{{Short description|American baseball player (1895–1976)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Johnny Miljus |position=Pitcher |image=1930 Zeenut Johnny Miljus.jpg |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date={{Birth date|1895|6|30}} |birth_place=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |death_date={{death date and age|1976|2|11|1895|6|30}} |death_place=Fort Harrison, Montana |debutleague = MLB |debutdate= October 2 |debutyear= 1915 |debutteam= Pittsburgh Rebels |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=September 25 |finalyear=1929 |finalteam= Cleveland Indians |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Win–loss record |stat1value=67-26 |stat2label=Earned run average |stat2value=3.92 |stat3label=Strikeouts |stat3value=166 |teams= * Pittsburgh Rebels ({{mlby|1915}}) * Brooklyn Robins ({{mlby|1917}}, {{mlby|1920}}–{{mlby|1921}}) * Pittsburgh Pirates ({{mlby|1927}}–{{mlby|1928}}) * Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1928}}–{{mlby|1929}}) |highlights= * 1927 National League Pennant }} '''John Kenneth (Johnny) Miljus''' (Serbian Cyrillic Џон Кенет Миљуш or Serbian Latin ''Džon Kenet Miljuš'') (June 30, 1895 – February 11, 1976) nicknamed "Big Serb" and "Jovo", was a Serbian-American baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball between {{Baseball year|1915}} and {{Baseball year|1929}}. Miljus was most likely the first Serbian-American to play in professional baseball.<ref name="SerbWorld">{{cite journal |title=John Miljus "Big Serb" Early Hurler in the World Series |journal=Serb World U.S.A. |date=September–October 1997 |last=Nicklanovich |first=Michael D. |volume=XIV |issue=1 |url=http://www.serbworldusa.com/MILJUS.html |access-date=2014-08-03 }}</ref>
==Early life== Miljus was born in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh. He attended Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh. While in school, he worked in the steel mills and played college football and baseball. He also played on local semi-pro teams, which occasionally faced Negro league teams like the Homestead Grays. He graduated as a doctor of dentistry but never practiced.<ref> name="SerbWorld"</ref>
Miljus served in the United States Army during World War I, in France, as part of the 320th Infantry. His wartime bunkmate was Joe Harris. The two of them would later be reunited as members of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Miljus was wounded in action at the Battle of the Argonne and was to be sent home. Instead, he chose to rejoin his unit and return to action after leaving the hospital.<ref> name="SerbWorld"</ref>
==Career== After toiling in the minors, this lanky {{height|ft=6|in=1}} 178-pounder spent six seasons in the major leagues as a pitcher. Miljus reached the majors in 1915 with the Pittsburgh Rebels of the outlaw Federal League, spending one year with them before moving to the Brooklyn Robins (NL, 1920–21), Pittsburgh Pirates (NL, 1927–28) and Cleveland Indians (AL, 1928–29).<ref name="almanac">{{cite news |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=miljujo01 |title=Johnny Miljus Stats |work=Baseball-Almanac |date=2014 |access-date=2014-08-03 }}</ref> More than a dependable pitcher, he filled several roles coming out from the bullpen as a closer or a middle reliever, and as an occasional starter as well.
Miljus is probably best remembered as the pitcher who served up a ninth-inning wild pitch that escaped Pirates' catcher Johnny Gooch and allowed the New York Yankees to sweep the 1927 World Series. In Game 4, after striking out Lou Gehrig and Bob Meusel, and with two strikes on Tony Lazzeri, the next Miljus pitch rolled far enough away for Earle Combs to score the winning run.<ref>name="baseballlibrary">{{cite news |url=https://baseballbiography.com/johnny-miljus-1895 |title=Johnny Miljus |work=baseballbiography.com |date=2006 |access-date=2014-08-03 }}</ref>
In a seven-season career, Miljus posted a 29–26 record with 166 strikeouts and a 3.92 ERA in {{frac|457|1|3}} innings pitched, including 45 starts, 15 complete games, two shutouts, and five saves.<ref> name="retrosheet"{{cite news |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/M/Pmiljj101.htm |title=Johnny Miljus |work=Retrosheet.org |date=2014 |access-date=2014-08-03 }}</ref>
==See also== * Pete Suder * Nick Strincevich * Walt Dropo * Doc Medich * Dave Rajsich * Doc Medich
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.baseball-reference.com/m/miljujo01.shtml Baseball Reference]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miljus, Johnny}} Category:1895 births Category:1976 deaths Category:American people of Serbian descent Category:Brooklyn Robins players Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:Duquesne Dukes baseball players Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:Pittsburgh Rebels players Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Baseball players from Pittsburgh Category:St. Marys Saints players Category:Binghamton Bingoes players Category:Toledo Mud Hens players Category:New Orleans Pelicans (baseball) players Category:Nashville Vols players Category:Rochester Tribe players Category:Seattle Indians players Category:San Francisco Seals (baseball) players Category:Hollywood Stars players Category:Indianapolis Indians players Category:United States Army personnel of World War I