The Great Bill Stafford
As a young baseball fan in the early 60′s Bill Stafford was one of my favorite Yankees. So growing up not far from where Stafford grew up he became somewhat of a local hero to young and old in the immediate area. Injuries shortened Billy’s career, and there is no doubt in my mind that his tenure in the big leagues would have been prolonged had there been the availabilty of modern medical technology in the early 1960′s. Bill Stafford is in Uncle Sals’ Hall of Fame, and we’re fortunate enough to have his best friend,cousin, and great friend to the BBT, one the the famous Brass Ones Noogerguy give us some first hand insight on the great number 22.
Bill Stafford was born in Catskill, NY and raised in Athens NY, two adjacent small towns in rural Greene County in Upstate New York, located on the Hudson River, approximately 125 miles north of New York City. Bill graduated from Coxsackie-Athens High School in 1957 and signed a pro contract with the New York Yankees the night of his high school graduation. Bill Stafford rapidly ascended through the Yankee Farm System and became a New York Yankee in the middle of August, 1960, shortly following his 22nd birthday.
Pitching for the Yankees’ Triple A Affiliate, the Richmond Virginians earlier that year, Stafford had a 2.00 ERA in 140 innings and won 11 games. While with the Yankees, starting in mid-August that year, Bill had a 3-1 record and an ERA of 2.25 in 60 innings pitched. He started 8 games, had 2 complete games; one of which was a shutout. Stafford pitched twice in the 1960 World Series against the Pirates and allowed one run in 6 innings. He did not have a decision.
In 1961, Bill Stafford missed the first several weeks of the baseball season because of a military commitment. Once he joined the Yankees, he had an outstanding season. Slotted as the Yankees’ #3 starter, behind Whitey Ford and Ralph Terry, Bill started 25 games and pitched a total of 195 innings. He won 14 games, lost 9, and finished second in the American League ERA standings with an ERA of 2.68. He had an outstanding WHIP of 1.164, as he allowed only 168 hits and 59 walks. Bill had 8 complete games that year; three of which were shutouts. He was the winning pitcher ( 6 innings, no runs) in the last game of the 1961 regular season when Roger Maris hit his 61st home run against Tracy Stallard. Bill started the third game of the 1961 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, where he pitched 6 and 2/3 innings and allowed 2 earned runs. He did not have a decsion in the game which the Yankees eventually won. The Yankees won that World Series in 5 games.
In 1962, Bill was once again the third starter in the Yankee rotation. He did not reach his 24th birthday until August 13th of that year and had arrived as a very valuable Yankee commodity. Bill pitched 213 innings that year, had another 14 win and 9 loss season, and his ERA was a respectable 3.68. Once again, Bill allowed less hits (188) than innings pitched. He started and won the third game of the World Series against the San Francisco Giants by a 3-2 score. Bill was coasting along with a 2 hit shutout into the 9th inning, only to surrender a 2 out, 2 run homer to Giants Catcher, Ed Bailey, after Willie Mays had doubled. Bill then retired Jim Davenport on a short fly to left for the final out and the complete game victory. The Yankees won the 1962 World Series in a thrilling 7th game 1-0 shutout by Ralph Terry. It was to be the last New York Yankee World Series victory until 1977.
Early in 1963, Bill injured his shoulder while pitching in a cold weather game. He was never the same as Bill struggled with a rotator cuff injury for the remainder of his professional career. He pitched with limited success for the next three seasons and was traded to Charlie Finley’s Kansas City Athletics in 1966. His career ended in Kansas City in 1967. Stafford attempted a comeback with the newly formed expansion team, the Seattle Pilots, in 1969, but was released in spring training. Jim Bouton was also a member of the 1969 Seattle Pilots, where he began writing his famous tell-all baseball book, Ball Four. Bouton continued writing this book when he was traded to Houston in mid season. Bouton had reinvented himself as a knuckleball pitcher, and had limited success. Stafford is mentioned several times in Bouton’s book.
Once he retired from baseball, Bill spent considerable time in Athens NY. A pitching mound and backstop that his father, Bill Sr, had erected in their backyard when Billy was growing up, was always a gathering place where Billy was usually found pitching, playing pepper and generally spending quality times with friends and family. Bill Stafford was an outstanding athlete and excelled at all sports, including, basketball, golf, and bowling. More significantly, Bill Stafford was a fine human being. He was both as friend and a hero to many, along with being a wonderful husband and father. Bill never forgot his “roots” and always kept his fame and success in the proper perspective.
He will always be a legend in this small, upstate New York town, where he never forgot a name, face or a friend.
Bill Stafford died much too early from a heart attack at the age of 63 in the state of Michigan where he had relocated after remarrying.
Noogs, That is a great story.Its a shame that he probably didnt fully reach his potential.He had some very good years and I am sure loved to talk about playing in multiple WS.
Are the photos your personals or did you and Uncle Sal grab them from other places?I know I have a great trivia question answer now and that is the winning pitcher when Maris hit 61.
jrzinbatonrouge
February 28, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Sally, I am sitting here thinking about what I have seen this spring and I have to say, I think that Girardi and the powers that be are giving Melancon every chance to make this team.
jrzinbatonrouge
February 28, 2009 at 1:24 pm
jrz–thanks, my friend. These are personal photos–hanging right in the hallway in my house. Rotator cuff issues back then were a death sentence, unless you could reinvent yourself–like Bouton. Billy’s innings pitched–when he was in his early 20′s demonstrates why young guys are on such a strict pitch count now. 1960, 61, 62—including post season–he pitched in excess of 200 innings each year. He became a Yankee in August 1960 and had barely reached his 22nd birthday. In spite of abuse I take about Billy–and you’ve read it, he was my hero, a great person, and treated me like gold, even though I was just a little kid. I will never forget him.
noogerguy
February 28, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Uncle Sal–thanks for letting me post this here. It means a lot to me. Billy was on 5 consecutive Yankee World Series Teams. He did not pitch in either the ’63 or ’64 Series, but was there on the 25 man roster. I’ve seen the bats, the hats and the rings that go with that World Series appearances.—it’s something you never forget
noogerguy
February 28, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Noogs great job bro.
