Yankee Pride: Remembering Mel Stottlemyre

Had he been born a decade earlier and pitched in his prime with the New York Yankee powerhouses of the 1950s and early 1960s, Mel Stottlemyre almost certainly would have accumulated Hall-of-Fame-worthy numbers by the end of his career. But it wasn't to be. As the Yankees' best starting pitcher in their late 1960s decline, Stottlemyre proved that his heart matched his talent. Unfortunately, the Yankees' support – and his numbers for that period – didn't match the effort and skills Stottlemyre consistently brought to the mound.

A member of the Yankees' organization for his entire career, Stottlemyre was signed as a free agent in 1961. In 1964, he won 13 games for the Yankees' AAA Richmond club before being called up to the big leagues and making his debut on August 12, 1964. Over the course of the next 6 weeks, Stottlemyre went 9-3 with a 2.06 ERA as the Yankees won 22 out of 28 games in September to overcome the Chicago White Sox and clinch the American League pennant on the next-to-last day of the season. Stottlemyre made three starts during the 1964 World Series. He split his first two decisions, and was chosen to start the decisive seventh game on only two days' rest. The Yankees lost that game 7-5, though Stottlemyre wasn't involved in the decision.

Stottlemyre wasn't an overpowering pitcher. He had excellent control and placement of his pitches. He threw "heavy" stuff that induced ground balls more than strikeouts. Each Stottlemyre start meant there was a good chance the Yankee bullpen would have the day off.

Stottlemyre was 20-9 in 1965 with a 2.93 ERA and led the American League in innings pitched with 291. In 1966, with a Yankees team that finished last in the American League, his record slipped to 12-20 though his ERA was still a repectable 3.80. It was the last time in the 1960s that Stottlemyre's ERA would exceed 3.00.

A 5-time All-Star, Stottlemyre pitched 250 or more innings in 9 consecutive seasons. He was a 20-game winner again in 1968 and 1969, leading the league in complete games with 24 in 1969. He remains the only Yankee pitcher since 1920 to have won 20 or more games 3 times for teams that failed to win the pennant.

In 11 seasons with the Yankees, Stottlemyre won 164 games and posted a career ERA of 2.97. A torn rotator cuff abruptly ended his career in 1974.