Dick Stuart

From SoSH

Richard Lee "Dick" Stuart (November 7, 1932 - December 15, 2002) was an all-bat, no-glove first baseman. He spent two season with the Boston Red Sox in 1963 and 1964, hitting .270 with 75 homers, 52 doubles and 232 RBI.

Contents 1 Overall Career 2 Moments in the Sun 3 Awards 4 Achievements 5 Trivia 6 Quotes 7 Transactions 8 External Links

Overall Career

Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1951, Dick Stuart will best be remembered as one of the worst fielders in the history of baseball. So bad, in fact, that folks called him Dr. Strangeglove, and The Ancient Mariner ("he stoppeth one in three").

Dick made a splash with the Red Sox in 1963, his first year in Boston, winning Comeback Player of the Year, hitting 42 home runs and knocking in a league-high 118 runs. He also set a record by committing 29 errors, a major league record for first baseman that still stands today.

Following another good offensive season with Boston in 1964, the Red Sox traded Stuart to the Phillies for Dennis Bennett. After splitting 1966 between the Mets and Dodgers, hitting a combined .242/.325/.365 with 7 home runs and 22 RBI in 69 games, Stuart headed for Japan. In 1967, he hit .280/.342/.551 with 33 homers and 100 RBI for the Taiyo Whales but slipped badly in 1968 to .217/.276/.443. When he signed with the California Angels in 1969, he became the first player to return to the American major leagues after playing in Japan.

Moments in the Sun

• June 30 1960: Hits three HRs in consecutive at bats, driving in seven runs against the Giants.
• June 23, 1963: A ML fielding record is set by Boston's 1B Dick Stuart as "Dr. Strange Glove" handles three first-inning grounders and tosses to P Bob Heffner for putouts. Stuart's teammates and Fenway fans give him a standing ovation.
• April 28, 1964: At Fenway‚ the Orioles score 2 runs in the top of the 11th to take a 4-2 lead. Boston comes back in the bottom of the 11th to load the bases for Stuart‚ who promptly ends the game with a grand slam.
• July 23, 1965: Dick Stuart homers in a then-ML record 23rd different park when he connects at Shea Stadium in Philadelphia's 5–1 win.
• Stuart hit 66 home runs for the Lincoln Chiefs in the Western League in 1956.

Awards

• 1961 National League All-Star.
• 1963 Comeback Player of the Year.

Achievements

• 1963 American League Total Bases Leader (319).
• 1963 American League RBI Leader (118).
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 6 (1959-1961 & 1963-1965)
• 30-Home Run Seasons: 3 (1961, 1963 & 1964)
• 40-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1963)
• 100 RBI Seasons: 3 (1961, 1963 & 1964)

Trivia

• Once had a license plate that read "E3".
• Led the league lead in errors at first base from 1958 to 1962.
• Stuart was in the on-deck circle when Bill Mazeroski hit his dramatic 1960 World Series home run.

Quotes

Dick Stuart

"I know I'm the world's worst fielder, but who gets paid for fielding? There isn't a great fielder in baseball getting the kind of dough I get paid for hitting."

Dick Stuart

"I want to walk down the street and hear them say, 'Jesus, there goes Dick Stuart.'"

Transactions

• Before 1951 Season: Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent.
• November 20, 1962: Traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates with Jack Lamabe to the Boston Red Sox for Jim Pagliaroni and Don Schwall.
• November 29, 1964: Traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Philadelphia Phillies for Dennis Bennett.
• February 22, 1966: Traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Mets for Jimmie Schaffer, Bobby Klaus, and Wayne Graham.
• June 20, 1966: Released by the New York Mets.
• July 5, 1966: Signed as a Free Agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• November 21, 1966: Released by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• April 7, 1969: Signed as a Free Agent with the California Angels.
• June 3, 1969: Released by the California Angels.

External Links

• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis