of the strike shortened 1981 season. He was 1-for-2 in the 1981 National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies with a runs batted in during the fourth game. When Milner was released by the Expos midway through the season, he rejoined the Pirates. He was released by the Pirates the following spring, and retired. Career stats A pure fastball hitter with lightning-quick wrists, Milner posted a 1.066 walk-to-strikeout ratio (504-to-473) for his career. Milner hit ten career grand slams, including three with the Mets in . Pittsburgh drug trials After his playing career, Milner was called to testify at the cocaine distribution trial of Curtis Strong. He stated during his testimony that he used cocaine from 1978 through , and that he bought two grams of cocaine for $200 in the bathroom stalls at Three Rivers Stadium during a June 13, Pirates-Astros game, and on September 30, . He also claimed to have used a liquid form of amphetamines called "red juice" he acquired from Willie Mays while both played with the Mets, and that "greenies" (also an amphetamine) were often anonymously placed in his locker while he played with the Pirates. Dale Berra and Dave Parker both attributed the greenies to Willie Stargell. However, both he and Mays denied the claims made against them. Berra also claimed to have shared cocaine with Milner, Parker, Lee Lacy, Lee Mazzilli and Rod Scurry while all were members of the Pirates. Death Milner died of cancer in East Point, Georgia on January 4, 2000. See also Major League Baseball Scandals References External links John Milner at Baseballbiography.com 1949 births 2000 deaths African-American baseball players American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baseball players from Atlanta Deaths from cancer in Georgia (U.S. state) Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball left fielders Marion Mets players Montreal Expos players New York Mets players Pittsburgh Pirates players Pompano Beach Mets players Tidewater Tides players Visalia Mets players 20th-century African-American sportspeople