Chuck Stevens
Encyclopedia
Charles Augustus Stevens, Jr. (born July 10, 1918) is a former first baseman
in Major League Baseball
who played for the St. Louis Browns
in parts of three seasons (1941, 1946, 1948). Listed at 6' 1", 180 lb., Stevens was a switch-hitter and threw left-handed
. He was born in Van Houten
, New Mexico
.
and managing
professional baseball, much of it in the Pacific Coast League
, but he is best remembered as the player who delivered the first major league hit off pitching
legend Satchel Paige
.
At a young age Stevens played baseball and basketball
, but he also was always interested in music, playing guitar, fiddle and percussion, and became an accomplished tap dancer in his youth. Following his graduation from Long Beach Polytechnic High School
in early 1937, he enrolled at the University of California at Berkeley, but he turned his attention to baseball and signed a contract with the St. Louis Browns
of the American League
before the 1938 season. He went to spring training
in San Antonio, Texas
before reporting to the Williamston Class-D team of the Coastal Plain League
, where he hit .288 with 10 home run
s in 97 games. in 1939 was promoted to Class-C Johnstown of the Middle Atlantic League
, where he hit .290 in 128 games. His most productive season came in 1940 with Class-B Springfield of the Three-I League
, when he hit .316 with 74 RBI for a team that won the league championship. His rapid advancement through theBrowns system indicated that he could be considered a major league prospect. He moved up again in 1940, this time to Class-A San Antonio
of the Texas League
. He did not hit quite as well (.264 in 158 games), but gained attention for his flashy defense at first base and his aggressive base running. Then he was added to the Browns roster in late September, but did not appear in any games.
In 1941 Stevens joined the Double-A Toledo Mud Hens
of the American Association
, one step below the major leagues. He had a fine season for the Mud Hens, hitting .290 in 145 games, earning a promotion to the Browns in September. He appeared in four games and went 2-for-13 (.154) with two runs
and two RBI. He returned to Toledo in 1942 but had a disappointing season, slumping to .250 and did not get the September recall he was likely hoping for. After the season, he entered the US Army Air Force
and spent the next three years in the Pacific Theatre
, first in California
and later in Tinian
, Guam
, and Okinawa
.
Stevens rejoined the Browns after being discharged before the 1946 season, appearing in 122 games while hitting .248 with three home runs. As always, his defense and base-running were generally first rate, but his lack of power kept him from a longer career in the majors. In 1947 he was outrighted back to Toledo, where he batted .279 in 141 games. He returned to the Browns in 1948, just in time to take part in a bit of baseball history on July 9 at Cleveland Stadium
. With the Browns beating the Cleveland Indians
4–1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Cleveland manager Lou Boudreau
pulled his starting pitcher
, Bob Lemon
, replacing him with the 41-year-old rookie
Satchel Paige to start the fifth inning. It was Paige's first game in the major leagues, and the first batter he faced was Stevens, who had faced Paige many times in exhibition matches in California, and remembered hitting him pretty well. In this instance, he spoiled the story by lining a single
to left field on the second pitch he saw. Nevertheless, Paige retired the next three hitters to get out of the inning unscathed. During his third stint with the Browns, Stevens hit a .260 average in 85 games, and was sold to the Hollywood Stars
(PCL), hitting for them .321 over 38 games at the tail end of the 1948 season.
Stevens played for Hollywood until 1954, and was part of three PCL championships with the Stars in 1949, 1952 and 1953. He was remarkably consistent during this period, hitting .297, .288, .292 and .278 from 1949 through 1952, as well as playing his typical solid defense at first base. The Stars sold Stevens contract to the San Francisco Seals (PCL). He played for his new team for the next year and a half as a reserve player and pinch hitter
, also serving as a player-coach for the 1955 season. When the Boston Red Sox
purchased the Seals at the end of the season, Stevens was sent along with some of their other surplus players to the Louisville Colonels
(American Association). But Stevens had no interest in going to the new team, instead buying out his own contract so that he could take an opportunity to manage the Amarillo Gold Sox
in the Western League
. He hit .335 for Amarillo in 1956, and also managed his team to the league's title series, earning the circuit's manager of the year award. He later played and coached for the Sacramento Solons
(PCL) in 1957, his last professional baseball season.
