Robert Edwin Strampe is a former Major League Baseballpitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers in 1972. He wore number 46 in his only year in the Majors. His father, Bob Strampe, Sr., pitched in the minor leagues in 1934 for the Fargo-Moorhead Twins and Brainerd-Little Falls Muskies. Originally drafted by the Tigers in the 18th round of the 1968 amateur draft, Strampe saw a fair amount of success in the minors as a starter, never posting a season ERA higher than 3.42. Perhaps his best season was his first - 1969 for the Batavia Trojans. In 115 innings of work that year, he went 10-5 with 138 strikeouts and a 2.97 ERA. He made his major league debut at the age of 21 on May 10, 1972 against the Chicago White Sox. The 6'1", 185 pound right-hander came in to relieve for Ron Perranoski, and didn't have much luck, surviving only 1/3 of an inning. He gave up four hits and a walk, allowing in four earned runs. Overall, he pitched in seven games in 1972, posting an ERA of 11.57. In 4 innings, he allowed six hits, seven walks and six earned runs. He struck out only four batters. Although his performance was unimpressive, he did not allow a single home run, which is notable considering the circumstances. He played his final big league game on September 19 of that year. He went out much better than he came in - he struck out the final batter he ever faced, Mike Kilkenny of the Cleveland Indians. Although his major league career ended in 1972, Strampe continued to pitch professionally in the minor leagues. On November 18, 1974, Strampe was involved in a three-team trade involving the Tigers, Padres, and St. Louis Cardinals. The Tigers sent Strampe and Dick Sharon to the Padres and the Padres sending Nate Colbertin return. The Padres sent a player to be named later to the Cardinals, and the Tigers sent Ed Brinkman to the Cardinals. The Cardinals sent Alan Foster, Rich Folkers, and Sonny Siebert to the San Diego Padres. In total, seven players were involved in the trade, with the Tigers receiving Colbert, the Padres receiving Sharon, Foster, Folkers and Siebert and the Cardinals receiving Brinkman and Breeden. At last check, Strampe resided in Cheney, Washington.
