Monday, January 14, 2019

Mel Stottlemyre is dead

Posted by el duque at 2:25 PM

 Today, 27 world championship flags should fly at half-mast.
R.I.P.  Number 30.
If you had played for any other team,
you'd be in the Hall.

9 comments:

13bit said...

A moment of silence please...

January 14, 2019 at 2:28 PM
Anonymous said...

There really are no words. We all know who this guy was and what he meant to us during the wilderness years. RIP Mel. Say hello to Bobby for us.

Doug K.

January 14, 2019 at 3:15 PM
TheWinWarblist said...

He had a very long survivorship. But all of us are finite, of that I am certain.

January 14, 2019 at 4:10 PM
HoraceClarke66 said...

One of only two men ever to beat Bob Gibson in a World Series game. Yes, it's a shame so much of his career was wasted on those mediocre teams.

But he also got a big clutch of rings as a pitching coach for both the Yanks and the Mets, and saw two of his sons make the major leagues. Not to mention behaving like a complete mensch, always.

Not a bad legacy. They should play this whole season with black armbands.

January 14, 2019 at 4:20 PM
HoraceClarke66 said...

An average Mel Stottlemyre season, projected out over a 162-game season:

16-13, 2.97 ERA, 14 complete games, four shutouts, 231 hits and 77 walks in 253 IP; 16 homers allowed, 119 strikeouts.

In 1968, he went 21-12, 2.45, 19 complete games and six shutouts.

And on August 24th, in the Saturday game of the week, he beat Denny McLain, 2-1. Gave up four hits, struck out nobody—but got 16 groundball outs, as part of the amazing, "Rocky Colavito Sweep." I watched it, a few days past my 10th birthday.

Sure, it was a different era, in which the mound was about four feet high and they called the high strike. On the other hand, the Yanks hit .214 that year—THE all-time, post-1900 record for lowest team batting average.

RIP, Mel.

January 14, 2019 at 6:28 PM
JM said...

"By his last few seasons with the Yankees, Stottlemyre had cemented his reputation as an outstanding pitching coach. But his resentment of Steinbrenner resurfaced in the face of criticism from him when the team was unable to make it back to the World Series. Stottlemyre was also irked by what he saw as undue interference from Billy Connors, the Yankees pitching adviser who worked out of the team’s facilities in Tampa, Fla., and was close to Steinbrenner."

There was no love lost between Mel and King George. Which makes me like him even more.

When I was a kid, I was a bookworm and late to sports. So when I finally got the baseball bug, I was sometimes picked last for softball games, or not picked at all depending on how many kids there were. In those cases, I was the "official pitcher" for both teams, and earned the nickname Mel in honor of the Yankees' ace.

It was a bit or snark and a mockery of my limited skills, yes, but I always had a certain pride in it, too. The association with Mel Stottlemyre was a badge of honor, no matter how it was meant by the wiseguy who came up with it.

So long, Mel, you were a great pitcher on a lousy team whose crummy doctor probably poisoned you with radiation treatments for your ACL. You deserved better.

January 15, 2019 at 10:23 AM
HoraceClarke66 said...

Mel and Roy White were my favorite Yankees back in the day.

I spoke to White once, who proved to be every inch the class act he always seemed. I never got to meet Mel, but I suspect he was the same.

January 15, 2019 at 9:39 PM
Parson Tom said...

Yes, Mel and Roy. My first favorites. Both were cold-eyed professionals who treated the game with passion and respect. During his best years, Mel may not have been the best pitcher in the American League, but he was in the discussion. Loved how easy it was to copy his pitching motion and follow-through because he was smooth.

January 15, 2019 at 9:54 PM
Isiyku Abdulahi said...


I really want the world to know about this great man who brought back happiness into my life again after my husband left me and the kids 3 years ago for another women online when i contacted Dr Believe he cast a love spell for me within 48 hours my ex husband start calling me and begging for forgiveness for everything that have happened between us. I was so happy to have my family back together with love again here is the email of Dr Believe via believelovespelltemple@gmail.com a man with the great powers you can also call him or add him on Whats-app: +2348156148821
God bless you
I am very grateful for your help in my marriage.

July 8, 2021 at 1:36 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)