Did not want to get past this remarkably sharp, unyellowed image that came out Wednesday in the Vault. Cuibs pitcher Tony Balsamo worked in 18 games during the 1962 season, a 103-loss season during the notorious college of coaches era.
A Fordham product, Balsamo was 0-1, 6.44 over 29 innings for the Cubs, but the remarkable stat is that he never appeared in a single game the Cubs won (according to the book "Cubs By The Numbers"). His loss came in a 13-inning game against the Mets.
That would be his final pro season (he broke in 1959). Various Cub fanatics have declared him either the most obscure Cub of all time or their favorite all-time Cub. One Facebook report indicated that Balsamo is recovering from surgery in early November.
