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Dick Stuart

January 06, 2023

This article is about the Major League baseball player. For the Virginia state senator, see Richard Stuart.

Richard Lee Stuart (November 7, 1932 – December 15, 2002), nicknamed "Dr. Strangeglove", was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman from 1958 to 1966 then, played in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league from 1967 to 1968 before returning to play one final season in MLB in 1969.

Dick Stuart
First baseman
Born: (1932-11-07)November 7, 1932
San Francisco, California, US
Died: December 15, 2002(2002-12-15) (aged 70)
Redwood City, California, US
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Professional debut
MLB: July 10, 1958, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
NPB: 1967, for the Taiyo Whales
Last appearance
NPB: 1968, for the Taiyo Whales
MLB: May 27, 1969, for the California Angels
MLB statistics
Batting average.264
Home runs228
Runs batted in743
Teams
Career highlights and awards

A two-time All-Star player, Stuart was notable for being an integral member of the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates team that upset the New York Yankees to win the 1960 World Series and, for being the 1963 American League RBI champion. Stuart threw and batted right-handed; during his playing days, he stood 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall, weighing 212 pounds (96 kg).

Early years

Stuart was born in San Francisco, California, but his family soon relocated to San Carlos[1] and he attended Sequoia High School in neighboring Redwood City. Stuart declined two scholarships to play college baseball when he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in June 1951 for a $10,000 bonus.[2] The outfielder soon emerged as one of the top sluggers in their farm system.[3] He batted .313, and clubbed a Pioneer League leading 31 home runs with the Billings Mustangs in 1952. He also led the league in runs batted in (121), runs (115) and total bases (292).

His minor league career was interrupted by a stint in the United States Army in 1953 and 1954. After initially sputtering upon his return to professional baseball in 1955, Stuart set a Western League record with 66 home runs in 1956 with the Lincoln Chiefs.[4] Equally stunning was his league leading 171 strikeouts.

His fielding also proved to be something of a liability.[5] The Pirates unsuccessfully tried him at third base with the Atlanta Crackers in 1957 before shifting him to first base in 1958.[6] Stuart clubbed 31 home runs in 80 games for the Salt Lake City Bees when he received his call to the majors in July.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Stuart made his major league debut with the Pirates on July 10, 1958, at the age of 25. With the Pirates trailing 8–5, Stuart hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning of his major league debut to bring his team within a run.[7] The following day, he hit a grand slam off Moe Drabowsky to lead his team to a 7–2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.[8] Over the remainder of the season, Stuart would bat .268 with 48 RBIs. Despite being called up halfway through the season, and being used in a lefty/righty platoon with Ted Kluszewski, Stuart's sixteen home runs was third best on the team. He also led the league in errors committed by a first baseman (16) for the first of seven consecutive years.

He was again in a platoon with Kluszewski in 1959, and was batting .294 with nineteen home runs and sixty RBIs when the Pirates dealt Kluszewski to the Chicago White Sox on August 25. As the Pirates' full time first baseman, Stuart improved to .307 with eight home runs and nineteen RBIs. His 27 home runs and 78 RBIs led the team, while his .297 batting average tied for the team lead with catcher Smoky Burgess. His .976 fielding percentage was the lowest for a National League first baseman since Fred Luderus' .975 in 1914.

Fueled by an MVP season from shortstop Dick Groat, and the emergence of young star Roberto Clemente, the 1960 Pirates sailed to the NL pennant by seven games over the Milwaukee Braves. In their 1960 World Series victory over the New York Yankees, Stuart was held to three singles in twenty at bats with no RBIs or runs scored.[9] Stuart was in the on deck circle as a pinch hitter when Bill Mazeroski hit the ninth-inning home run off Ralph Terry that won the World Series.[10]

His poor performance in the World Series preceded what would be his finest season in 1961. There were two All-Star games in 1961; Stuart was part of both NL squads. In the July 11 game at Candlestick Park, Stuart doubled in his only at bat.[11] in the July 31 contest at Fenway Park, Stuart grounded out in his only at bat.[12] His 35 home runs and 117 RBIs far and away led the Pirates, while he batted over .300 for the only time in his career (.301). He also led the NL with 121 strikeouts.

