Former pitcher Milt Pappas dies at 76

Former major league pitcher Milt Pappas, who won 209 games and famously missed a perfect game by one pitch in 1972 before finishing with a no-hitter, died Tuesday morning in Beecher, Ill. He was 76.

Pappas' wife, Judi, confirmed that he died of natural causes in the northern Illinois town.

Pappas spent 17 years in the big leagues with the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs.

The near-perfect game came near the end of his career in 1972 with the Cubs.

Pappas was one pitch from perfection with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning when he walked San Diego Padres pinch-hitter Larry Stahl on a disputed call by umpire Bruce Froemming. The 6-foot-3 right-hander went on to finish the no-hitter and finish the season with a 17-7 record.

Pappas began his career with the Orioles and made the All-Star team in 1962 and was the starter in the Midsummer Classic in 1965. At the end of the 1965 season, Pappas and two others were traded to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Frank Robinson, a future Hall of Famer.