Bob Miller (1957-1974 pitcher)
Encyclopedia
Robert Lane "Bob" Miller (February 18, 1939 – August 6, 1993) was a pitcher
in Major League Baseball
. Miller was never a star pitcher, but his ability to fill in as a starting pitcher
or relief pitcher
, as needed, allowed him to have a career that spanned 18 years in Major League Baseball
. In his diverse journey through organized baseball, he played for three World Series
champions—the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers
, 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers
and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates
—five league champions and four division winners, as well as for four teams that lost 100 or more games in a season.
Miller played for ten different teams during his major league career, tying a modern-day record (since 1900) with Dick Littlefield
that has since been broken. He played with three different teams in each of three different seasons: the Cleveland Indians
, Chicago White Sox
and Chicago Cubs
in 1970; the Cubs, San Diego Padres
and Pittsburgh Pirates
in 1971; and the Padres, Detroit Tigers
and New York Mets
in 1973. His 12 consecutive losses at the start of the season with the Mets tied a record since broken by Anthony Young.
Steve Treder of Hardball Times described Miller as a "whatever-is-needed utility pitcher". Former teammate Roy Hartsfield
, who managed the Toronto Blue Jays
when Miller was the team's pitching coach, called him "The Christian", a nickname he earned "because he suffers so much", noting that Miller was a part-time reliever with a sore arm, but that "when we came up with some other sore arms on the staff he would come in and suffer a few innings."
as Robert Lane Gemeinweiser and later changed his last name to "Miller"; the circumstances of the name change are unknown. He attended Beaumont High School in St. Louis, where he had a 22–1 record pitching for the school's baseball team, including a perfect 12–0 record in his senior year. In the 1956 American Legion Baseball
championships, Miller won all three games for the St. Louis Stockhams to lead the team to the national title.
" amateur free agent with the hometown St. Louis Cardinals
on June 20, 1957, receiving a signing bonus estimated at $20,000. As required by the Bonus Rule as it existed when he was signed, the Cardinals had to immediately place Miller on their 40-man roster and keep him there for two years. Miller made his major league debut on June 26, less than a week after being signed to the team, pitching the final inning of an 11–3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies
, with Miller giving up three hits, three walks and three runs. Miller pitched in four more games in the season, seeing a total of nine innings of work, all in relief, ending with an earned run average
(ERA) of 7.00.
With changes made to the Bonus Rule after the 1957 season, the Cardinals sent Miller down to the minor leagues
. He began the season at the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
, but was sent down to the Double-A Houston Buffaloes
, finishing the season there with an 8–11 record and an ERA of 3.54. He started the season in Rochester, pitching to an 8–12 record and a 3.50 ERA. He was promoted back to the Cardinals and appeared in 11 games, all but one as a starter, finishing with a 4–3 record and an ERA of 3.31 and threw three complete game
s.
In 15 games for the Cardinals in (starting seven), Miller ended the season with the same 4–3 record as the previous year, this time with an ERA of 3.42. He spent a brief injury-related stint with the Double-A Memphis Chicks
of the Southern Association
, where he had a 1–0 record and a 2.45 ERA in three games. Once being called back to the Cardinals, he was in the majors for the rest of his career.
He spent most of the season as a relief pitcher
for the Cardinals, appearing in 34 games, all but five in relief, and ending the year with a 1–3 record and three saves, with a 4.24 ERA. Miller earned the first save of his career on September 20, 1961, pitching the final 2⅔-innings of an 11–2 win by the Cardinals against the Los Angeles Dodgers
at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
, called into the game with one out and bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning and getting Frank Howard to ground into a double play
to end the inning and then pitching two perfect innings to earn the save.
held on October 10, 1961, the New York Mets
picked Miller as one of three players they selected from the Cardinals, joining catcher Chris Cannizzaro
and outfielder Jim Hickman. Miller was one of four players selected by the team from a premium pool of players at the top $125,000 draft price. One of two pitchers on the team's inaugural squad sharing the name Bob Miller, Mets manager Casey Stengel
would call this Bob Miller by the name "Nelson", either out of confusion or in order to distinguish him from Bob G. Miller.