Following a slow start to his 1962 season, Stuart found himself losing playing time to rookie prospect Donn Clendenon. After the season, Stuart and pitcher Jack Lamabe were traded to the Boston Red Sox for Jim Pagliaroni and Don Schwall.[13]

Boston Red Sox

Stuart's physical resemblance to Red Sox legend Ted Williams immediately endeared him to fans.[14] Endearing him even more to Bosox fans was the fact that through the first 26 games of the 1963 season, Stuart had five home runs and seventeen RBIs without committing an error. That streak ended abruptly, when Stuart had errors in both games of a May 15 doubleheader with the Los Angeles Angels.[15][16] His .253 batting average, seventeen home runs and fifty RBIs at the All-Star break earned him a second-place finish to the Yankees' Joe Pepitone in fan balloting, but he was left off the team by American League manager Ralph Houk.[17] He was, however, named the first baseman on the Sporting News' AL All-Star Team.

He would earn a degree of revenge on Houk on August 15, when he hit his thirtieth home run of the season,[18] making him the first player to hit thirty home runs in a season in both the NL and the AL.[19] For the season, he would finish second to the Minnesota Twins' Harmon Killebrew in the AL home run race (45 to 42). While he would go on to lead the AL with 118 RBIs and 319 total bases, he would also lead major league first basemen with 29 errors, which remains both Stuart's career high and the Boston Red Sox single season record. By season's end, he had been dubbed "Stone Fingers" by none other than Hank Aaron.[20] Despite his well-documented defensive struggles, on June 28, Stuart became the first first-baseman in major league history to record three assists in one inning.[21]

The following season, Stuart would become far better known as "Dr. Strangeglove", a play on the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove. Despite his 24 errors at first, Stuart still mashed with the best of them. He hit 33 home runs and was second in the AL (to the Baltimore Orioles' Brooks Robinson) with 114 RBIs.

Philadelphia Phillies

In need of starting pitching, the Red Sox dealt Stuart to the Philadelphia Phillies at the start of the Winter meetings for left hander Dennis Bennett.[22] Following a 6-for-14 four game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, Stuart raised his batting average to .297. He followed that up with an 0-for-14 slump that saw his average drop to .216, and drew the ire of manager Gene Mauch.[23] Stuart batted .234 with 28 home runs and 95 RBIs his only season in Philadelphia.

On October 27, 1965 the Phillies acquired Gold Glove first baseman Bill White, Bob Uecker and Stuart's former Pirates teammate Dick Groat from the St. Louis Cardinals for Pat Corrales, Alex Johnson and Art Mahaffey. Four months later, Stuart was traded to the New York Mets for minor leaguers Wayne Graham, Bobby Klaus and Jimmie Schaffer.[24]

1966 season

The Mets moved 21 year old All-Star Ed Kranepool into a left field platoon with Ron Swoboda in order to make room for Stuart at first base. However, once Kranepool demonstrated that he was a terrible left fielder, and Stuart committed six errors by June 5, the idea was abandoned. The Mets released Stuart on June 15 with a .218 average, four home runs and thirteen RBIs. Shortly afterwards, he went from worst to first, signing as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Though his role with the Dodgers was far more limited than Stuart was used to in his major league career, he returned to the post season for only the second time in his career. He appeared as a pinch hitter in games one and four of the 1966 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles, flying out to deep right center in game one,[25] and striking out in game four.[26]

Taiyo Whales

Prior to his trade to the Mets, Stuart seriously considered playing in Japan.[27] With no Major League offers on the table for the 1967 season, he signed with Nippon Professional Baseball's Taiyo Whales. After an impressive first season with the Whales (.280 avg., 33 HR, 79 RBI), Stuart dipped to a .217 average, with sixteen home runs and forty RBIs his second season. He became known as "Moby Dick" while playing in Japan.[28]).

