{{short description|American baseball player (born 1940)}} {{distinguish|Paul Popowich}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Paul Popovich |position=Second baseman |birth_date={{Birth date and age|1940|8|18}} |birth_place=Flemington, West Virginia, U.S. |image =Paul Popovich 1969.jpg |caption =Paul Popovich in 1969 |bats=Switch |throws= Right |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=April 19 |debutyear=1964 |debutteam=Chicago Cubs |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=July 21 |finalyear=1975 |finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates |statleague = MLB |stat1label= Batting average |stat1value=.233 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=14 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=134 |teams= *Chicago Cubs ({{mlby|1964}}, {{mlby|1966}}–{{mlby|1967}}) *Los Angeles Dodgers ({{mlby|1968}}–{{mlby|1969}}) *Chicago Cubs ({{mlby|1969}}–{{mlby|1973}}) *Pittsburgh Pirates ({{mlby|1974}}–{{mlby|1975}}) }} '''Paul Edward Popovich''' (born August 18, 1940) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball from 1964 through 1975 for the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
==Early years== Popovich attended West Virginia University, where he played college baseball and basketball (where he was a teammate of Jerry West)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/paul-popovich-1.html|title=Paul Popovich|website=Sports-Reference.com}}</ref> for the Mountaineers in {{baseball year|1959}} and {{baseball year|1960}}. The Flemington, West Virginia native also played independent baseball on the Morgantown, West Virginia American Legion team.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bdtonline.com/sports/popovich-chose-baseball-over-basketball-for-years-in-the-major/article_efe3a706-cd1b-11e4-b6b0-1f967541b0a1.html|last=Furfari|first=Mickey|date=March 17, 2015|title=Popovich chose baseball over basketball for 12 years in the Major Leagues|newspaper=Bluefield Daily Telegraph}}</ref> He signed as an amateur free agent with the Chicago Cubs for $40,000 in 1960.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.register-herald.com/sports/college_sports/paul-popovich-now-wishes-he-were-playing-baseball-today/article_4685c210-f262-5121-be06-43df08281ef5.html|last=Furfari|first=Mickey|date=April 22, 2014|title=Paul Popovich, now 73, wishes he were playing baseball today|newspaper=The Register-Herald}}</ref>
The second baseman was a .244 hitter with seven home runs and 86 runs batted in over three seasons in the Cubs' farm system when he had a breakthrough season with the Texas League's Amarillo Gold Sox in {{baseball year|1963}}. He batted .313 with seventeen home runs and sixty RBIs.
==Chicago Cubs== He made his major league debut in the fifth game of the {{baseball year|1964}} season, and got a pinch hit single in his only at bat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN196404190.shtml|title=Philadelphia Phillies 8, Chicago Cubs 1|website=Baseball-Reference.com|date=April 19, 1964}}</ref> Nonetheless, he was optioned to the triple A Salt Lake City Bees, and would not return to the majors until a September call up in {{baseball year|1966}}. In two games, he went 0-for-6.
Following his brief stint with the Cubs in 1966, Popovich spent the winter with the Arizona Instructional League Cubs learning shortstop and third base. This experience earned him a bench role with the Cubs in {{baseball year|1967}}. In 49 games, Popovich batted .214 with no home runs, two RBIs and eighteen runs scored. Following the season, he and minor leaguer Jim Williams were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder Lou Johnson.
==Los Angeles Dodgers== Popovich appeared in 134 games for the Dodgers in {{baseball year|1968}}, mostly at second base. His first major league home run was a game tying ninth inning blast against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 9.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN196806090.shtml|title=Los Angeles Dodgers 4, Philadelphia Phillies 3|website=Baseball-Reference.com|date=June 9, 1968}}</ref> He also had a four hit game against the Houston Astros on May 24.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU196805240.shtml|title=Los Angeles Dodgers 9, Houston Astros 7|website=Baseball-Reference.com|date=May 24, 1968}}</ref> All told, Popovich batted .232 with two home runs and 25 RBIs. Shortly into the {{baseball year|1969}} season, the Dodgers traded Popovich and Ron Fairly to the Montreal Expos for Dodgers legend Maury Wills and Manny Mota. The Expos then flipped Popovich back to the Cubs for Jack Lamabe and Adolfo Phillips.
==Chicago Cubs== He earned the nickname "Supersub" for his utility work for the Cubs in 1969.<ref>{{cite book|last1=DeMichael|first1=Tom|title=Baseball FAQ All That's Left to Know About America's Pastime|date=January 2016|publisher=Backbeat Books|location=Pepi|isbn=9781617136061|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ze4fDAAAQBAJ&q=paul+popovich+supersub&pg=PT447|accessdate=12 July 2016}}</ref> He also had a career high .312 batting average, as the Cubs battled the New York Mets for the National League East crown. He remained a supersub for the Cubs through the {{baseball year|1973}} season. His best season came in {{baseball year|1971}}. While he batted a meager .217, he had a career high 28 RBIs, and tied his career high from the previous season with four home runs.
==Pittsburgh Pirates== Just as the {{baseball year|1974}} season was getting underway, Popovich was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Tom Dettore. He reached the post season for the only time in his career against his former club, the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the Pirates lost to the Dodgers, three games to one, Popovich had an exceptional series. He went 3-for-5 with a run scored.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1974_NLCS.shtml|title=1974 National League Championship Series|website=Baseball-Reference.com|date=October 5–9, 1974}}</ref> He was released midway through the {{baseball year|1975}} season.
==Career statistics== {| class="wikitable" |- |Games |PA |AB |Runs |Hits |2B |3B |HR |RBI |SB |BB |SO |HBP |Avg. |Slg. |Fld% |- |682 |1909 |1732 |176 |403 |42 |9 |14 |134 |4 |127 |151 |8 |.233 |.292 |.979 |} The 1969 Dodgers yearbook shows Popovich surrounded by 21 fans who shared his surname.
==References== {{reflist}} {{Baseballstats|mlb=120671|espn=26404|br=p/popovpa01|fangraphs=1010440|brm=popovi002pau|retro=P/Ppopop101}}
Here is the alphabetized list, with `{{DEFAULTSORT:Popovich, Paul}}` at the top (as is standard practice), followed by the categories in alphabetical order:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Popovich, Paul}} Category:1940 births Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Amarillo Gold Sox players Category:American men's basketball players Category:American people of Serbian descent Category:Arizona Instructional League Cubs players Category:Arizona Instructional League Dodgers players Category:Baseball players from West Virginia Category:Chicago Cubs players Category:Living people Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players Category:Major League Baseball second basemen Category:Major League Baseball shortstops Category:People from Flemington, West Virginia Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:Salt Lake City Bees players Category:San Antonio Missions players Category:Sportspeople from Taylor County, West Virginia Category:Tacoma Cubs players Category:West Virginia Mountaineers baseball players Category:West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball players Category:Wenatchee Chiefs players