Mel Stottlemyre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mel Stottlemyre |
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Stottlemyre in a 1970 baseball card
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: November 13, 1941 Hazleton, Missouri, U.S. |
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| Died: January 13, 2019 (aged 77) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 12, 1964, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 16, 1974, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 164–139 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.97 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,257 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Melvin Leon Stottlemyre Sr. (born November 13, 1941 – died January 13, 2019) was an American professional baseball pitcher and pitching coach. He played for 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), all for the New York Yankees. After his playing days, he became a coach for 23 seasons. He worked for the Yankees, New York Mets, Houston Astros, and Seattle Mariners. As a player, he was chosen for the MLB All-Star Game five times. As a coach, he helped teams win the World Series five times.
Contents
Mel Stottlemyre's Baseball Journey
Playing Days (1964–1974)
Mel Stottlemyre grew up playing American Legion Baseball and went to high school in Mabton, Washington. He also played baseball at Yakima Valley Community College. A scout for the New York Yankees noticed his talent. On June 10, 1961, the Yankees signed him to a contract. He started his career in the minor leagues.
Stottlemyre played for several minor league teams. In 1962, he had a great season with the Greensboro Yankees. He won 17 games and had a low earned run average (ERA) of 2.50. His team then moved him up to the Richmond Virginians in 1963. His general manager, Ralph Houk, wanted Stottlemyre to be only a starting pitcher. In 1964, he had the best ERA in his league, at 1.42.
The Yankees called Stottlemyre up to the major leagues in the middle of the 1964 season. He quickly helped the team, winning 9 games and losing only 3. This helped the Yankees win their fifth straight pennant. In the 1964 World Series, Stottlemyre pitched against the St. Louis Cardinals three times. He won Game 2, but his team lost the Series in Game 7.
Stottlemyre became an All-Star in 1965, though he didn't play in the game. That year, he won 20 games. He also led the American League in complete games (18) and innings pitched (291). He was an All-Star again in 1966. He won 20 games in both the 1968 and 1969 seasons. He even started the 1969 All-Star Game.
During his 11-season career, Stottlemyre pitched 40 shutouts. This means he pitched an entire game without the other team scoring any runs. This is the same number as the famous pitcher Sandy Koufax. The Yankees released Stottlemyre before the 1975 season. He ended his playing career with 164 wins and a 2.97 ERA.
Stottlemyre was also known for being a good hitter for a pitcher. On July 20, 1965, he hit a rare inside-the-park grand slam. This means he hit the ball and ran around all the bases to score four runs on one play. On September 26, 1964, he got five hits in five tries at bat.
Coaching Career (1984–2008)
After his playing career, Stottlemyre returned to baseball in 1977. He worked as a special instructor for the Seattle Mariners for five seasons. In November 1983, the New York Mets hired him as their pitching coach. In this role, he helped young pitchers like Dwight Gooden. Gooden won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1984 and the Cy Young Award in 1985. Stottlemyre was the Mets' pitching coach for ten years. This included the team that won the 1986 World Series. After that, he coached for the Houston Astros for two years.
Coaching the New York Yankees (1996–2005)
In 1996, Stottlemyre joined the Yankees coaching staff. He worked with the new manager, Joe Torre. Under Stottlemyre's guidance, the team's ERA improved. The Yankees' pitching staff was a big reason for their success. They won four World Series championships in five years during this time.
After 10 seasons, Stottlemyre left his coaching job on October 12, 2005. He had some disagreements with the Yankees' owner, George Steinbrenner. Stottlemyre felt that Steinbrenner didn't give enough credit to manager Joe Torre. The Yankees replaced Stottlemyre with former Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry.
Coaching the Seattle Mariners (2008)
Stottlemyre became the pitching coach for the Seattle Mariners in 2008. He worked under manager John McLaren and then interim manager Jim Riggleman. After the season ended, he was let go. Following this, he decided to retire from baseball for good.
Honors and Recognition
On October 12, 1964, the mayor of Mabton, his hometown, declared it "Mel Stottlemyre Day." In 2012, he was added to the Washington State American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame. On June 20, 2015, the Yankees honored him at their Old-Timers' Day. They placed a special plaque for him in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.
Personal Life
Mel Stottlemyre grew up in Mabton, Washington. He lived with his wife, Jean, in Issaquah, Washington. Two of his sons, Todd and Mel Jr., also became major league pitchers. His other son, Jason, passed away at age 11 due to illness.
Stottlemyre wrote a book about his life called Pride and Pinstripes. It was published in 2007.
In 2000, Stottlemyre was diagnosed with a serious illness. After being in remission for several years, the illness returned in 2011. Mel Stottlemyre passed away on January 13, 2019, at 77 years old, due to health issues. To honor him, the Yankees wore black armbands on their uniforms during the 2019 season.
See also
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