He returned to the major leagues with the California Angels in 1969, but after 22 games in which he batted .157 with just one home run, he was released on June 3. He finished out the season with the Pacific Coast League's Phoenix Giants before retiring at the age of 36.

Career statistics

Games PA AB Runs Hits 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO HBP Avg. Slg. Fld%
1112 4363 3997 506 1055 157 30 228 743 2 301 957 22 .264 .489 .982

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". Other, less well known but equally unflattering nicknames included "Iron Glove"[29] 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".[30]

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".[31]

Personal life

Stuart had a daughter, Debbie Lea, from his first marriage, and two sons, Richard Lee Jr. and Robert Lance from his second marriage to Lois. He was a member of the Screen Guild Extra Union, and appeared as an extra in the film D-Day the Sixth of June, and on the television shows Navy Log and Badge 714.[32] While with the Red Sox, Stuart began doing a sports TV show entitled Stuart on Sports Sunday nights after the news.[33] He also hosted like-named shows while with the Phillies and Mets.[34][35][27]

Stuart died of cancer on December 15, 2002 in Redwood City, California at the age of 70.[36]

See also

References

  1. ^ Sullivan, Prescott (April 5, 1957). "The Low Down: Weakness for Striking Out Is Mark of the Home Run Hitter". San Francisco Examiner.
  2. ^ Harris, Mark (September 2, 1957). "The Man Who Hits Too Many Home Runs". Life. pp. 85–86, 89–90, 92, 97.
  3. ^ Anderson, Roy (March 13, 1955). "Sports Slant". Billings Gazette.
  4. ^ Abrams, Al (March 7, 1957). "Sidelights on Sports". Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
  5. ^ Biederman, Les (March 11, 1957). "Walls, Stuart Exchange Condolences; Each Feels He Has What the Other Needs". The Pittsburgh Press.
  6. ^ O'Connor, Michael (June 24, 1958). "Richard Lee Stuart Likes To Hit Home Runs, Does So". The Desert Sun.
  7. ^ "Chicago Cubs 8, Pittsburgh Pirates 7". Baseball-Reference.com. July 10, 1958.
  8. ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates 7, Chicago Cubs 2". Baseball-Reference.com. July 11, 1958.
  9. ^ "1960 World Series". Baseball-Reference.com. October 5–13, 1960.
  10. ^ Associated Press. "Big Stu Breaks Promise But It's Maz' Fault". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 15, 1960. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  11. ^ "1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game". Baseball-Reference.com. July 11, 1961.
  12. ^ "1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game". Baseball-Reference.com. July 31, 1961.
  13. ^ Biederman, Les (January 22, 1963). "'Former Employee' Stuart Steals Show at Pirate Luncheon". Pittsburgh Press.
  14. ^ Daley, Arthur (January 22, 1963). "Dick Stuart Poor Man's Ted Williams". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. p. 18.
  15. ^ "Boston Red Sox 9, Los Angeles Angels 3". Baseball-Reference.com. May 15, 1963.
  16. ^ "Boston Red Sox 7, Los Angeles Angels 6". Baseball-Reference.com. May 15, 1963.
  17. ^ "Bitter Stuart Lashes Out at Houk". The Victoria Advocate. July 3, 1963. p. 9.
  18. ^ "New York Yankees Boston 10, Red Sox 2". Baseball-Reference.com. August 15, 1963.
  19. ^ "'Big Stu' Has Record". The Pittsburgh Press. June 21, 1964. p. 11.
  20. ^ Nunn, Bill (November 9, 1963). "Change of Pace". Pittsburgh Courier. p. 15.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ "Bosox Trade Stuart for Bennett In 1st Interloop Baseball Swap". The Daily Gazette. November 28, 1964. p. 23.
  23. ^ "Booed, Benched and Ridiculed Dr. Strangeglove' Is Immune". Desert Sun. May 7, 1965.
  24. ^ "Dick Stuart Goes to Mets". Desert Sun. February 23, 1966.
  25. ^ "1966 World Series, Game One". Baseball-Reference.com. October 5, 1966.
  26. ^ "1966 World Series, Game Four". Baseball-Reference.com. October 9, 1966.
  27. ^ a b Dolson, Frank (June 18, 1966). "Big Stu Now a Warmed-Up Leftover". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 23.
  28. ^ Carry, Peter. "Phoenixes of the World, Arise!". Sports Illustrated. August 18, 1969. pp. 46-49. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  29. ^ Shapiro, Milton J. (1966). Laughs from the Dugout. New York, NY: J. Messner. p. 121. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  30. ^ Jackson, Frank. "Dick Stuart: A DH before his time". The Hardball Times. August 28, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  31. ^ Brendan C. Boyd and Fred C. Harris, The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book, Little Brown & Co., 1973, p. 77.
  32. ^ "Stuart Actor". The Cincinnati Enquirer. April 16, 1957.
  33. ^ Creamer, Robert (September 2, 1963). "Old Stonefingers—Best Show Around Boston in Years". Sports Illustrated. pp. 42, 45.
  34. ^ Inquirer staff (March 18, 1965). "TV Roundup: Philadelphia". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 75. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  35. ^ Inquirer staff (June 13, 1965). "TV Programs and Personalities, Week of Sunday, June 13: Saturday, June 19". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 243. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  36. ^ . Time. December 30, 2002

