Italian / American 1975 Bubblegum Blowing Champion: Kurt Bevacqua (1971-1985)

Kurt Anthony Bevacqua was born on January 23, 1947 in Miami Beach, Florida. He attended Miami-Dade North Community College originally getting drafted in the 32nd round of the 1966 draft by the New York Mets but he did not sign. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 12th round of the 1967 draft the following season. Bevaqua made it to the big leagues by 1971 & would play a 15 year career as a utility infielder in Cleveland, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Texas & San Diego.

Most of Bevaqua’s famous moments didn’t actually happen in the statistical department. Most famously he lives on forever to baseball card fans as the 1975 Bazooka Bubble Gum Blowing Champion, in a card issued in the 1976 Topps set. A season long bubblegum blowing contest was held by Bazooka / Topps & the Baseball World of Joe Garagiola. The finals were held before Game #3 of the 1975 World Series on the Baseball World of Joe Garagiola with AL Champ Bevacqua beating out NL Champ Johnny Oates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RinlRM6Hhyg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfE_oZPieSQ&feature=related

In Spring Training 1981 as a member of the Pirates Bevaqua was involved in a major brawl with the Detroit Tigers after Howard Bailey hit future Mets coach Bill Robunson, in the face with a pitch. Then in August of 1984 as a member of the Padres, there was giant brawl involving the Atlanta Braves which Umpire John McSherry called the ugliest thing he’s ever seen. The the scene got even uglier when Bevaqua was hit in the head with a can of beer & ran into the stands to fight a fan.

In 1982 the Dodgers Tom Neidenfuer was fined for beaning the Padres Joe Lefebvre, the next day Bevaqua told the press the guy who should be fined is that “fat little Italian” referring to manager Tommy Lasorda.

Lasorda claimed he never told a pitcher to throw at a hitter & certainly wouldn’t do it to a .130 hitter like
f----in' Bevaqua. He continued to insult him by saying when he was pitching he would send a limo to pick up a guy like Bevaqua so he could kick his but. The battle raged on.

Post Season: During the 1984 season Bevaqua only batted .200 with a HR & 9 RBIs in 59 games for the NL Champion Padres. He went 0-2 in the NLCS as a pinch hitter against the Chicago Cubs but was a hero in the World Series. Manager Dick Williams used Bevaqua as a designated hitter in the Series, and he became the teams leading hitter, batting .412 (7-17) with two doubles, hitting two of the teams three Series HRs.

In Game #2 at San Diego’s Jack Murphy Stadium, he hit a three run HR in the bottom of the 5th inning off Detroit’s Dan Petry leading the Padres to their only win of the Series.

He finished his playing career in 1985 batting .236 lifetime with 499 hits 27 HRs & 275 RBIs in 970 games played.