Former San Francisco Giants catcher Mike Sadek has died. He was 74.
The Giants said Sadek died Wednesday in San Andreas, Calif., after a short illness.
Sadek was a popular player with the Giants despite being a career backup in eight seasons between 1973-81.
He batted .226 with five homers and 74 RBIs in 383 career games. His high for games played in a season was 64 in 1980 when he batted a career-high .252.
In 1977, he threw out 43.9 percent (25 of 57) of base stealers.
After retiring as a player, Sadek worked in the Giants’ community relations department from 1981-99.
“Mike was a Forever Giant in every sense of the term,” Giants CEO Larry Baer said in a statement. “He spent nearly 30 years in the Giants organization between his time as a player and his role as a member of the front office. He had a genuine love for the game and was known for getting a laugh out of his teammates when they needed it the most.
“Our condolences go out to the Sadek family for their loss and we extend our thoughts to his teammates and friends.”
