RIP Pedro Borbon

Count yourself as a real Giants fan if you know that Pedro Borbon -- who was a workhorse bullpenner for the Big Red Machine -- spent most of 1979 with the Giants. Amazing to find a guy who logged 12 years in the LMB and racked a negative WAR of -0.2. 

Condolences to his family and friends.

He also got immortalized in "Airplane!" -- "Pinch hitting for Pedro Borbon...Manny Mota...Mota...Mota"  (hat tip to Dodger Thoughts)

Perhaps you're wondering -- Why should I remember such a relatively obscure Giant? Am I a maniac? Maybe so....

Actually, Pedro was the winning pitcher in one of my fave games of 1979 at the Stick. Giants were trailing the Astros on Sept. 15, 3-0 and he pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth. Here's how the bottom of the 8th went --
Dennis Littlejohn tripled; Terry Whitfield pinch hit and singled; Bill North walked; Rob Andrews sacrificed; Willie Mac fouled out; Mike Ivie walked; Darrell Evans singled; Larry Herndon tripled. 

Bam -- just like that, the Giants were up 5-3; Greg Minton got the save in the 9th and Borbon got the W.