Tom Candiotti

Who is Tom Candiotti?

Thomas Caesar Candiotti is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was known for his knuckleball. He played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers. Candiotti is currently a TV-Radio analyst for the Arizona Diamondbacks and is under contract through the 2011 season. Candiotti is a graduate of Queen of All Saints Catholic School in Concord, California, Concord High School, and an alumnus of Saint Mary's College of California.

The knuckleball throwing Candiotti, nicknamed "The Candy Man" or simply "Candy", was originally drafted by Kansas City in 1980 but claimed in the Rule 5 Draft by Milwaukee that year. After two forgettable seasons with the Brewers, Candiotti signed with Cleveland in 1985, where he enjoyed his most successful seasons. With the woeful Indians of the 1980s, Candiotti had a record of 72-65 with only one losing season. His best season was 1988 when he went 14-8 with a 3.28 ERA and 137 strikeouts.

In 1991, Cleveland shipped him to Toronto to help in their playoff run. He left the Blue Jays the following season to sign with Los Angeles where he pitched well for six years, hampered by poor run support. He finished his career with the Indians before retiring in 1999.