Further reading

Articles

  • Ledger staff. "New Pro Ballplayer". Mexico Ledger. July 6, 1951.
  • Biederman, Les. "The Scoreboard". The Pittsburgh Press. March 4, 1957.
  • Hernon, Jack. "Stuart Slams Homer As Pirates Win, 7-4". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 11, 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
  • Russell, Fred. "Sidelines: Atlanta's Non-Shrinking Violet, Via Pittsburgh and Hollywood". Nashville Banner. May 27, 1957.
  • Johnson, Raymond. "One Man's Opinion: Atlanta's Long-Hitting Stuart Has Other Dramatic Talents". The Tennessean. May 29, 1957.
  • Abrams, Al. "Sidelights on Sports". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 14, 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.
  • Grayson, Harry. "Dick Stuart Is Termed Biggest Thing In Boston Since Williams". The Ogdensburg Advance-News. March 31, 1963.
  • Green, Bob (AP). "Dick Stuart Equals Zeke Bonura's Mark". The Santa Cruz Sentinel. August 23, 1963.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Feeney, Charley. "Roamin' Around: Tales of Big Stu". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. February 29, 1968.
  • United Press International. "Did Stuart Learn Humility in Japan?". The San Bernardino Sun. March 22, 1969.
  • Couch, Dick. "Stuart Hits Grand Slam But Angels Lose On Errors". The Owosso Argus-Press. April 2, 1969.
  • Rees, Ryan. "Stuart Prefers California to Japan". The San Bernardino Sun. May 3, 1969.
  • Carry, Peter. "Phoenixes of the World, Arise!". Sports Illustrated. August 18, 1969. pp. 46–49.
  • Fuhrer, Phil. "Extra Innings: Stu Still Aflame". The San Bernardino Sun. August 12, 1970.
  • Young, Dick. "Dick Stuart and the Almost Perfect Game". The San Bernardino Sun. August 8, 1974.
  • Abrams, Al. "Sidelights On Sports: Stone Fingers Collector Now". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 21, 1976.

Books

  • Jenkinson, Bill. Baseball's Ultimate Power: Ranking the All-Time Greatest Long-Distance Home Run Hitters. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press. pp. 80-83. ISBN 978-1-59921-544-0.

