Manatee County Special to Former Pirate Bielecki

Some of Mike Bielecki’s best of times during his MLB pitching days began in Bradenton.

So, when MLB Network began promoting their latest documentary, “One of a Kind”, telling the story of Hall of Famer Greg Maddux that first aired this past Sunday evening, I thought of Bielecki. Now, Bielecki last threw a pitch in an MLB game 27 years ago as a member of the Atlanta Braves. But Bielecki came to mind for a couple of reasons.

First, if you were a baseball fan decades ago and saw Bielecki break in with the Pirates back in 1984, be it in Pittsburgh or at McKechnie Field (now LECOM Park), you knew he was someone special on the mound.

Plus, if you think you have seen the former pitcher out and about Manatee County, you would probably be right. In his retirement from the game, the 1979 Pirates draft pick spends time shuffling between homes in Manatee County and Worcester County, Maryland.

Add Bielecki’s love of golf, and it’s a given that you, too, may have been playing at a local course at the same time as the former pitcher who appeared in 347 MLB games.

Looking back at my notebook from this past spring training, I remembered my conversation with Bielecki. It was on a Sunday in mid-March. The Pirates alumni do a fabulous job in bringing back former players to meet and greet fans at LECOM Park. The autograph and selfie sessions are fabulous.

Fans enjoy talking with their heroes of Pirates past, and reporters do, as well.

I knew Mike’s career well. He pitched in both the National and American Leagues for 14 seasons. During his four seasons with the Pirates, Bielecki spent two with Chuck Tanner as his manager, and the back two seasons it was Jim Leyland beginning the first two of what would be 11 seasons at the club’s helm.

Back to the Maddux–Bielecki connection for me.

After his public signing outside the Pirates’ clubhouse this past March, I spoke for a few minutes with Bielecki. When reviewing his lengthy career, there was a common denominator in our conversation: Maddux’s name was inserted in nearly all topics touched upon.

“He (Maddux) made it look so easy,” Bielecki said about his seasons with the Cubs and Braves with the future hall of famer. “I saw him up close. He was mentally above all of us pitchers. (Maddux) was the total package. The guy had perfect mechanics.”

As the documentary on MLB Network explains in detail, Maddux, indeed, was special. Over a 23-season career for four clubs, Maddux, who earned the nickname “Mad Dog” from his peers, won 355 games, collected four consecutive Cy Young Awards, pitched in 5,000-plus innings, and earned 18 Gold Gloves.
There’s no debate that in his era (mid-’80s through 2008), Maddux was a pitching beast.

“He (Maddux) is a great guy. He was a great athlete. I was amazed to watch him workout. Even in batting practice and playing cards, the guy had to win,” recalls Bielecki.

Bielecki, who in 1989 enjoyed his best MLB season as a starter when going 18-7 for the Cubs, fondly remembers his time with the Pirates. When he first came up, Bielecki remembers Chuck Tanner’s teams filled with more veterans than newcomers.

When Leyland took over and began what would eventually turn into a hall-of-fame career, Bielecki looked back to clubs with an influx of young talent.

“My teams, my run with the Pirates, Jimmy made every guy on the club feel just as important as the leaders.”

During his career, Bielecki pitched for three Braves’ teams that won the National League pennant (1991, 1992, and 1996). Putting in five spring trainings in Bradenton until getting the call to Pittsburgh while pitching in Triple-A (Hawaii Islanders), Bielecki took a liking to what Manatee County could offer – and he feels as if he’s never left