Miller was the starting pitcher on the losing end of a no-hitter
pitched by Sandy Koufax
of the Dodgers on June 30, 1962, a 5–0 Mets loss. Miller took the loss, his sixth of the season, after giving up four runs (all earned) on five hits and a walk in only two-thirds of an inning. In losing his first 12 decisions
with the Mets, Miller tied a then-Major League record for losses by a pitcher at the start of the season. He ended the season with a 1–12 record in 33 games (21 as a starter), and a 4.89 ERA. Miller's only win that season came in a 2–1 victory over the Chicago Cubs
at Wrigley Field
on September 29 in the team's second from last game of the season, with Miller pitching his only complete game of the season, scattering seven hits and a walk, the only run scoring on a home run by Cubs first baseman
Ernie Banks
. His 12 wild pitch
es that season ranked him fifth in the National League
, one ahead of Bob Gibson
.
on November 30, 1962, in exchange for Tim Harkness
and Larry Burright
.
On May 8, 1963, Stan Musial
of the Cardinals hit a home run off of Miller in the fourth inning, giving Musial the 1,357th extra base hit
of his career, breaking the major league record that had been held by Babe Ruth
. In a game against the Milwaukee Braves on August 13, Warren Spahn
struck out Miller for the 2,832nd strikeout of Spahn's career, setting a record for strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher that had been held by Rube Waddell
since . Miller finished the season with a 10–8 record and two saves in 42 appearances, an ERA of 2.89 and 125 strikeout
s, the most wins in a season in his major league career and the only time he exceeded 100 strikeouts. His 23 games as starter represented the majority of his appearances and was his only season with the Dodgers in which he was primarily a starter; Miller was used primarily as a reliever and had only seven starts in his remaining four seasons with the team. Miller did not play in the Dodgers four-game sweep of the New York Yankees
in the 1963 World Series
.
He had a 7–7 record and nine saves in 74 appearances (all but two in relief) and a 2.62 ERA in . His 74 appearances in 1964 were the most of any pitcher in the National League that season.
He had a 6–7 record and nine saves in 61 appearances and a 2.97 ERA in . His first postseason appearance came in relief in two games as part of the Dodgers' 1965 World Series
victory in seven games over the Minnesota Twins
. Miller pitched in the ninth inning of the second and sixth games of the series, both of which were 5–1 losses to the Twins.
Miller had a 4–2 record and five saves in 45 relief appearances and a 2.77 ERA in . In the 1966 World Series
, in which the Baltimore Orioles
swept the Dodgers in four games, Miller appeared in the fifth inning of the first game and pitched three innings in relief after starter Don Drysdale
gave up four runs in the game's first two innings.
In the season, Miller had a 2–9 record with no saves in 52 appearances, with his ERA climbing to 4.31.
Miller gave up no runs in any of his World Series appearances with the Dodgers.
and Johnny Roseboro
, in exchange for Mudcat Grant
and Zoilo Versalles
, in a trade made at baseball's winter meeting held in Mexico City
. Miller had an 0–3 record and two saves in 45 appearances (all in relief) and an ERA of 2.74 in the season.
In , Miller ended with a 5–5 record and three saves in 48 appearances (including 11 starts) with a 3.02 ERA. The Twins faced the Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 American League Championship Series
, the first year of intraleague playoffs with the split of each league into Eastern and Western divisions. In the best three-out-of-five format, the Twins lost the first two games and called on Miller to start game three. Miller faced off against Jim Palmer
, but lasted only 1⅔ innings, giving up five hits and three runs (only one of them earned) before being removed by manager Billy Martin
.
travels started when he was traded by the Twins to the Cleveland Indians
on December 10, 1969, together with Dean Chance
, Graig Nettles
and Ted Uhlaender
, in exchange for Luis Tiant
and Stan Williams
. He appeared in 15 games for the Indians at the start of the , all but two in relief, ending with a 2–2 record and one save and an ERA of 4.18.
