Ed Wojna: The Underdog Pitcher Who Shined In One Memorable Game
Discover the story of Ed Wojna, a Connecticut pitcher who made it to MLB, threw a rare complete game in 1986, and left his mark on baseball history.
Jul 18, 202563 Shares31.4K Views
When a player pitches a complete game with only three hits allowed, it can change everything for his career, just like it did for Ed Wojna. Edward David Wojna, born on August 20, 1960 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, played parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball. He made his debut with the San Diego Padres on June 16, 1985 and later pitched for the Cleveland Indians, with his final MLB appearance coming in September 1989. Known for a standout game on September 11, 1986, when he shut out the Atlanta Braves with a nine-inning complete game allowing just three hits, Wojna showed flashes of true skill on the mound.
Early career
Ed Wojna played high school baseball at Masuk High School in Connecticut. After high school, he continued at Indian River Junior College, where he developed his pitching skills. He was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth round of the 1980 MLB draft.
On August 31, 1983, Wojna was traded from the Phillies to the San Diego Padres along with three other players; the Padres sent Sixto Lezcano and another player in return. He spent several seasons in the minor leagues, including time with Reading in Double-A and Las Vegas in Triple-A. In those years, he worked on his control and endurance, pitching many innings at the AAA level before getting called up to the major leagues.
Major league career
Ed Wojna made his major league debut with the San Diego Padres on June 16, 1985, pitching sparingly on a strong staff. In the 1986 season, he had his best year, finishing with 2 wins and 2 losses, and a 3.23 earned run average. His career highlight came on September 11, 1986, when he pitched a complete nine‑inning game and beat the Atlanta Braves 9–1, allowing only three hits and one unearned run.
In 1987 Wojna struggled and was often moved between the Padres and their Triple-A Las Vegas Stars team in the Pacific Coast League. After that season he was traded to the Chicago White Sox organization and then moved on to the Cleveland Indians. His final major league games were with the Indians in 1989, pitching in relief for a handful of games. Overall, Wojna appeared in 36 MLB games, starting 20 of them. He finished his career with 4 wins, 10 losses, a 4.62 ERA, and 60 strikeouts over 132.1 innings pitched.
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