Reggie Cleveland earned the distinction of being the first ever Canadian-born pitcher to start a World Series game in 1975. Born on May 23, 1948, in Swift Current, Cleveland played Little League baseball in Moose Jaw and Junior ball in Cold Lake, Alberta. He pitched in the Southern Saskatchewan Senior League for the Swift Current Indians before signing as an undrafted free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966. Cleveland spent three years in the minor leagues before joining the Cardinals in 1969. Despite having his best season in 1973, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox the following year and remained with the club until midway through the 1978 schedule. A short stint with the Texas Rangers was followed by three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers before Cleveland announced his retirement. He continued his involvement in baseball as a coach in the Toronto Blue Jays' farm system from 1991 to 1995. In a thirteen-year major league career, Reggie Cleveland posted 105 wins, 106 losses, and 25 saves in 428 appearances; he pitched 57 complete games and had 12 shutouts. His career earned-run average was 4.01 in 1,809 innings with 930 strikeouts. Cleveland was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
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