He was traded by the Indians to the Chicago White Sox
on June 15, 1970 together with Barry Moore with the Indians receiving Buddy Bradford
and Tommie Sisk
. He pitched in 15 games for the Indians, all but three as a starter, and ended his time there with a 4–6 record and a 5.01 ERA.
On September 1, 1970, he was purchased by the crosstown Chicago Cubs
from the White Sox for an amount described by The Washington Post
as being well above the $20,000 waivers price. In his second game with the Cubs, Miller earned a save against the Mets, facing the final five batters in a 7–4 Cubs victory. Miller appeared in seven games for the Cubs, ending with no decisions and two saves in nine innings of work, and the Cubs fell short in their bid for a playoff spot.
He was signed as a free agent
the next day by the San Diego Padres
. In 38 games with the Padres, all in relief, Miller had a 7–3 record and seven saves and an ERA of 1.41.
The Padres were in last place in the National League West with a 42-76 record, 26½ games out of first place, and traded Miller to the National League East division-leading Pittsburgh Pirates
on August 10, 1971 for Johnny Jeter
and Ed Acosta
. Miller continued his success in the bullpen, ending the season with the Pirates with a 1–2 record and three saves in 16 appearances, all in relief, finishing with a 1.29 ERA. Miller pitched the second game of the 1971 National League Championship Series
, entering in the sixth inning and giving up three hits, three walks and two runs in three innings of work in a game in which the Pirates held on to defeat the San Francisco Giants
by a final score of 9-4. He pitched in relief in three games in the 1971 World Series
against the Baltimore Orioles
that the Pirates won in seven games, appearing in relief in all three Pirate losses (in the first, second and sixth games of the series), taking the loss in Game 6 when he gave up a sacrifice fly
to Brooks Robinson
that brought in the winning run.
, appearing in the ninth inning of a 7–1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds
, retiring all three batters he faced in a series that the Pirates lost in five games.
on April 2, 1973. In his brief second stint with the Padres, he appeared in 18 games, all in relief, had no decisions and a 4.11 ERA.
He was selected off waivers by the Detroit Tigers
from the Padres on June 22, 1973. With the Tigers, he had a 4–2 record and one save in 22 games (all in relief) and a 3.43 ERA.
He was purchased by the New York Mets
from the Tigers on September 23, 1973, appearing in one game for the Mets in their push for the playoffs. The Mets made it to the 1973 World Series
, losing to the Oakland Athletics
in seven games, but Miller was not placed on the postseason roster, as he had joined the team too late in the season.
.
He was released by the Mets on October 1, 1974.
, the double-A Texas League
affiliate of the San Diego Padres
. He led the team to a first place finish with an 81–54 record, and won the league championship over the Shreveport Captains, a Pittsburgh Pirates
affiliate, winning the best-of-five series in five games.
With another round of expansion in the major leagues in 1977, Miller was named as the pitching coach for the Toronto Blue Jays
, where his pitching staff included a large number of rookies, and veteran players including former star Bill Singer
, a two-time 20-game winner, and journeyman Chuck Hartenstein
. Miller spent three seasons with Toronto, helping to develop future stars Dave Stieb
and Pete Vuckovich
. Five pitchers he coached while with the Blue Jays would later become major league pitching coaches, including Joe Coleman, Hartenstein, Dyar Miller
, Dave Wallace
and Mark Wiley
.
He was the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants
in , but after the team ended the season with 99 losses, the team fired the entire coaching staff, offering Miller a position as pitching coach with the team's top minor league affiliates. Miller spent time as a scout
, evaluating prospective pitchers for the Giants.
Miller, then an advance scout for the Giants, died of injuries sustained in a collision with another car in Rancho Bernardo, California. He was driving with his mother, who was left in serious condition from the accident.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Miller was never a star pitcher, but his ability to fill in as a starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
or relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
, as needed, allowed him to have a career that spanned 18 years in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. In his diverse journey through organized baseball, he played for three World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
champions—the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers
1963 World Series
The 1963 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Dodgers sweeping the Series in four games to capture their second title in five years, and their third in franchise history....