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...
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...
who played for the St. Louis Browns
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...
in parts of three seasons (1941, 1946, 1948). Listed at 6' 1", 180 lb., Stevens was a switch-hitter and threw left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
. He was born in Van Houten
Colfax County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*83.8% White*0.5% Black*1.5% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*10.1% Other races*47.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
Career
Stevens spent 20 years playing, coachingCoach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
and managing
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
professional baseball, much of it in the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, but he is best remembered as the player who delivered the first major league hit off pitching
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...
legend Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
.
At a young age Stevens played baseball and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, but he also was always interested in music, playing guitar, fiddle and percussion, and became an accomplished tap dancer in his youth. Following his graduation from Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Long Beach Polytechnic High School, founded in 1895 as Long Beach High School, is a High school located at 1600 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach, California, United States....
in early 1937, he enrolled at the University of California at Berkeley, but he turned his attention to baseball and signed a contract with the St. Louis Browns
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...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
before the 1938 season. He went to spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
before reporting to the Williamston Class-D team of the Coastal Plain League
Coastal Plain League (Class D)
The Coastal Plain League was a minor league baseball affiliation which, except for the war years , operated in North Carolina from 1937 to 1952. It was classified as a "D" league. It grew out of a semi-pro league that operated from 1934 to 1936 under the same Coastal Plain League name.- Coastal...
, where he hit .288 with 10 home run
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...
s in 97 games. in 1939 was promoted to Class-C Johnstown of the Middle Atlantic League
Middle Atlantic League
The Middle Atlantic League was a lower-level circuit in American minor league baseball that played during the second quarter of the 20th century.-History:...
, where he hit .290 in 128 games. His most productive season came in 1940 with Class-B Springfield of the Three-I League
Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
The Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League was a minor league baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 years, mostly in those three states. It was popularly known as the Three-I League and also sometimes jokingly as the Three-Eye League....
, when he hit .316 with 74 RBI for a team that won the league championship. His rapid advancement through theBrowns system indicated that he could be considered a major league prospect. He moved up again in 1940, this time to Class-A San Antonio
San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres major-league club. The Missions play in Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, located in San Antonio...
of the 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...
. He did not hit quite as well (.264 in 158 games), but gained attention for his flashy defense at first base and his aggressive base running. Then he was added to the Browns roster in late September, but did not appear in any games.
In 1941 Stevens joined the Double-A Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
, one step below the major leagues. He had a fine season for the Mud Hens, hitting .290 in 145 games, earning a promotion to the Browns in September. He appeared in four games and went 2-for-13 (.154) with two runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
and two RBI. He returned to Toledo in 1942 but had a disappointing season, slumping to .250 and did not get the September recall he was likely hoping for. After the season, he entered the US Army Air Force
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
and spent the next three years in the Pacific Theatre
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
, first in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and later in Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, and Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
.
Stevens rejoined the Browns after being discharged before the 1946 season, appearing in 122 games while hitting .248 with three home runs. As always, his defense and base-running were generally first rate, but his lack of power kept him from a longer career in the majors. In 1947 he was outrighted back to Toledo, where he batted .279 in 141 games. He returned to the Browns in 1948, just in time to take part in a bit of baseball history on July 9 at Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...
. With the Browns beating 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...
4–1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Cleveland manager Lou Boudreau
Lou Boudreau
Louis "Lou" Boudreau was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
pulled his 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....
, Bob Lemon
Bob Lemon
Robert Granville Lemon was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976....
