Former Reds, Pirates, Cardinals pitcher Bob Purkey dies at 78

And the fitting Bob Purkey “halo card”.

Bob Purkey, who pitched in three All-Star games and one World Series with the Cincinnati Reds, has died. He was 78.

Purkey had a 129-115 record and a 3.79 ERA over 13 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals, last appearing in a game in 1966.

He tossed a complete game in the Reds’ 3-2 loss to the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the 1961 World Series. He was used in relief later in the series and had an ERA of 1.64 over 11 innings. The Yankees won the title in five games.

Purkey’s best season was in 1962, when he went 23-5 with a 2.81 ERA and 18 complete games.