Rusty Staub

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Lore & Background

A six-time All-Star known for his hitting prowess, Staub produced 2,716 hits over his playing career, just 284 hits shy of the 3,000 hit plateau. He was an original member of the Montreal Expos and the team's first star. Although he played just 518 of his 2,951 games as an Expo, his enduring popularity led them to retire his number in 1993, while the Mets inducted him into their team Hall of Fame in 1986.

In Their Own Story

The 1973 postseason remains a testament to Staub's resilience. Although the Mets defeated the heavily favored Reds in five games to win the National League Pennant, Staub played through his separated shoulder. In the World Series against the Oakland Athletics, he missed Game 1 but returned for Game 2 as a decoy, waiting on deck to pinch hit. Unable to throw overhand due to his injury, he threw weakly and underhanded for the remainder of the series. Despite these physical limitations, he batted .423 against the A's, including a home run and six RBIs. For the entire 1973 postseason, Staub compiled a .341 average with four home runs and 11 RBIs. In 1975, he set a Mets record with 105 RBIs, becoming the first Met to surpass 100 in a season—a mark not tied until 1986 or surpassed until Darryl Strawberry's 108 in 1990.

Reader's Guide

Staub was born in New Orleans on April 1, 1944, to Raymond and Alma Staub. He was given the nickname "Rusty" by a nurse in the hospital shortly after he was born because of his red hair. Ray Staub had been a minor league catcher in the Class D Florida State League in 1937–38. Ray gave Rusty a baseball bat at only three years old, and began teaching him how to swing from then on. When Staub was a child, Alma's brother, a New Orleans policeman, was killed in the line of duty. One of his most vivid and affecting memories in life was sitting on his bed with his mother and brother reciting the rosary for his uncle. This would later lead to his charitable work for police and their families. Staub attended Jesuit High School in New Orleans, where he played first base on the baseball team. In 1961, he had a .474 batting average and led the Jesuit Blue Jays to the Louisiana Class AAA baseball championship, hitting a 400-foot home run to win the deciding championship game. He was selected co-Outstanding Player on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-State team. As a basketball player, he helped the Blue Jays reach the playoffs in 1960 and 1961. In 1960, Staub and his brother Chuck led their amateur baseball team to the American Legion World Series championship; and in 1961, Staub hit .553 in American Legion ball.

Did You Know?

• Staub was nicknamed "le Grand Orange" by Expos fans for his red hair.
• He was an original member of the Montreal Expos and the team's first star.
• The Mets inducted him into their team Hall of Fame in 1986.
• Staub established the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children's Benefit Fund.