Dick Stuart
Dick Stuart | |||
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Stuart being remembered and honored by the Pirates, on June 19, 2010 at PNC Park, for his role on the Pirates' 1960 World Series team. | |||
First baseman | |||
Born: San Francisco, California | November 7, 1932|||
Died: December 15, 2002 70) Redwood City, California | (aged|||
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MLB debut | |||
July 10, 1958, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
May 27, 1969, for the California Angels | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .264 | ||
Home runs | 228 | ||
Runs batted in | 743 | ||
Teams | |||
Career highlights and awards | |||
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Richard Lee Stuart (November 7, 1932 – December 15, 2002) was an American professional baseball first baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1958 to 1966 and 1969. In 1967 and 1968, he played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Taiyo Whales. Born in San Francisco, Stuart threw and batted right-handed; he was listed as 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall and 212 pounds (96 kg). He began his pro career in 1951 in the Pittsburgh Pirates' farm system, and spent 1953 and 1954 performing military service.
Baseball career
Throughout his career, Stuart was known as a formidable slugger, but a subpar fielder. In 1963, he led the major leagues with 29 errors, which remains both Stuart's career high and the Boston Red Sox single season record for first basemen.[1] Dubbed "Stone Fingers" that same season by none other than Hank Aaron,[2] Stuart would become far better known as "Dr. Strangeglove"[3][4] following the release of the like-named 1964 film. (In January 1973, almost four years after Stuart's retirement, it was noted that the not yet instituted designated hitter "rule would have suited Dr. Strangeglove perfectly."[5]) Other, less well known but equally unflattering nicknames included "Iron Glove"[6] and, in a more literary vein, "The Ancient Mariner", a reference to an opening line in the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: specifically, "It is an ancient mariner, And he stoppeth one of three".[7] Curiously, despite his well-documented defensive struggles, on June 28, 1963, Stuart became the first first-baseman in major league history to record three assists in one inning.[8]
The bulk of Stuart's career—including by far his most productive years—was spent with the Pirates and the Red Sox. He hit 228 home runs in his Major League Baseball career (tied for 277th all-time as of 10/01/2018), with a batting average of .264. He was elected to the All-Star team in 1961. While Stuart never led the league in home runs, he finished in the top ten in five seasons (1959–61, 1963–64). As a minor league player, Stuart smashed 66 home runs for the Lincoln club of the Class-A Western League in 1956; it remains one of the highest totals in the history of minor league baseball.
Stuart was a member of the Pirates' 1960 World Series-winning team. He was on deck as a pinch hitter when Bill Mazeroski hit the ninth-inning home run off Ralph Terry to win the 1960 Series at Forbes Field.[9]
In their book, The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book, Brendan C. Boyd and Fred C. Harris wrote an essay on Stuart's notoriously poor fielding. An excerpt: "Every play hit his way was an adventure, the most routine play a challenge to his artlessness. It is hard to describe this to anyone who has not seen it, just as it is hard to describe Xavier Cugat or Allen Ludden. Stu once picked up a hot dog wrapper that was blowing toward his first base position. He received a standing ovation from the crowd. It was the first thing he had managed to pick up all day, and the fans realized it could very well be the last".[10]
Stuart graduated from Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California. Stuart died of cancer in Redwood City.[11]
See also
References
- ↑ "Dick Stuart Stats" at Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ↑ Nunn. Bill, Jr. "Change of Pace". The Pittsburgh Courier. November 9, 1963. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ↑ Search Results for "Dick Stuart" and "Stone Fingers" in 1965 at Newspapers.com
- ↑ Search Results for "Dick Stuart" and "Strangeglove" in 1965 at Newspapers.com
- ↑ Bodley, Hal. "Once Over Lightly: Platoon Baseball?". The Wilmington Evening Journal. January 26, 1973. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ↑ Shapiro, Milton J. (1966). Laughs from the Dugout. New York, NY: J. Messner. p. 121. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ↑ Jackson, Frank. "Dick Stuart: A DH before his time". The Hardball Times. August 28, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ↑ Kaese, Harold (1974). A rooter's guide to the Red Sox : facts, fun, and figures. Boston, MA. Reproduced in Holtzman, Jerome (2005). Jerome Holtzman on Baseball: A History of Baseball Scribes. Champaign, Il: Sports Publishing, L.L.C. p. 197. ISBN 1-58261-976-X. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ↑ Associated Press. "Big Stu Breaks Promise But It's Maz' Fault". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 15, 1960. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ↑ Brendan C. Boyd and Fred C. Harris, The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book, Little Brown & Co., 1973, p. 77.
- ↑ Time Magazine article
Further reading
Articles
- Abrams, Al. "Sidelights on Sports: Million Dollar Kid—Maybe". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 7, 1957.
- Biederman, Les. "The Scoreboard: Walls, Stuart Exchange Condolences; Each Feels He Has What the Other Needs". The Pittsburgh Press. March 11, 1957.