, 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers
1965 World Series
The 1965 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the American League champion Minnesota Twins, who had won their first pennant since 1933 when the team was known as the Washington Senators...
and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
—five league champions and four division winners, as well as for four teams that lost 100 or more games in a season.
Miller played for ten different teams during his major league career, tying a modern-day record (since 1900) with Dick Littlefield
Dick Littlefield
Richard Bernard "Dick" Littlefield was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for nine teams between 1950 and 1958.Born in Detroit, Michigan, he died there at age 71....
that has since been broken. He played with three different teams in each of three different seasons: the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in 1970; the Cubs, San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in 1971; and the Padres, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in 1973. His 12 consecutive losses at the start of the season with the Mets tied a record since broken by Anthony Young.
Steve Treder of Hardball Times described Miller as a "whatever-is-needed utility pitcher". Former teammate Roy Hartsfield
Roy Hartsfield
Roy Thomas Hartsfield was a second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball; his MLB playing and managing careers each lasted three years. Hartsfield played his entire major-league career with the Boston Braves from 1950 to 1952. He was then traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers for outfielder Andy...
, who managed the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
when Miller was the team's pitching coach, called him "The Christian", a nickname he earned "because he suffers so much", noting that Miller was a part-time reliever with a sore arm, but that "when we came up with some other sore arms on the staff he would come in and suffer a few innings."
Before professional baseball
Miller was born in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
as Robert Lane Gemeinweiser and later changed his last name to "Miller"; the circumstances of the name change are unknown. He attended Beaumont High School in St. Louis, where he had a 22–1 record pitching for the school's baseball team, including a perfect 12–0 record in his senior year. In the 1956 American Legion Baseball
American Legion Baseball
American Legion Baseball is a variety of amateur baseball played by teenage boys in 50 states in the USA. More than five thousand teams participate each year. The American Legion Department of South Dakota established the program in 1925 at Milbank, South Dakota...
championships, Miller won all three games for the St. Louis Stockhams to lead the team to the national title.
St. Louis Cardinals (1957–61)
After graduating from high school as an 18-year-old, Miller was pursued by 15 major league teams and chose to sign as a "bonus babyBonus Rule
The Bonus Rule was a rule instituted by Major League Baseball in 1947 that prevented teams from assigning certain players to farm clubs. The rule stipulated that when a Major league team signed a player to a contract in excess of $4,000 , the Major League team was required to keep that player on...
" amateur free agent with the hometown St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
on June 20, 1957, receiving a signing bonus estimated at $20,000. As required by the Bonus Rule as it existed when he was signed, the Cardinals had to immediately place Miller on their 40-man roster and keep him there for two years. Miller made his major league debut on June 26, less than a week after being signed to the team, pitching the final inning of an 11–3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, with Miller giving up three hits, three walks and three runs. Miller pitched in four more games in the season, seeing a total of nine innings of work, all in relief, ending with an earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA) of 7.00.
With changes made to the Bonus Rule after the 1957 season, the Cardinals sent Miller down to the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. He began the season at the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
, but was sent down to the Double-A Houston Buffaloes
Houston Buffaloes
The Houston Buffaloes or Buffs were an American minor league baseball team that was founded in 1888, played in the Texas League in the years 1888-90, 1892, 1895-99, and 1907-1958 ; in the South Texas League in the years 1903-06; and in the American Association from 1959-61...
, finishing the season there with an 8–11 record and an ERA of 3.54. He started the season in Rochester, pitching to an 8–12 record and a 3.50 ERA. He was promoted back to the Cardinals and appeared in 11 games, all but one as a starter, finishing with a 4–3 record and an ERA of 3.31 and threw three complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s.
In 15 games for the Cardinals in (starting seven), Miller ended the season with the same 4–3 record as the previous year, this time with an ERA of 3.42. He spent a brief injury-related stint with the Double-A Memphis Chicks
Memphis Chicks
The Memphis Chicks were an American minor league baseball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Chicks were charter members of the Southern Association from 1901 until November 18, 1960, when the club folded and was transferred to Macon, Georgia for 1961.The Chicks suffered a...
of the Southern Association
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
, where he had a 1–0 record and a 2.45 ERA in three games. Once being called back to the Cardinals, he was in the majors for the rest of his career.
