Nickname: Stout Steve
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Position: 1st baseman
Number(s): 20
Years Played As an Angel: 1961 -1962
Angels’ Stats: .282/.388/.916, 28 HRs, 97 RBIs
Career Stats: .249/.336/.444, 76 HRs, 276 RBIs
How He Was Acquired: Drafted by the Angels from the Detroit Tigers in the 1960 expansion draft.
Why You Should Know Him: He was a home run hitting great in the 1950s enjoying his greatest fame with the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League from 1955 to 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.
Memorable Moments/Games: Stout Steve was a fan favorite and fittingly muscled out the last home run hit in Wrigley Field in 1961.
Anecdotes and Quotes: During his brief stay with the Cubs, announcer Bert Wilson placed Bilko at the end of what he hopes would soon be a famous double play combination of Ernie Banks, Gene Baker and Steve Bilko. The name for that was “Bingo to Bango to Bilko.”
Where is He Now?: Steve Bilko passed away at age 49 in 1978
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