Tracy Stallard

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Tracy Stallard bigraphy, stories - Major League Baseball pitcher

Tracy Stallard : biography

31 August 1937 –

Evan Tracy Stallard (born August 31, 1937, in Coeburn, Virginia) is a retired American professional baseball player, a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1960 to 1966. He played with the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals., , Daily at Retrosheet and daily at Baseball-Reference.com.

Stallard is most remembered for giving up New York Yankees slugger Roger Maris’ 61st home run in 1961.

St. Louis Cardinals

On December 7, 1964, Stallard joined the St. Louis Cardinals in a move that sent Elio Chacon and he to the Cards in exchange for Johnny Lewis and Gordie Richardson.

Stallard had the best season of his career in his first year with the Cardinals in 1965. After pitching in his first three games as a reliever, Stallard was moved to starter on April 24, and began the season 7-3 with a 2.80 ERA. In May alone, Stallard went 3-0 with a 2.31 ERA in 50⅔ innings.

Though going only 3-2 from September 1 to the end of the season, Stallard still threw for a 2.41 ERA in 33⅔ innings over the period. He finished the season 11-8 with a 3.38 ERA. Among Cardinals starters, his win total and ERA were second to future Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, who had 20 wins and a 3.07 ERA.

New York Mets

Stallard resumed full-time major league pitching duty with the young New York Mets in 1963. Boston had shipped him along with Pumpsie Green and Al Moran to the Mets for Felix Mantilla on December 11, 1962.

Stallard again started in the relief role for his first 13 games, but was finally given the opportunity to start on June 2. The game against the Pittsburgh Pirates was his first start since the day Roger Maris hit his 61st home run of the season. Stallard responded to the promotion by notching up a 2.28 ERA with 27 strikeouts in ⅓innings for the entire month of June. Afterwards, though, Stallard’s season fell apart. He ended with a record of 6-17 to go with a 4.71 ERA.

Despite improving his ERA in 1964 to 3.79, Stallard still led the MLB with 20 losses to accompany only 10 wins. Although the abysmal record, Stallard was still tied for 2nd with Jack Fisher for the highest amount of wins for the Mets, only one behind Al Jackson (11-16). Stallard also gained the unfortunate distinction, albeit less well-known, as the starting pitcher that lost in Jim Bunning’s perfect game on June 21, giving up six earned runs in innings. In 11 of his games the Mets scored one or no runs. While with the Mets, Stallard developed something of a taste for New York’s night life, dating, among others, actress Julie Newmar, who would go on to play Catwoman in the Batman television series.

Late career

During the 1966 season, Stallard was very vocal about his displeasure of being assigned to the bullpen, though he had a 6.10 ERA at the time and had just came off three consecutive games where he gave up one or more earned runs in relief. He was promoted back to the starting role on June 4, but it only amounted to a 5.71 ERA in seven starts, averaging only five innings per outing.

His final start on July 19 against the Atlanta Braves was disastrous, giving up five earned runs in just 3⅓ innings pitched. The Cardinals fought back to prevail 10-9 in 12 innings, but the damage had been done. Stallard played his final Major League game on July 24 against the Chicago Cubs on the front-end of a doubleheader. He came in to pitch in the bottom of the 6th, and gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, Ron Santo. Stallard pitched into the 7th. After giving up another run, reliever Joe Hoerner replaced him on the mound.

Soon after his final appearance, the Cardinals reassigned Stallard to the Class AAA Tulsa Oilers of the Pacific Coast League. From 1967 to 1973, he played for several more minor league teams, including the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs and High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms, with stops in Torreón and Córdoba of the Class AAA Mexican League.

Stallard took a season off from pitching in 1968, serving as a pitching coach for the Hi-Toms under then rookie manager Jack McKeon, previously a Minnesota Twins scout and eventual manager of the 2003 World Series champion Florida Marlins and two-time National League Manager of the Year Award winner. Stallard resumed his playing career in 1969 for High Point-Thomasville by posting a 3-4 record and a 2.68 ERA.