- Hernon, Jack. "Stuart Slams Homer As Pirates Win, 7-4". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 11, 1957.
- "Stuart Actor". The Cincinnati Enquirer. April 16, 1957.
- Associated Press. "Stuart, Bilko Clash Tonight in Swat Duel". The Desert Sun. April 16, 1957.
- Brown, Bruce. "From the Sidelines". The San Bernardino Sun. April 17, 1957.
- AP Wirephoto. "Homers and Strikes Out". The San Bernardino Sun. April 20, 1957.
- Associated Press. "King Sticks With Stuart; Star's Pilot Convinced on Ability". The San Bernardino Sun. April 25, 1957
- Harris, Mark. "The Man Who Hits Too Many Home Runs". Life. September 2, 1957.
- O'Connor, Michael (UPI). "Richard Lee Stuart Likes To Hit Home Runs, Does So". The Desert Sun. June 24, 1958.
- Hernon, Jack. "Friend Gets 20th, Beats Giants, 6-4: Stuart's 2-Run Homer in 10th Breaks Deadlock". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 11, 1958. pp. 1 and 28.
- Cernkovic, Rudy (UPI). "'Bad Boy' Stuart Now 'Good Boy': Woman's Touch". The Desert Sun. September 18, 1958.
- Biederman, Les. "The Scoreboard: Meet Ball, Homers Will Come, Clemente Assures Stuart". The Pittsburgh Press. April 18, 1959.
- Biederman, Les. "Loss to Cards Dims Stuart's Long Home Run; Tape Measure Job in Ninth Inning Brings Bucs Close". The Pittsburgh Press. May 2, 1959.
- Biederman, Les. "Stuart Makes Buc History: Dick's Homer First Ever Hit Over CF Wall; Ball Disappears At 457-Foot Mark, Cubs Win, 10-5". The Pittsburgh Press. June 6, 1959.
- Biederman, Les. "Scoreboard: Boost Dick Stuart Movement Getting Support Among Fans; Salesman's Plea to Get Behind Slugger and Thus Help Pirates Favorably Received". The Pittsburgh Press. March 3, 1960.
- Biederman, Les. "Stuart Gives Pirate 1 For Road: 3-Run Homer Nips LA in Ninth, 3-2; Milwaukee Next". The Pittsburgh Press. June 8, 1962.
- Biederman, Les. "The Scoreboard: 'Former Employee' Stuart Steals Show at Pirate Luncheon". The Pittsburgh Press. January 22, 1963.
- Daley, Arthur (New York Times Service). "Dick Stuart Poor Man's Ted Williams". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 22, 1963.
- Grayson, Harry. "Dick Stuart Is Termed Biggest Thing In Boston Since Williams". The Ogdensburg Advance-News. March 31, 1963.
- United Press International. "Bitter Stuart Lashes Out at Houk". The Victoria Advocate. July 3, 1963.
- Green, Bob (AP). "Dick Stuart Equals Zeke Bonura's Mark". The Santa Cruz Sentinel. August 23, 1963.
- Creamer, Robert. "Old Stonefingers—best show around Boston in years". Sports Illustrated. September 2, 1963.
- United Press International. "'Big Stu' Has Record".The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 21, 1964.
- Associated Press. "Bosox Trade Stuart For Bennett In 1st Interloop Baseball Swap". The Schenectady Gazette. November 28, 1964.
- Down, Fred (UPI). "Phillies Expect Big Things Of Stuart".The Prescott Evening Courier. February 22, 1965.
- Bock, Hal. "Dick Stuart's Homers Give Phillies Win". The Gettysburg Times. March 19, 1965.
- Richman, Milton (UPI). "'Booed, Benched and Ridiculed: 'Dr. Strangeglove Is Immune".The Desert Sun. May 7, 1965.
- United Press International. "Dick Stuart Goes to Mets". The Desert Sun. February 23, 1966.
- Dolson, Frank. "Big Stu Now Warmed-Up Leftover". The Philadelphia Inquirer. June 18, 1966.
- Biederman, Les. "The Scoreboard: Dick Stuart 'Having a Ball' Playing Baseball in Japan". The Pittsburgh Press. June 14, 1967.
- Richman, Milton (UPI). "'Pretty Fair Year': Dick Stuart's Lot in Japan". The Madera Daily Tribune. August 24, 1967.
- "Weekend TV Key". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 26, 1967.
- Couch, Dick. "Stuart Hits Grand Slam But Angels Lose On Errors". The Owosso Argus-Press. April 2, 1969.
- Fuhrer, Phil. "Extra Innings: Stu Still Aflame". The San Bernardino Sun. August 12, 1970.
- Abrams, Al. "Sidelights On Sports: Stone Fingers Collector Now". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 21, 1976.
Books
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Dick Stuart |
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Dick Stuart at Historic Baseball
- Dick Stuart at SABR
- The Deadball Era
- Dick Stuart at Find a Grave