The 1970s were pivotal to the development of baseball. MLB players got paid more, the game became more popular, and the image of the slick, brash ballplayer became iconic.
You might think the '70s were about Reggie Jackson or Nolan Ryan, but let me toss another name your way: Al Hrabosky.
Nicknamed "The Mad Hungarian" for his angry antics on the mound, this left-handed reliever etched himself in baseball lore as one of the most intimidating characters to ever toe a major-league slab.
These are some of his most villainous moments.
What made Hrabosky a villain?
Here's how you build a burly, ball-chucking baseball psycho.
The Appearance
Step one: grow out your hair and groom a long horseshoe mustache. From the get-go, Hrabosky did everything in his power to freak out his opponent, and that began with coiffing himself to look like a deranged mountain man.
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Hrabosky never curbed his self-expression, and his exaggerated appearance was completely intentional. In 1977, Cardinals manager Vern Rapp insisted Hrabosky clean up his appearance as part of a team-wide policy. Naturally, Hrabosky objected.
"How am I going to convince them I'm a dangerous madman if I look like a golf-pro?" the left-hander told the Washington Post. "I've never been blessed with great ability. My mystique was what made me successful."
At one point later that year, Hrabosky was suspended for "rank insubordination." Talk about committing to the bit.
The Routine
Hrabosky's appearance was only half the madness. The Oakland native made himself famous with his bullpen entrance, where, after jogging to the mound, he would turn his back to the batter, pound the ball into his mitt, and spin around.
While fans loved the shenanigans, opposing batters hated it — but that was the whole point.
Angry Al And All His Enemies
The Mad Hungarian made a few enemies along the way.
Hrabosky vs Umpire Bob Engell
Hrabosky delivered one of the most hilarious standoffs in MLB history. Home plate ump Bob Engell tossed Hrabosky a ball after the pitcher asked for a new one, but he didn't like that either, flipping the second baseball aside.
The whole thing unraveled until Engell threw a ball at Hrabosky that sailed into the infield after the lefty defiantly refused to move to catch it.
Hrabosky vs Reporter
Imagine criticizing this guy in the media. Sheesh.
Hrabosky vs ... Two Cubs Hitters?
This is, by far, one of the strangest baseball videos I've ever seen. A Cubs hitter stepped out of the box after he grew tired of Hrabosky's routine, prompting the homeplate umpire to chase him toward the dugout.
After the hitter refused to return, the umpire began calling Hrabosky's pitches as strikes with no hitter in the box. Suddenly, two Cubs hitters stormed back to hit as all chaos ensued.