J thanks for the insight on th trivia. I found the boxscore for that game and posted it in Noogs’s story.
Billy won that game, and another Sal Hall of fame player got the save little Louie Arroyo
J from afar I know your right about Melancon getting a big shot here. He gets a big vote from me to make it, just on feed back from you and Mac.
unkulsal
February 28, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Hey Noogs, great story. Must have been something growing up with all that history. Thanks for sharing that.
Hey J, Melancon is being groomed, IMO.
libertyboynyc
February 28, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Anytime Noogs your always welcome to post anything you want, this is as much your place as it is mine/BBT’s. your on the list of really insightful authors we’ve had the pleasure of coming in contact with, be it writing stories, posting videos or doing the Photoshop cartoon work. The more men on the boat the better I like it. keep em coming.
unkulsal
February 28, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Any word on who is getting the ball to start today?
jrzinbatonrouge
February 28, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Those are some great photos Noogs.I have to say I am jealous that you got to be around something so exciting.I cant even imagine what it must have been like to throw a ball around w/ a ML ball player and be able to ask him about other players on the team let alone meeting them.
jrzinbatonrouge
February 28, 2009 at 3:18 pm
jrz—I was merely lucky to be there. It wasn’t anything that I did myself. Bill’s Dad and my Dad were best friends. We lived right across the street from Bill’s house. When I got older and Billy taught me how to golf, I got to know who he was a person much better. He was funny and, you’re right. I heard a lot of stories. About Billy’s golf–one day I saw him shoot 7 under par on the back nine of a golf course in Kingston. He was just a natural athlete and a great teacher. I fully realize how fortunate I was.
noogerguy
February 28, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Right on Nooger.Its great that you keep his memory alive.I remember one night last year on TDN when you were talking about him and taking some heat.Dont matter you know who he was and how he treated you and that is all that matters.
I wish I could have gotten a few golf tips, I could use em.
jrzinbatonrouge
February 28, 2009 at 3:48 pm
J reporters are to busy telling everybody about Arod so the probable pitchers are no where to be found. Also keep an eye out for Santana updates today I just posted what I heard on the radio. i have to split maybe the interview with ed coleman will be up before I leave
unkulsal
February 28, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Found it on Yankees.com, gonna get a couple innings of Joba 1st today.
jrzinbatonrouge
February 28, 2009 at 3:58 pm
thanks J, good eye, enjoy the game today I’ll se you guys later
unkulsal
February 28, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Noogs, great job. Brings back some fond memories.
The first baseball game I ever saw was at the stadium back in ’64. I was living in Queens, and the super of our apartment building picked me up after school on his Harley ( he was a traffic cop ). Having my schoolmates watch me climb on that bad boy, I was hot shit.
Sign of the times, I sat in front of him and could barely reach the handlebars, sans helmet. We motored over to the stadium. Think a 6 yr. old kid on the front of a Harley tooling down the highway might get a look today ?
Yanks won, I had a hot dog and a couple sips of beer, and got home before my Mom. Been hooked ever since ( on baseball, hot dogs, and beer ).
Anyway, thanks for the trip down memory lane. Stafford sounded like quite the gentleman.
spiritofstlouis
February 28, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Nooger,great story.I always wondered what happened to him after 1962.On the mlb network,they showed the world series highlights from 60 &61,Bill did well both
series.Don’t let the idiots on the dn get you down,you do a great job getting under their skin!!
dallasbomber7
February 28, 2009 at 9:46 pm
spirit and dallas —-thanks—as fans, I know you realize how special of a time it was for me. spirit–your story about the cop and the motorcycle is a great example how a kid can be affected forever by the kindness of an adult.
noogerguy
February 28, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Sal, I got a couple videos uploading.Bernie throwing out the 1st pitch from Thursday and Joba in the pen before yesterdays game.Nothing real special but its new.
jrzinbatonrouge
March 1, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Ok J- I’ll run them up there thanks for the update. I saw some of the game from where I was yesterday but just bits and pieces. I’m in and out again today, but I’ll get them
unkulsal
March 1, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Did you get to see any of Joba on TV yesterday?
jrzinbatonrouge
March 1, 2009 at 3:11 pm
J- I have the first one up, no I didn’t see him I didn’t get to a monitor until it was 2 to 2 I’m not even sure what inning, any insight?
unkulsal
March 1, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Not really.I know he went deep in some counts and gave up a couple of hard hit balls.I didnt have a real good spot for monitoring pitch location so I was wondering if he was nibbling or just missing bad.
jrzinbatonrouge
March 1, 2009 at 3:23 pm
thanks J- I got what we needed and posted it
unkulsal
March 1, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Great story and pictures. Bill’s birthday was August 13 and he was called up on that date on just before. While I was only a kid at the time I knew him and his family very well. I was lucky enough to be at Rogers 61 home run as well as many other games.
When Bill was finished pitching he would (if the game was not over) join us in our seats (section 3 was family). For a kid that was always a thrill.
I got to meet a few of the Yanks but that was always without asking. As a kid I guess I thought Bill would always be a yankee and that I would get to meet them all eventually. I did get hand me down cloths mostly golf sweaters that Bill had borrowed. Several were from Mick. I loved wearing them to school!
I have lots of great memories of Bill. He was a great guy.
Fred
June 26, 2009 at 2:53 pm