Surkont was signed at age 15 by the Cardinals (his “bonus” was a hotel meal of beans and frankfurters), but it took him 12 seasons to reach the majors. A regular starter with the Braves in the early 1950s, he had his only winning record for a complete ML season in 1953, when he was 11-5. On the night of May 25, 1953, the burly fastballer set a ML record (since broken) by striking out eight Cincinnati batters in a row, the last one after a 35-minute rain delay.
