Tom Hilgendorf was signed by the Cardinals as a free agent in 1960. It took until 1969 for him to make it to the major leagues when the Cardinals brought him up from the minors as a 27-year-old rookie. The left-hander made his debut against Atlanta.\n', '

He was traded to the Kansas City Royals, then on to Cleveland, where the fork-baller managed six saves and a 5–3 record for a team that did not win very many games — in fact, the Indians finished last that year of 1973 in the American League East Division.\n', '

The following year, he was involved in the infamous Ten Cent Beer Night on June 4, 1974, and was hit by a steel folding chair thrown by one of the drunk fans who took part in the riot that ended the Indians game in a forfeit. The next night he came on in relief in the Indians\' rout of the Texas Rangers.\n', '

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