Mike LaCoss
Born: 5/30/1956 in Glendale, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1978-07-18 | Final Game: 1991-07-02
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'5" | Weight: 185 lbs
Full name: Michael James LaCoss
Biography
Mike LaCoss, born in 1956, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1978 to 1991. He made his mark in Major League Baseball during an era characterized by a blend of traditional pitching styles and the evolving tactics of the game. LaCoss played for several teams throughout his career, most notably the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants. He finished his career with a record of 98-103 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.02, showcasing his ability to compete against some of the best hitters in the league.
Throughout his time in the majors, LaCoss recorded 783 strikeouts and achieved 12 saves, highlighting his versatility as both a starter and a reliever. His performance earned him an All-Star selection, a testament to his skill and dedication on the mound. LaCoss's contributions to the game extended beyond statistics; he was known for his competitive spirit and ability to adapt to the changing landscape of baseball, making him a respected figure among his peers and fans alike. After retiring in 1991, LaCoss left a lasting impact on the teams he played for and remains a notable figure in the history of baseball pitching.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98 | 103 | 415 | 243 | 26 | 9 | 12 | 1739.7 | 1786 | 777 | 99 | 725 | 783 | 4.02 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | CIN | NL | 4 | 8 | 16 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 96.0 | 104 | 48 | 46 | 31 | 4.50 | -973.8 |
| 1979 | CIN | NL | 14 | 8 | 35 | 32 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 205.7 | 202 | 80 | 79 | 73 | 3.50 | -126.0 |
| 1980 | CIN | NL | 10 | 12 | 34 | 29 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 169.3 | 207 | 87 | 68 | 59 | 4.62 | -556.7 |
| 1981 | CIN | NL | 4 | 7 | 20 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 78.0 | 102 | 53 | 30 | 22 | 6.12 | -1608.0 |
| 1982 | HOU | NL | 6 | 6 | 41 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 115.0 | 107 | 37 | 54 | 51 | 2.90 | 533.1 |
| 1983 | HOU | NL | 5 | 7 | 38 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 138.0 | 142 | 68 | 56 | 53 | 4.43 | -1126.3 |
| 1984 | HOU | NL | 7 | 5 | 39 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 132.0 | 132 | 59 | 55 | 86 | 4.02 | 2712.9 |
| 1985 | KCR | AL | 1 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 40.7 | 49 | 23 | 29 | 26 | 5.09 | - |
| 1986 | SFG | NL | 10 | 13 | 37 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 204.3 | 179 | 81 | 70 | 86 | 3.57 | - |
| 1987 | SFG | NL | 13 | 10 | 39 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 171.0 | 184 | 70 | 63 | 79 | 3.68 | - |
| 1988 | SFG | NL | 7 | 7 | 19 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 114.3 | 99 | 46 | 47 | 70 | 3.62 | - |
| 1989 | SFG | NL | 10 | 10 | 45 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 150.3 | 143 | 53 | 65 | 78 | 3.17 | - |
| 1990 | SFG | NL | 6 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 77.7 | 75 | 34 | 39 | 39 | 3.94 | - |
| 1991 | SFG | NL | 1 | 5 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47.3 | 61 | 38 | 24 | 30 | 7.23 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 416 | 481 | 30 | 60 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 18 | 194 | 0.125 | 0.159 | 0.160 | 0.319 | -2123.6 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | CIN | NL | 17 | 30 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0.067 | 0.0 |
| 1979 | CIN | NL | 35 | 70 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 0.129 | -686.2 |
| 1980 | CIN | NL | 34 | 55 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 0.091 | -620.3 |
| 1981 | CIN | NL | 20 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1982 | HOU | NL | 41 | 24 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1983 | HOU | NL | 38 | 35 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0.086 | 0.0 |
| 1984 | HOU | NL | 39 | 31 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0.129 | 0.0 |
| 1985 | KCR | AL | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1986 | SFG | NL | 37 | 61 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 0.230 | -145.2 |
| 1987 | SFG | NL | 39 | 50 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0.060 | -671.9 |
| 1988 | SFG | NL | 19 | 33 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0.242 | 0.0 |
| 1989 | SFG | NL | 45 | 41 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 0.073 | 0.0 |
| 1990 | SFG | NL | 13 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.043 | 0.0 |
| 1991 | SFG | NL | 18 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.222 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | NLCS | SFN | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 1989 | WS | SFN | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 1987 | NLCS | SFN | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1979 | NLCS | CIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 12.3 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 5.84 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | NLCS | SFN | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9.00 |
| 1989 | WS | SFN | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6.23 |
| 1987 | NLCS | SFN | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0.00 |
| 1979 | NLCS | CIN | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10.80 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 415 | 243 | 126 | 308 | 20 | 24 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | CIN | P | 16 | 15 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | CIN | P | 35 | 32 | 15 | 34 | 2 | 4 |
| 1980 | CIN | P | 34 | 29 | 9 | 34 | 3 | 4 |
| 1981 | CIN | P | 20 | 13 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982 | HOU | P | 41 | 8 | 7 | 16 | 3 | 3 |
| 1983 | HOU | P | 38 | 17 | 6 | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984 | HOU | P | 39 | 18 | 9 | 20 | 2 | 2 |
| 1985 | KCA | P | 21 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 1986 | SFN | P | 37 | 31 | 19 | 34 | 1 | 2 |
| 1987 | SFN | P | 39 | 26 | 15 | 43 | 2 | 4 |
| 1988 | SFN | P | 19 | 19 | 10 | 32 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989 | SFN | P | 45 | 18 | 12 | 20 | 4 | 1 |
| 1990 | SFN | P | 13 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 1991 | SFN | P | 18 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 415 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | SFN | NL | $1,450,000 |
| 1990 | SFN | NL | $1,150,000 |
| 1989 | SFN | NL | $1,100,000 |
| 1988 | SFN | NL | $500,000 |
| 1987 | SFN | NL | $300,000 |
| 1986 | SFN | NL | $225,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $4,725,000 | ||