Renko frequently fell just short of stardom in an erratic, 15-season ML career. He was drafted out of Kansas University by the Mets in 1965 and began in the minors as a first baseman (a position he returned to for one game in 1972) but switched to pitching in 1967. He joined the Expos in 1969. Wild at first, the 6’5″ righthander threw 19 wild pitches in 1974 and once tossed 3 in one inning. He won 15 games for Montreal in both 1971 and 1973, but was 1-10 in 1972. After seven and a half seasons with the Expos, he became an oft-traded player, pitching sometimes effectively for six teams in his remaining eight seasons. On October 3, 1972 he struck out seven consecutive Mets.
