Mel Stottlemyre

1.1. Childhood and education

Melvin Leon Stottlemyre Sr. was born on November 13, 1941, in Hazelton, Missouri, located in Texas County, Missouri. He grew up in Mabton, Washington, a town in the south-central part of the state. Stottlemyre attended Mabton High School and later Yakima Valley Community College. It was during his time pitching for Yakima's baseball team that a scout for the New York Yankees recognized his talent.

1.2. Early baseball career

Stottlemyre pitched in American Legion Baseball before signing a professional contract with the New York Yankees on June 10, 1961, notably without receiving a signing bonus. The Yankees initially assigned him to the Harlan Smokies of the Rookie-level Appalachian League, where he appeared in eight games. He was then promoted to the Auburn Yankees of the Class D New York-Penn League, playing in seven games for them.

In 1962, Stottlemyre pitched for the Greensboro Yankees of the Class B Carolina League, achieving a win-loss record of 17-9 with a 2.50 earned run average (ERA). His performance earned him a promotion to the Richmond Virginians of the Class AAA International League in 1963. While with Richmond, he alternated between starting and relieving until Ralph Houk, the Yankees' general manager, insisted that Stottlemyre be used exclusively as a starting pitcher. In the 1964 season, he recorded an impressive 1.42 ERA, which was the best in the International League.

2.1. Debut and early success

Stottlemyre made his Major League Baseball debut on August 12, 1964, against the Chicago White Sox. Called up midseason, he quickly made an impact, recording a 9-3 win-loss record with a 2.06 ERA in 13 games. His strong performance contributed significantly to the Yankees securing their fifth consecutive pennant in the American League, and he was featured on the cover of The Sporting News.

In the 1964 World Series, Stottlemyre faced Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals three times in the seven-game series. He outdueled Gibson in Game 2, pitching a complete game to even the series. He received a no-decision in Game 5 but ultimately lost the decisive Game 7 as the Cardinals claimed the World Series championship.

2.2. Key achievements and records

Stottlemyre was a five-time MLB All-Star, selected in 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, and 1970. He started the 1969 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In the 1965 season, he won 20 games and led the American League (AL) with 18 complete games, 291 innings pitched, and 1,188 batters faced. The following year, in 1966, he led the league with 20 losses. He bounced back to win 20 games in both the 1968 and 1969 seasons. From 1965 to 1973, he consistently pitched over 200 innings and achieved 12 or more wins for nine consecutive years, providing stability for the Yankees during a challenging period for the franchise.

Throughout his 11-season career, Stottlemyre threw 40 shutouts, a number that ties him with Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax for 44th best all-time. Eighteen of these shutouts occurred within a three-season span from 1971 to 1973. Beyond his pitching prowess, Stottlemyre was also known as a solid-hitting pitcher. On July 20, 1965, he hit a rare inside-the-park grand slam. Furthermore, on September 26, 1964, he recorded five base hits in five at-bats. In 1964, he was honored with The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year Award.

2.3. Career statistics and retirement

Stottlemyre retired with 164 career wins and a 2.97 ERA. He sustained a shoulder injury in 1974, which ultimately led to his retirement from playing. The Yankees released him before the 1975 season.

His career pitching statistics are as follows:

Stottlemyre wore several uniform numbers throughout his career. As a player, he wore number 30 for the New York Yankees from 1964 to 1974. During his coaching career, he wore number 48 in 1984, number 30 from 1985 to 1995, number 34 from 1996 to 2005, and number 30 again in 2008.

3.1. Early coaching roles

Stottlemyre re-entered professional baseball in 1977 as a roving instructor for the Seattle Mariners, a position he held for five seasons. In November 1983, he was hired by the New York Mets as their pitching coach.

3.2. New York Mets (1984-1993)

Stottlemyre served as the Mets' pitching coach for ten years, from 1984 to 1993. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in the development of star pitcher Dwight Gooden, overseeing Gooden's National League Rookie of the Year season in 1984 and his Cy Young Award-winning season in 1985. Stottlemyre was an integral part of the Mets' coaching staff that led the team to the 1986 World Series championship.

3.3. New York Yankees (1996-2005)

In 1996, Stottlemyre joined the Yankees' coaching staff alongside incoming manager Joe Torre. His impact on the team's pitching staff was significant. Under his guidance, the team's ERA improved from 4.65 in 1996 to 3.84 in 1997. Over his ten seasons with the Yankees (1996-2005), the pitching staff maintained an average ERA of 4.23. The pitching staff's strong performance under Stottlemyre was considered a major factor in the Yankees' dynasty years, during which they won four World Series Championships in five years (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000). During this period, he also coached pitcher Hideki Irabu.

After a decade with the Yankees, Stottlemyre resigned from his coaching position on October 12, 2005, following the Yankees' defeat in the 2005 American League Division Series by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He cited personal disagreements with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner as a reason for his departure. Stottlemyre specifically mentioned Steinbrenner's public congratulations to Angels manager Mike Scioscia after the series, while not acknowledging his own manager, Joe Torre, stating, "My first thought was, 'What about Joe?' Joe did a hell of a job, too. To congratulate the other manager and not congratulate your own, after what he's done this year, I laughed." The Yankees subsequently replaced Stottlemyre with former Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry.

3.4. Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners stints

Following his time with the New York Mets, Stottlemyre served a two-year stint as the Houston Astros pitching coach. After his departure from the Yankees, Stottlemyre was named pitching coach of the Seattle Mariners under manager John McLaren at the beginning of the 2008 season. He was retained by interim manager Jim Riggleman after McLaren's firing but was dismissed after the season ended. Following the 2008 season, he officially retired from baseball. In 2009, he also served as the bullpen coach for the WBC United States national team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

4.1. Family

Stottlemyre resided with his wife, Jean, in Issaquah, Washington. Two of his sons, Todd and Mel Jr., followed in their father's footsteps and became major-league pitchers. Mel Stottlemyre Jr. played for the Kansas City Royals in 1990 and later became a pitching coach for teams including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Mariners, and Miami Marlins. Todd Stottlemyre played from 1988 to 2002 for five different MLB teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays. Todd accumulated 138 career wins, making Mel Sr. and Todd the only father-son duo in MLB history to each achieve 100 or more wins as pitchers. Stottlemyre's other son, Jason, tragically died of leukemia at the age of 11.

4.2. Autobiography and health

In 2007, Stottlemyre co-authored an autobiography titled Pride and Pinstripes with John Harper.

In 2000, Stottlemyre was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer. After several years of remission, he became a dedicated supporter of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, advocating for cancer research. The cancer reappeared in 2011. His wife later clarified that his death was due to complications from multiple myeloma.

5.1. Major recognitions

On October 12, 1964, the mayor of his hometown, Mabton, Washington, declared the day "Mel Stottlemyre Day" in his honor. In 2012, he was inducted into the Washington State American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame. On June 20, 2015, during Old-Timers' Day, the New York Yankees dedicated a plaque in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium to honor Stottlemyre's legacy. In 2002, he was a recipient of the Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award, an honor presented by the New York Baseball Writers' Association of America.