He spent most of the season as a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
for the Cardinals, appearing in 34 games, all but five in relief, and ending the year with a 1–3 record and three saves, with a 4.24 ERA. Miller earned the first save of his career on September 20, 1961, pitching the final 2⅔-innings of an 11–2 win by the Cardinals against the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, called into the game with one out and bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning and getting Frank Howard to ground into a double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
to end the inning and then pitching two perfect innings to earn the save.
New York Mets (1962)
In the 1961 MLB Expansion Draft1961 MLB Expansion Draft
The 1961 MLB Expansion Draft was held by Major League Baseball on October 10, 1961 to fill the rosters of the New York Mets and the Houston Colt .45s. The Mets and the Colts were the new franchises which would enter the league in the 1962 season...
held on October 10, 1961, the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
picked Miller as one of three players they selected from the Cardinals, joining catcher Chris Cannizzaro
Chris Cannizzaro
Christopher John "Chris" Cannizzaro was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Mets , Pittsburgh Pirates , San Diego Padres , Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers...
and outfielder Jim Hickman. Miller was one of four players selected by the team from a premium pool of players at the top $125,000 draft price. One of two pitchers on the team's inaugural squad sharing the name Bob Miller, Mets manager Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
would call this Bob Miller by the name "Nelson", either out of confusion or in order to distinguish him from Bob G. Miller.
Miller was the starting pitcher on the losing end of a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
pitched by Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
of the Dodgers on June 30, 1962, a 5–0 Mets loss. Miller took the loss, his sixth of the season, after giving up four runs (all earned) on five hits and a walk in only two-thirds of an inning. In losing his first 12 decisions
Decision (baseball)
A decision is a statistical credit given to a baseball pitcher.There are two types of decisions: win and loss.In order to receive a win, the starting pitcher must complete at least five innings and leave with the lead. If the pitcher's lead is preserved by the bullpen, he is credited with a win...
with the Mets, Miller tied a then-Major League record for losses by a pitcher at the start of the season. He ended the season with a 1–12 record in 33 games (21 as a starter), and a 4.89 ERA. Miller's only win that season came in a 2–1 victory over the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
on September 29 in the team's second from last game of the season, with Miller pitching his only complete game of the season, scattering seven hits and a walk, the only run scoring on a home run by Cubs first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Ernie Banks
Ernie Banks
Ernest "Ernie" Banks , nicknamed "Mr. Cub", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and first baseman. He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the Chicago Cubs . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.-High school years:Banks was a letterman and standout in football,...
. His 12 wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
es that season ranked him fifth in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, one ahead of Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
.
Los Angeles Dodgers (1963–67)
The Mets traded Miller to the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
on November 30, 1962, in exchange for Tim Harkness
Tim Harkness
Thomas William Harkness is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1961 to 1964 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets....
and Larry Burright
Larry Burright
Larry Allen Burright is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. He played from 1962-1964 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.-Career:...
.
On May 8, 1963, Stan Musial
Stan Musial
Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
of the Cardinals hit a home run off of Miller in the fourth inning, giving Musial the 1,357th extra base hit
Extra base hit
In baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
of his career, breaking the major league record that had been held by Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
. In a game against the Milwaukee Braves on August 13, Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
struck out Miller for the 2,832nd strikeout of Spahn's career, setting a record for strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher that had been held by Rube Waddell
Rube Waddell
George Edward Waddell was an American southpaw pitcher in Major League Baseball. In his thirteen-year career he played for the Louisville Colonels , Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Orphans in the National League, and the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Browns in the American League...
since . Miller finished the season with a 10–8 record and two saves in 42 appearances, an ERA of 2.89 and 125 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, the most wins in a season in his major league career and the only time he exceeded 100 strikeouts. His 23 games as starter represented the majority of his appearances and was his only season with the Dodgers in which he was primarily a starter; Miller was used primarily as a reliever and had only seven starts in his remaining four seasons with the team. Miller did not play in the Dodgers four-game sweep of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the 1963 World Series
1963 World Series
The 1963 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Dodgers sweeping the Series in four games to capture their second title in five years, and their third in franchise history....
