Pedro Borbon dies after succumbing to cancer, according to the Associated Press. The Cincinnati Reds pitcher, who helped his team secure back-to-back World Series wins in 1975 and 1976, passed away at his home in Pharr, Texas on Monday.
Borbon was 65.
After playing for the California Angels in 1969, Borbon made his way to Cincinnati, where he played ball for the Reds franchise for the next 10 seasons. The relief pitcher’s biggest claim to fame came in 1976, when he pitched several scoreless innings during the National League Championship Series, which the Reds won 3-0.
“He was probably most proud of the World Series championships,” his son, Pedro Borbón, Jr., said in a telephone interview with AP. “He would talk about it often. He was also proud that he never once had a sore arm. He could pitch almost every day.”
According to an urban legend, Borbon allegedly placed a “voodoo losing curse” on the Reds after being traded to the San Francisco Giants in 1979. The spell was supposed to last until the last member of the franchise’s front office management left the club. However, in 2002, he admitted that the whole thing was just a hoax.
Following his trade to the Giants, where he stayed for one season, Borbon made the leap to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he ended his MLB career. In 2010, was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
Quite a few fans have taken to Twitter to express their sadness over the pitcher’s passing. You can sample some of their reactions to Borbon’s death by checking out the posts below.