External links

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Dick Stuart.
  • Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
  • Dick Stuart at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
  • Dick Stuart at Baseball Almanac
  • Dick Stuart at Historic Baseball
  • at The Deadball Era

January 06, 2023
dick, stuart, this, article, about, major, league, baseball, player, virginia, state, senator, richard, stuart, richard, stuart, november, 1932, december, 2002, nicknamed, strangeglove, american, professional, baseball, player, played, major, league, baseball,. This article is about the Major League baseball player For the Virginia state senator see Richard Stuart Richard Lee Stuart November 7 1932 December 15 2002 nicknamed Dr Strangeglove was an American professional baseball player He played in Major League Baseball MLB as a first baseman from 1958 to 1966 then played in the Nippon Professional Baseball NPB league from 1967 to 1968 before returning to play one final season in MLB in 1969 Dick StuartFirst basemanBorn 1932 11 07 November 7 1932San Francisco California USDied December 15 2002 2002 12 15 aged 70 Redwood City California USBatted RightThrew RightProfessional debutMLB July 10 1958 for the Pittsburgh PiratesNPB 1967 for the Taiyo WhalesLast appearanceNPB 1968 for the Taiyo WhalesMLB May 27 1969 for the California AngelsMLB statisticsBatting average 264Home runs228Runs batted in743TeamsPittsburgh Pirates 1958 1962 Boston Red Sox 1963 1964 Philadelphia Phillies 1965 New York Mets 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers 1966 Taiyo Whales 1967 1968 California Angels 1969 Career highlights and awards2 All Star 1961 1961 World Series champion 1960 AL RBI leader 1963 A two time All Star player Stuart was notable for being an integral member of the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates team that upset the New York Yankees to win the 1960 World Series and for being the 1963 American League RBI champion Stuart threw and batted right handed during his playing days he stood 6 feet 4 inches 1 93 m tall weighing 212 pounds 96 kg Contents 1 Early years 2 Pittsburgh Pirates 3 Boston Red Sox 4 Philadelphia Phillies 5 1966 season 6 Taiyo Whales 7 Career statistics 8 Personal life 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 11 1 Articles 11 2 Books 12 External linksEarly years EditStuart was born in San Francisco California but his family soon relocated to San Carlos 1 and he attended Sequoia High School in neighboring Redwood City Stuart declined two scholarships to play college baseball when he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in June 1951 for a 10 000 bonus 2 The outfielder soon emerged as one of the top sluggers in their farm system 3 He batted 313 and clubbed a Pioneer League leading 31 home runs with the Billings Mustangs in 1952 He also led the league in runs batted in 121 runs 115 and total bases 292 His minor league career was interrupted by a stint in the United States Army in 1953 and 1954 After initially sputtering upon his return to professional baseball in 1955 Stuart set a Western League record with 66 home runs in 1956 with the Lincoln Chiefs 4 Equally stunning was his league leading 171 strikeouts His fielding also proved to be something of a liability 5 The Pirates unsuccessfully tried him at third base with the Atlanta Crackers in 1957 before shifting him to first base in 1958 6 Stuart clubbed 31 home runs in 80 games for the Salt Lake City Bees when he received his call to the majors in July Pittsburgh Pirates EditStuart made his major league debut with the Pirates on July 10 1958 at the age of 25 With the Pirates trailing 8 5 Stuart hit a two run home run in the ninth inning of his major league debut to bring his team within a run 7 The following day he hit a grand slam off Moe Drabowsky to lead his team to a 7 2 victory over the Chicago Cubs 8 Over the remainder of the season Stuart would bat 268 with 48 RBIs Despite being called up halfway through the season and being used in a lefty righty platoon with Ted Kluszewski Stuart s sixteen home runs was third best on