.
He had a 7–7 record and nine saves in 74 appearances (all but two in relief) and a 2.62 ERA in . His 74 appearances in 1964 were the most of any pitcher in the National League that season.
He had a 6–7 record and nine saves in 61 appearances and a 2.97 ERA in . His first postseason appearance came in relief in two games as part of the Dodgers' 1965 World Series
1965 World Series
The 1965 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the American League champion Minnesota Twins, who had won their first pennant since 1933 when the team was known as the Washington Senators...
victory in seven games over the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. Miller pitched in the ninth inning of the second and sixth games of the series, both of which were 5–1 losses to the Twins.
Miller had a 4–2 record and five saves in 45 relief appearances and a 2.77 ERA in . In the 1966 World Series
1966 World Series
The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in four games to capture their first championship in franchise history...
, in which the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
swept the Dodgers in four games, Miller appeared in the fifth inning of the first game and pitched three innings in relief after starter Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
gave up four runs in the game's first two innings.
In the season, Miller had a 2–9 record with no saves in 52 appearances, with his ERA climbing to 4.31.
Miller gave up no runs in any of his World Series appearances with the Dodgers.
Minnesota Twins (1968–69)
The Dodgers traded Miller on November 28, 1967 to the Minnesota Twins, together with Ron PerranoskiRon Perranoski
Ronald Peter Perranoski is a former left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher, having played from through ....
and Johnny Roseboro
Johnny Roseboro
John Junior Roseboro was a Major League Baseball catcher and coach, who was born in Ashland, Ohio.-Career:A left-handed-hitter, Roseboro had a lifetime .249 batting average with 104 home runs and 548 RBI in 1585 games played with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , Minnesota Twins and...
, in exchange for Mudcat Grant
Mudcat Grant
James Timothy "Mudcat" Grant is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , Los Angeles Dodgers , Montreal Expos , St. Louis Cardinals , Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates...
and Zoilo Versalles
Zoilo Versalles
Zoilo Casanova Versalles Rodriguez , nicknamed "Zorro", was a Cuban shortstop in Major League Baseball, who was considered a solid leadoff man, and a good baserunner whose speed helped him to cover a huge area at shortstop...
, in a trade made at baseball's winter meeting held in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. Miller had an 0–3 record and two saves in 45 appearances (all in relief) and an ERA of 2.74 in the season.
In , Miller ended with a 5–5 record and three saves in 48 appearances (including 11 starts) with a 3.02 ERA. The Twins faced the Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 American League Championship Series
1969 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1969 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandIn the opener, 20-game winner Jim Perry held a 3–2 lead over the Orioles entering the ninth inning, Boog Powell tied the score with a smash over the right-field fence. Reliever Ron Perranoski, who worked in all three games,...
, the first year of intraleague playoffs with the split of each league into Eastern and Western divisions. In the best three-out-of-five format, the Twins lost the first two games and called on Miller to start game three. Miller faced off against Jim Palmer
Jim Palmer
James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
, but lasted only 1⅔ innings, giving up five hits and three runs (only one of them earned) before being removed by manager Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
.
Indians / White Sox / Cubs (1970)
Miller's journeymanJourneyman (sports)
A journeyman or journeywoman is an athlete or professional sports player who is technically competent, but unable to excel. In certain parts of the world the term has less negative connotations and the inability to excel is not needed for a player to be labelled thus.-Definitions:Alexandra Allred...
travels started when he was traded by the Twins to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
on December 10, 1969, together with Dean Chance
Dean Chance
Wilmer Dean Chance is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Over the right hander's 11-year major league career, he would play for the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Detroit Tigers...
, Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
and Ted Uhlaender
Ted Uhlaender
Theodore Otto Uhlaender was a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds from –. He was also the father of Olympic women's skeleton competitor Katie Uhlaender.Signed by the Twins out of Baylor University in 1961, he made his major league...
