Jack Pyecha was a versatile athlete who enjoyed
modest success at the high school level before going on to athletic
success at a higher level. He lettered four years in baseball at
Monaca but did not play high school basketball, opting to play
basketball in the YMCA league in New Brighton and with independent
teams. After graduating in 1949, he worked for a year before
entering Appalachian State University in North Carolina. Redshirted
as a basketball freshman player, Jack signed a professional baseball contract
with the Chicago Cubs organization. (The conference in which ASU was
a member permitted athletes to play a professional sport and still
maintain amateur status in another sport.) His first year in baseball
at Elkin (NC), Jack was 13-4 as a pitcher with a 3.33 ERA. He worked
his way up the ladder and played with the Cubs AAA farm team in Los
Angeles before getting once chance to pitch in the Big Show for
the Cubs in 1954. Jack pitched two perfect innings against
Cincinnati, but then allowed a walk, a hit, and a home run. He was
then sent back to
Los Angeles, where arm trouble ended his baseball career in 1955. In
basketball at ASU, he became a force, scoring 50 points in a single
game. He had a career scoring average of 22.3 points per game with a
single season high of 28.7 ppg, and also averaged 14.6 rebounds per
game and was named NAIA All American in 1955. Jack continued to be
involved in athletics by competing nationally in handball and
earning a black belt in judo.
Jack Pyecha was a versatile athlete who enjoyed
modest success at the high school level before going on to athletic
success at a higher level. He lettered four years in baseball at
Monaca but did not play high school basketball, opting to play
basketball in the YMCA league in New Brighton and with independent
teams. After graduating in 1949, he worked for a year before
entering Appalachian State University in North Carolina. Redshirted
as a basketball freshman player, Jack signed a professional baseball contract
with the Chicago Cubs organization. (The conference in which ASU was
a member permitted athletes to play a professional sport and still
maintain amateur status in another sport.) His first year in baseball
at Elkin (NC), Jack was 13-4 as a pitcher with a 3.33 ERA. He worked
his way up the ladder and played with the Cubs AAA farm team in Los
Angeles before getting once chance to pitch in the Big Show for
the Cubs in 1954. Jack pitched two perfect innings against
Cincinnati, but then allowed a walk, a hit, and a home run. He was
then sent back to
Los Angeles, where arm trouble ended his baseball career in 1955. In
basketball at ASU, he became a force, scoring 50 points in a single
game. He had a career scoring average of 22.3 points per game with a
single season high of 28.7 ppg, and also averaged 14.6 rebounds per
game and was named NAIA All American in 1955. Jack continued to be
involved in athletics by competing nationally in handball and
earning a black belt in judo.