the team He also led the league in errors committed by a first baseman 16 for the first of seven consecutive years He was again in a platoon with Kluszewski in 1959 and was batting 294 with nineteen home runs and sixty RBIs when the Pirates dealt Kluszewski to the Chicago White Sox on August 25 As the Pirates full time first baseman Stuart improved to 307 with eight home runs and nineteen RBIs His 27 home runs and 78 RBIs led the team while his 297 batting average tied for the team lead with catcher Smoky Burgess His 976 fielding percentage was the lowest for a National League first baseman since Fred Luderus 975 in 1914 Fueled by an MVP season from shortstop Dick Groat and the emergence of young star Roberto Clemente the 1960 Pirates sailed to the NL pennant by seven games over the Milwaukee Braves In their 1960 World Series victory over the New York Yankees Stuart was held to three singles in twenty at bats with no RBIs or runs scored 9 Stuart was in the on deck circle as a pinch hitter when Bill Mazeroski hit the ninth inning home run off Ralph Terry that won the World Series 10 His poor performance in the World Series preceded what would be his finest season in 1961 There were two All Star games in 1961 Stuart was part of both NL squads In the July 11 game at Candlestick Park Stuart doubled in his only at bat 11 in the July 31 contest at Fenway Park Stuart grounded out in his only at bat 12 His 35 home runs and 117 RBIs far and away led the Pirates while he batted over 300 for the only time in his career 301 He also led the NL with 121 strikeouts Following a slow start to his 1962 season Stuart found himself losing playing time to rookie prospect Donn Clendenon After the season Stuart and pitcher Jack Lamabe were traded to the Boston Red Sox for Jim Pagliaroni and Don Schwall 13 Boston Red Sox EditStuart s physical resemblance to Red Sox legend Ted Williams immediately endeared him to fans 14 Endearing him even more to Bosox fans was the fact that through the first 26 games of the 1963 season Stuart had five home runs and seventeen RBIs without committing an error That streak ended abruptly when Stuart had errors in both games of a May 15 doubleheader with the Los Angeles Angels 15 16 His 253 batting average seventeen home runs and fifty RBIs at the All Star break earned him a second place finish to the Yankees Joe Pepitone in fan balloting but he was left off the team by American League manager Ralph Houk 17 He was however named the first baseman on the Sporting News AL All Star Team He would earn a degree of revenge on Houk on August 15 when he hit his thirtieth home run of the season 18 making him the first player to hit thirty home runs in a season in both the NL and the AL 19 For the season he would finish second to the Minnesota Twins Harmon Killebrew in the AL home run race 45 to 42 While he would go on to lead the AL with 118 RBIs and 319 total bases he would also lead major league first basemen with 29 errors which remains both Stuart s career high and the Boston Red Sox single season record By season s end he had been dubbed Stone Fingers by none other than Hank Aaron 20 Despite his well documented defensive struggles on June 28 Stuart became the first first baseman in major league history to record three assists in one inning 21 The following season Stuart would become far better known as Dr Strangeglove a play on the 1964 film Dr Strangelove Despite his 24 errors at first Stuart still mashed with the best of them He hit 33 home runs and was second in the AL to the Baltimore Orioles Brooks Robinson with 114 RBIs Philadelphia Phillies EditIn need of starting pitching the Red Sox dealt Stuart to the Philadelphia Phillies at the start of the Winter meetings for left hander Dennis Bennett 22 Following a 6 for 14 four game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers Stuart raised his batting average to 297 He followed that up with an 0 for 14 slump that saw his average drop to 216 and drew the ire of manager Gene Mauch 23 Stuart batted 234 with 28 home runs and 95 RBIs his only season in Philadelphia On October 27 1965 the Phillies acquired