, in exchange for Luis Tiant
Luis Tiant
Luis Clemente Tiant Vega , born November 23, 1940 in Marianao, Cuba, , is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels...
and Stan Williams
Stan Williams (baseball)
Stanley Wilson Williams , nicknamed "Big Daddy" and "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball starting and relief pitcher who threw and batted right-handed. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Yankees , Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , St...
. He appeared in 15 games for the Indians at the start of the , all but two in relief, ending with a 2–2 record and one save and an ERA of 4.18.
He was traded by the Indians to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
on June 15, 1970 together with Barry Moore with the Indians receiving Buddy Bradford
Buddy Bradford
Charles William Bradford is a former outfielder for the Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians , Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals...
and Tommie Sisk
Tommie Sisk
Tommie Wayne Sisk is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1962 to 1970 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox....
. He pitched in 15 games for the Indians, all but three as a starter, and ended his time there with a 4–6 record and a 5.01 ERA.
On September 1, 1970, he was purchased by the crosstown Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
from the White Sox for an amount described by The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
as being well above the $20,000 waivers price. In his second game with the Cubs, Miller earned a save against the Mets, facing the final five batters in a 7–4 Cubs victory. Miller appeared in seven games for the Cubs, ending with no decisions and two saves in nine innings of work, and the Cubs fell short in their bid for a playoff spot.
Cubs / Padres / Pirates (1971)
Miller started the season with the Cubs, and pitched in two games for the team before being released on May 10, 1971.He was signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
the next day by the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. In 38 games with the Padres, all in relief, Miller had a 7–3 record and seven saves and an ERA of 1.41.
The Padres were in last place in the National League West with a 42-76 record, 26½ games out of first place, and traded Miller to the National League East division-leading Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
on August 10, 1971 for Johnny Jeter
Johnny Jeter
John "Johnny" Jeter is an American professional wrestler best known for his appearances in World Wrestling Entertainment as Spirit Squad member Johnny on the Raw brand in 2006....
and Ed Acosta
Ed Acosta
Eduardo Elixbet Acosta is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for three seasons. He signed by the Houston Astros Before 1967 season and played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970 and the San Diego Padres from 1971 to 1972.-External links:...
. Miller continued his success in the bullpen, ending the season with the Pirates with a 1–2 record and three saves in 16 appearances, all in relief, finishing with a 1.29 ERA. Miller pitched the second game of the 1971 National League Championship Series
1971 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 2, 1971 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CaliforniaWith aces Gaylord Perry and Steve Blass taking the mound for their respective teams, Game 1 looked to be a pitchers duel. It sort of was for four innings; the Pirates struck for two in the top of the third when Dave...
, entering in the sixth inning and giving up three hits, three walks and two runs in three innings of work in a game in which the Pirates held on to defeat the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
by a final score of 9-4. He pitched in relief in three games in the 1971 World Series
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
that the Pirates won in seven games, appearing in relief in all three Pirate losses (in the first, second and sixth games of the series), taking the loss in Game 6 when he gave up a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
to Brooks Robinson
Brooks Robinson
Brooks Calbert Robinson, Jr. is a former American professional baseball player. He played his entire 23-year major league career for the Baltimore Orioles . Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner", he is generally acclaimed as the greatest defensive third-basemen in major league history...
that brought in the winning run.
Pittsburgh Pirates (1972)
Miller stuck with the Pirates for the entire season, finishing with a 5–2 record and three saves in 36 appearances (all in relief) and an ERA of 2.65. He pitched in game four of the 1972 National League Championship Series1972 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 7, 1972 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaThe Reds got a first-inning homer from second baseman Joe Morgan to take a short-lived 1–0 lead. But Pittsburgh bounced back with three in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by an RBI triple from Al Oliver and...
, appearing in the ninth inning of a 7–1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, retiring all three batters he faced in a series that the Pirates lost in five games.
Padres / Tigers / Mets (1973)
Miller was released by the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 27, 1973 and signed as a free agent with the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
on April 2, 1973. In his brief second stint with the Padres, he appeared in 18 games, all in relief, had no decisions and a 4.11 ERA.
