Michael George Sadek (May 30, 1946 – January 20, 2021) was an American baseball player who was a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1969, he spent his entire major league career with the San Francisco Giants. He was a backup throughout his eight-year major league career, which spanned the years 1973 and 1975 through 1981. Sadek's nickname was "The Sheik" which was coined by Giants teammate Craig Robinson who, upon seeing the name Mohammed Ahmed Sadek, declared to the catcher, "Hey, you’re a sheik."[1][2] During his time in MLB, he was known as one of the most funny jokesters.[2][3]
| Mike Sadek | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: May 30, 1946 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| Died: January 20, 2021 (aged 74) San Andreas, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 13, 1973, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 10, 1981, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .226 |
| Home runs | 5 |
| Runs batted in | 74 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
In the 1996 film The Fan, Sadek served as Robert De Niro's body double in scenes where DeNiro's character was throwing a baseball.[4]
Sadek died on January 20, 2021, in San Andreas, California, at the age of 74.[2] He was survived by his son, Mike Jr., along with Mike's wife Melanie and their three children, Mike Sr.'s grandchildren. A daughter, Nicole, had died at age 25 in a parachuting accident.[5][6]
References
edit- ^ '"Giants Trounce Reds," Ukiah Daily Journal (July 15, 1980), p. 23.
- ^ a b c Shea, John (January 21, 2021). "Popular Giants catcher Mike Sadek, known as the 'Sheik,' dies at 74". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ "MLB.TV". MLB.com. Bob Brenly during 2 April 2023 AZ broadcast of LAD/AZ game, bottom of second inning. April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Sadek profile, Internet Movie Database. Accessed June 4, 2016.
- ^ "Mike Sadek, former Giants catcher, dies at 74 after illness". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
- ^ "Popular Giants catcher Mike Sadek, known as the 'Sheik,' dies at 74". Retrieved July 10, 2023.
Sources
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
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