Gold Glove first baseman Bill White Bob Uecker and Stuart s former Pirates teammate Dick Groat from the St Louis Cardinals for Pat Corrales Alex Johnson and Art Mahaffey Four months later Stuart was traded to the New York Mets for minor leaguers Wayne Graham Bobby Klaus and Jimmie Schaffer 24 1966 season EditThe Mets moved 21 year old All Star Ed Kranepool into a left field platoon with Ron Swoboda in order to make room for Stuart at first base However once Kranepool demonstrated that he was a terrible left fielder and Stuart committed six errors by June 5 the idea was abandoned The Mets released Stuart on June 15 with a 218 average four home runs and thirteen RBIs Shortly afterwards he went from worst to first signing as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers Though his role with the Dodgers was far more limited than Stuart was used to in his major league career he returned to the post season for only the second time in his career He appeared as a pinch hitter in games one and four of the 1966 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles flying out to deep right center in game one 25 and striking out in game four 26 Taiyo Whales EditPrior to his trade to the Mets Stuart seriously considered playing in Japan 27 With no Major League offers on the table for the 1967 season he signed with Nippon Professional Baseball s Taiyo Whales After an impressive first season with the Whales 280 avg 33 HR 79 RBI Stuart dipped to a 217 average with sixteen home runs and forty RBIs his second season He became known as Moby Dick while playing in Japan 28 He returned to the major leagues with the California Angels in 1969 but after 22 games in which he batted 157 with just one home run he was released on June 3 He finished out the season with the Pacific Coast League s Phoenix Giants before retiring at the age of 36 Career statistics EditGames PA AB Runs Hits 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO HBP Avg Slg Fld 1112 4363 3997 506 1055 157 30 228 743 2 301 957 22 264 489 982In 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 Other less well known but equally unflattering nicknames included Iron Glove 29 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 30 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 31 Personal life EditStuart had a daughter Debbie Lea from his first marriage and two sons Richard Lee Jr and Robert Lance from his second marriage to Lois He was a member of the Screen Guild Extra Union and appeared as an extra in the film D Day the Sixth of June and on the television shows Navy Log and Badge 714 32 While with the Red Sox Stuart began doing a sports TV show entitled Stuart on Sports Sunday nights after the news 33 He also hosted like named shows while with the Phillies and Mets 34 35 27 Stuart died of cancer on December 15 2002 in Redwood City California at the age of 70 36 See also EditList of Major League Baseball career home run leadersReferences Edit Sullivan Prescott April 5 1957 The Low Down Weakness for Striking Out Is Mark of the Home Run Hitter San Francisco Examiner Harris Mark September 2 1957 The Man Who Hits Too Many Home Runs Life pp 85 86 89 90 92 97 Anderson Roy March 13 1955 Sports Slant Billings Gazette Abrams Al March 7 1957 Sidelights on Sports Pittsburgh Post Gazette Biederman Les March 11 1957 Walls Stuart Exchange Condolences Each Feels He Has What the Other Needs The Pittsburgh Press O Connor Michael June 24 1958 Richard Lee Stuart Likes To Hit Home Runs Does So The Desert Sun Chicago Cubs 8 Pittsburgh Pirates 7 Baseball Reference com July 10 1958 Pittsburgh Pirates 7 Chicago Cubs 2 Baseball Reference com July 11 1958 1960 World Series Baseball Reference com October 5 13 1960 Associated Press Big Stu Breaks Promise But It s Maz Fault The Pittsburgh Post Gazette October 15 1960 Retrieved December 15 2017 1961 Major League Baseball All Star Game Baseball Reference com July 11 1961 1961 Major League Baseball All Star Game Baseball Reference com July 31 1961 Biederman Les January 22 1963 Former Employee Stuart Steals Show at Pirate Luncheon Pittsburgh Press Daley Arthur January 22 1963 