Mel Stottlemyre

Lore & Background

Stottlemyre pitched in American Legion Baseball and attended Mabton High School in Mabton, Washington, and Yakima Valley Community College. A scout for the New York Yankees discovered him pitching for Yakima's baseball team, and signed him on June 10, 1961. He debuted in the majors midseason in 1964, going 9–3 to help the Yankees to their fifth consecutive pennant. In the 1964 World Series, he faced Bob Gibson three times, winning Game 2, getting a no-decision in Game 5, and losing Game 7. He was a five-time All-Star (1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, and another year). He threw 40 shutouts in his career, tying Sandy Koufax. He hit an inside-the-park grand slam on July 20, 1965, and recorded five hits in five at-bats on September 26, 1964. After his playing career ended in 1974, he became a roving instructor for the Seattle Mariners in 1977, then served as pitching coach for the Mets (1984–1993, including the 1986 World Series championship), Astros (1994–1995), Yankees (1996–2005, winning four World Series), and Mariners (2008). He resigned from the Yankees in 2005 citing disagreements with owner George Steinbrenner. He died on January 13, 2019, at age 77, of cancer.

In Their Own Story

The October wind off the Missouri River cut through the thin flannel of the Royals' road uniform as Stottlemyre lined up in the on-deck circle at the old Royals Park. He was a few seasons past his prime, the knees that once let him track a line drive into the gap now aching with the cold. A young Royals infielder, barely two years out of the minors, bumped his fist against Stottlemyre's as the veteran stepped up to the plate. "You just run the ball out," Mel said, his voice flat and unhurried, the way it had been in the Bronx a decade earlier. The kid nodded, swallowed hard, and watched from the warning track as the veteran's bat turned over on a fastball that missed low. Mel jogged the bases slowly, the crowd barely a murmur, and by the time he reached third he was already thinking about the flight home. But for one swing, one moment in the Kingdom, the old speed flickered, and the kid on the warning track would remember it for the rest of his career.

Reader's Guide

Mel Stottlemyre was a right-handed pitcher who spent his entire 11-season MLB playing career with the New York Yankees. He was a five-time All-Star and won 20 games in 1965, 1968, and 1969. As a coach, he won five World Series championships (1986 with the Mets, and four with the Yankees from 1996 to 2000). He is known for his 40 career shutouts and for being a solid-hitting pitcher. His sons Mel Jr. and Todd also became major-league pitchers.

Did You Know?

• Stottlemyre threw 40 shutouts in his career, the same number as Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax.
• He hit a rare inside-the-park grand slam on July 20, 1965.
• He recorded five base hits in five at-bats on September 26, 1964.
• Stottlemyre was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2000 and became an avid supporter of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.