It was Quebec baseball legend Roland Gladu who signed hard-throwing right-hander Ron Piche to a contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1955. After minor league stops in Lawton, Eau Claire, Evansville, Jacksonville and Louisville, Piche made his big league debut on May 30, 1960.
The young French Canadian would excel in a relief role with the Braves in his rookie campaign. Suiting up alongside Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn and Eddie Mathews, Piche finished 27 games and notched nine saves (9th in National League) that season. He continued to be an effective option out of the Braves pen for the next three seasons. His finest season was in 1963, when he pitched in 37 games and recorded a career-best 3.40 ERA.
He would also pitch for the California Angels (1965) and St. Louis Cardinals (1966). In parts of 16 minor league seasons, Piche recorded 130 wins and a 2.96 ERA. After retiring as a player, he became the Montreal Expos director of Canadian scouting from 1977 to 1985. More recently, his public relations work with the Expos earned him the nickname “Monsieur Baseball.”
Career Major League Statistics
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SH | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO |
| 10 | 16 | 4.19 | 134 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 221.1 | 216 | 130 | 103 | 23 | 123 | 157 |
To view season by season MLB statistics click HERE.
