Steve Bilko

Stephen Thomas Bilko (November 13, 1928, Nanticoke, Pennsylvania - March 7, 1978), was an American professional baseball player known for his pridigious home run hitting as a minor league player during the 1950s. He was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 22, 1949, with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a home run-hitting first baseman of the 1950s and early 1960s who enjoyed his greatest fame with the Los Angeles Angels of... more

Stephen Thomas Bilko (November 13, 1928, Nanticoke, Pennsylvania - March 7, 1978), was an American professional baseball player known for his pridigious home run hitting as a minor league player during the 1950s. He was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 22, 1949, with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a home run-hitting first baseman of the 1950s and early 1960s who enjoyed his greatest fame with the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League from 1955–1957. His greatest year came in 1956 when he won the PCL's Triple Crown with a .360 batting average, 55 home runs, and 164 RBIs. He also played for several major league teams, including the Los Angeles Angels of the American League in 1961 and 1962, but never enjoyed the success that he had with the PCL Angels in the 1950s. As an original LA Angel (American League version), he became the first player to play for both the L.A. Dodgers and the American League L.A. Angels. He was nicknamed "Stout Steve" during... less