Laurin Pepper

Positions:
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 71 Weight: 190
Born: Sunday, January 18, 1931 in Vaughan, MS USA
Died: 2 4 2018 in Ocean Springs, MS USA
Debut: 7/4/1954
Last Game: 6/6/1957
Full Name: Hugh McLaurin Pepper

Laurin Pepper, pitcher for the 1954-57 Pirates. He was a bonus baby signing, as the Pirates paid $35,000 for him to keep him from playing in the NFL where he was drafted by the Steelers. Under the rules of the time, a bonus baby signing had to spend two years on the Major League roster before he could be sent to the minors. Pepper rarely pitched those first two seasons, getting in a total of 70.2 innings over 28 games, nine as a starter. He pitched poorly mostly due to a lack of control. He had a combined 1-6, 8.66 record those 1954-55 seasons with 68 walks and just 24 strikeouts. In 1956, he had better overall Major League results, but the control problems were still an issue. He allowed 25 walks in 30 innings, and while his ERA was a respectable 3.00, those 30 innings were over seven starts and four relief appearances so his walks definitely shortened his outings. He pitched with the Pirates for one month during the 1957 season, his last year in the majors. He had an 8.00 ERA over nine innings. Pepper finished his pro career in the minors in 1963.