He was selected off waivers by the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
from the Padres on June 22, 1973. With the Tigers, he had a 4–2 record and one save in 22 games (all in relief) and a 3.43 ERA.
He was purchased by the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
from the Tigers on September 23, 1973, appearing in one game for the Mets in their push for the playoffs. The Mets made it to the 1973 World Series
1973 World Series
The 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland Athletics against the New York Mets, with the A's winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions....
, losing to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in seven games, but Miller was not placed on the postseason roster, as he had joined the team too late in the season.
New York Mets (1974)
Miller stuck with the Mets for the season, ending with a 2–2 record, two saves and a 3.58 ERA in 58 appearances, all in relief. His final appearance was on September 28, 1974 in a 7-3 loss to the Pirates, with Miller getting the last two outs of the fifth inning in relief of starter Tug McGrawTug McGraw
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw and actor/TV personality Mark McGraw and Cari McGraw...
.
He was released by the Mets on October 1, 1974.
Career statistics
| W | L | G Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... |
GS Games started In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter... |
CG Complete game In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were... |
SHO Shutout In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.... |
GF Games finished In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game... |
Sv | IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... |
H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... |
R | ER Earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run... |
HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... |
BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... |
K Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
HBP Hit by pitch In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:... |
ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... |
WHIP Walks plus hits per inning pitched In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | 81 | 694 | 99 | 7 | 0 | 290 | 51 | 1551.3 | 1487 | 679 | 581 | 101 | 608 | 895 | 32 | 3.37 | 1.350 |
Later career
In 1976, Miller was named as manager of the Amarillo Gold SoxAmarillo Gold Sox
The Amarillo Gold Sox was the name of a minor league baseball franchise that represented the city of Amarillo, Texas, in the Class D West Texas-New Mexico League, the Class A Western League and the Class AA Texas League at various times between 1939 and 1982....
, the double-A Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
affiliate of the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. He led the team to a first place finish with an 81–54 record, and won the league championship over the Shreveport Captains, a Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
affiliate, winning the best-of-five series in five games.
With another round of expansion in the major leagues in 1977, Miller was named as the pitching coach for the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, where his pitching staff included a large number of rookies, and veteran players including former star Bill Singer
Bill Singer
William Robert Singer is a former baseball pitcher with a 14-year career from 1964 to 1977. He played primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the California Angels , spending his final two seasons with the Texas Rangers , Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays .-Los Angeles Dodgers:Singer made...
, a two-time 20-game winner, and journeyman Chuck Hartenstein
Chuck Hartenstein
Charles Oscar Hartenstein [Twiggy] is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for five different teams between the and seasons. Listed at 5' 11", 165 lb., Hartenstein batted and threw right-handed...
. Miller spent three seasons with Toronto, helping to develop future stars Dave Stieb
Dave Stieb
David Andrew Stieb [STEEB] is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.-Playing career:Born in Santa Ana, California, Stieb played varsity baseball at Southern Illinois University as an outfielder...
and Pete Vuckovich
Pete Vuckovich
Peter Dennis Vuckovich is a retired American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who came across as an intimidating presence on the mound with his 6'4" 220 lb frame and Fu Manchu moustache. Vuckovich was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1974...
. Five pitchers he coached while with the Blue Jays would later become major league pitching coaches, including Joe Coleman, Hartenstein, Dyar Miller
Dyar Miller
Dyar K Miller is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Mets.-References:...
, Dave Wallace
Dave Wallace (baseball)
David William Wallace was the interim pitching coach for the Atlanta Braves. He spent the majority of his career working for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets organizations.-Playing career:...
and Mark Wiley
Mark Wiley (baseball)
Mark Eugene Wiley is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays. He has also been a pitching coach for the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, and Kansas City Royals.-External links:...
.
He was the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in , but after the team ended the season with 99 losses, the team fired the entire coaching staff, offering Miller a position as pitching coach with the team's top minor league affiliates. Miller spent time as a scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
, evaluating prospective pitchers for the Giants.
Miller, then an advance scout for the Giants, died of injuries sustained in a collision with another car in Rancho Bernardo, California. He was driving with his mother, who was left in serious condition from the accident.