Dick Stuart Poor Man s Ted Williams Pittsburgh Post Gazette p 18 Boston Red Sox 9 Los Angeles Angels 3 Baseball Reference com May 15 1963 Boston Red Sox 7 Los Angeles Angels 6 Baseball Reference com May 15 1963 Bitter Stuart Lashes Out at Houk The Victoria Advocate July 3 1963 p 9 New York Yankees Boston 10 Red Sox 2 Baseball Reference com August 15 1963 Big Stu Has Record The Pittsburgh Press June 21 1964 p 11 Nunn Bill November 9 1963 Change of Pace Pittsburgh Courier p 15 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 Bosox Trade Stuart for Bennett In 1st Interloop Baseball Swap The Daily Gazette November 28 1964 p 23 Booed Benched and Ridiculed Dr Strangeglove Is Immune Desert Sun May 7 1965 Dick Stuart Goes to Mets Desert Sun February 23 1966 1966 World Series Game One Baseball Reference com October 5 1966 1966 World Series Game Four Baseball Reference com October 9 1966 a b Dolson Frank June 18 1966 Big Stu Now a Warmed Up Leftover The Philadelphia Inquirer p 23 Carry Peter Phoenixes of the World Arise Sports Illustrated August 18 1969 pp 46 49 Retrieved October 3 2019 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 Brendan C Boyd and Fred C Harris The Great American Baseball Card Flipping Trading and Bubble Gum Book Little Brown amp Co 1973 p 77 Stuart Actor The Cincinnati Enquirer April 16 1957 Creamer Robert September 2 1963 Old Stonefingers Best Show Around Boston in Years Sports Illustrated pp 42 45 Inquirer staff March 18 1965 TV Roundup Philadelphia The Philadelphia Inquirer p 75 Retrieved August 5 2021 Inquirer staff June 13 1965 TV Programs and Personalities Week of Sunday June 13 Saturday June 19 The Philadelphia Inquirer p 243 Retrieved August 5 2021 Milestones Time December 30 2002Further reading EditArticles Edit Ledger staff New Pro Ballplayer Mexico Ledger July 6 1951 Biederman Les The Scoreboard The Pittsburgh Press March 4 1957 Hernon Jack Stuart Slams Homer As Pirates Win 7 4 The Pittsburgh Post Gazette March 11 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 Russell Fred Sidelines Atlanta s Non Shrinking Violet Via Pittsburgh and Hollywood Nashville Banner May 27 1957 Johnson Raymond One Man s Opinion Atlanta s Long Hitting Stuart Has Other Dramatic Talents The Tennessean May 29 1957 Abrams Al Sidelights on Sports The Pittsburgh Post Gazette July 14 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 Grayson Harry Dick Stuart Is Termed Biggest Thing In Boston Since Williams The Ogdensburg Advance News March 31 1963 Green Bob AP Dick Stuart Equals Zeke Bonura s Mark The Santa Cruz Sentinel August 23 1963 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 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 Feeney Charley Roamin Around Tales of Big Stu The Pittsburgh Post Gazette February 29 1968 United Press International Did Stuart Learn Humility in Japan The San Bernardino Sun March 22 1969 Couch Dick Stuart Hits Grand Slam But Angels Lose On Errors The Owosso Argus Press April 2 1969 Rees Ryan Stuart Prefers California to Japan The San Bernardino Sun May 3 1969 Carry Peter Phoenixes of the World Arise Sports Illustrated August 18 1969 pp 46 49 Fuhrer Phil Extra Innings Stu Still Aflame The San Bernardino Sun August 12 1970 Young Dick Dick Stuart and the Almost Perfect Game The San Bernardino Sun August 8 1974 Abrams Al Sidelights On Sports Stone Fingers Collector Now The Pittsburgh Post Gazette April 21 1976 Books Edit Jenkinson Bill Baseball s Ultimate Power Ranking the All Time Greatest Long Distance Home Run Hitters Guilford CT Lyons Press pp 80 83 ISBN 978 1 59921 544 0 External links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to Dick Stuart Career statistics and player information from MLB or ESPN or Baseball Reference or Fangraphs or Baseball Reference Minors or Retrosheet Dick Stuart at SABR Baseball BioProject Dick Stuart at Baseball Almanac Dick Stuart at Historic Baseball Dick Stuart at The Deadball Era Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dick Stuart amp oldid 1125387279, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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