .720 (-13%) -145.2
1987 SFG NL 39 50 2 3 0 0 0 3 0 2 16 0.060 .262 (-77%) .331 (-66%) .415 (-86%) .746 (-77%) -671.9
1988 SFG NL 19 33 3 8 1 0 0 2 0 2 13 0.242 — — — — 0.0
1989 SFG NL 45 41 1 3 2 0 0 1 0 4 16 0.073 — — — — 0.0
1990 SFG NL 13 23 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 0.043 — — — — 0.0
1991 SFG NL 18 9 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 0.222 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1989 NLCS SFN 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1989 WS SFN 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1987 NLCS SFN 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1979 NLCS CIN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 1 6 2 0 12.3 13 8 10 6 5.84

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1989 NLCS SFN 0 0 1 1 0 3.0 7 3 0 2 9.00
1989 WS SFN 0 0 2 0 0 4.3 4 3 3 2 6.23
1987 NLCS SFN 0 0 2 0 0 3.3 1 0 3 2 0.00
1979 NLCS CIN 0 1 1 1 0 1.7 1 2 4 0 10.80

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 415 243 126 308 20 24

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1978 CIN P 16 15 8 13 0 0
1979 CIN P 35 32 15 34 2 4
1980 CIN P 34 29 9 34 3 4
1981 CIN P 20 13 6 14 1 0
1982 HOU P 41 8 7 16 3 3
1983 HOU P 38 17 6 27 0 1
1984 HOU P 39 18 9 20 2 2
1985 KCA P 21 0 1 8 0 1
1986 SFN P 37 31 19 34 1 2
1987 SFN P 39 26 15 43 2 4
1988 SFN P 19 19 10 32 0 1
1989 SFN P 45 18 12 20 4 1
1990 SFN P 13 12 5 8 1 1
1991 SFN P 18 5 4 5 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 415

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1991 SFN NL $1,450,000
1990 SFN NL $1,150,000
1989 SFN NL $1,100,000
1988 SFN NL $500,000
1987 SFN NL $300,000
1986 SFN NL $225,000
Total Career Earnings $4,725,000