, replacing him with the 41-year-old rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
Satchel Paige to start the fifth inning. It was Paige's first game in the major leagues, and the first batter he faced was Stevens, who had faced Paige many times in exhibition matches in California, and remembered hitting him pretty well. In this instance, he spoiled the story by lining a single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
to left field on the second pitch he saw. Nevertheless, Paige retired the next three hitters to get out of the inning unscathed. During his third stint with the Browns, Stevens hit a .260 average in 85 games, and was sold to the Hollywood Stars
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early and mid 20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.-Hollywood Stars :...
(PCL), hitting for them .321 over 38 games at the tail end of the 1948 season.
Stevens played for Hollywood until 1954, and was part of three PCL championships with the Stars in 1949, 1952 and 1953. He was remarkably consistent during this period, hitting .297, .288, .292 and .278 from 1949 through 1952, as well as playing his typical solid defense at first base. The Stars sold Stevens contract to the San Francisco Seals (PCL). He played for his new team for the next year and a half as a reserve player and pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
, also serving as a player-coach for the 1955 season. When the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
purchased the Seals at the end of the season, Stevens was sent along with some of their other surplus players to the Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels (minor league baseball team)
The Louisville Colonels was the name of several minor league baseball teams that played in Louisville, Kentucky, in the 20th century. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels.-Twentieth century minor league teams:...
(American Association). But Stevens had no interest in going to the new team, instead buying out his own contract so that he could take an opportunity to manage the Amarillo Gold Sox
Amarillo 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....
in the Western League
Western League (defunct minor league)
The Western League is a name given to several circuits in American minor league baseball. Its earliest progenitor, which existed from 1885 to 1899, was the predecessor of the American League...
. He hit .335 for Amarillo in 1956, and also managed his team to the league's title series, earning the circuit's manager of the year award. He later played and coached for the Sacramento Solons
Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
(PCL) in 1957, his last professional baseball season.
Major League statistics
- In a three-season majors career, Stevens was a .251 hitter (184-for-732) with four home runs and 55 RBI in 211 games, including 89 runsRun (baseball)In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, 29 doublesDouble (baseball)In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, eight triplesTriple (baseball)In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, six stolen baseStolen baseIn baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s, and a .333 on-base percentage.
Out of the playing field
- Following his playing retirement, Stevens worked for a company that acidized oil wells.
- In early 1960, he served as secretary-treasurer of the Association of Professional Ball Players of AmericaAssociation of Professional Ballplayers of AmericaThe Association of Professional Ball Players of America is a United States-based charity set up in 1924 to assist professional baseball players. The organization caters to players from all leagues, including the minor leagues...
, kept the job for 38 years, until he had reached the age of eighty in 1998. He was instrumental in modernizing the structure of organization, setting up a constitution and bylawBylawBy-law can refer to a law of local or limited application passed under the authority of a higher law specifying what things may be regulated by the by-law...
s to conform to new tax laws, as his job kept him in a permanent touch with the baseball community.
- The Chuck Stevens Award, created by the APBPA, is presented in honor of the long time Secretary of the Association. The award is presented to the Southern California resident who had the most outstanding season in the minor leagues. Previous winners of this award, Sean BurroughsSean BurroughsSean Patrick Burroughs is an American professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent. He has previously played for the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Devil Rays....
, Keith GinterKeith GinterMilwaukee Brewers 2011Keith Michael Ginter is a former American Major League Baseball infielder now playing for the Orange County Flyers in the independent Golden Baseball League. Ginter is a graduate of Fullerton High School in Fullerton, California...
, Jason HirshJason HirshJason Michael Hirsh is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who is a free agent.Hirsh was a dominant minor league pitcher in 2005–06, winning the Double-A Texas League Pitcher of the Year Award and the Triple-A Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year Award in successive seasons, as he went...
, Evan LongoriaEvan LongoriaEvan Michael Longoria is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays. Formerly, Longoria was a star infielder for the Long Beach State University baseball team, the Cape Cod League MVP, and the Big West Co-Player of the Year.He made his major league debut for the Rays in , and...
, Ryan MadsonRyan MadsonRyan Michael Madson , nicknamed "Mad Dog", is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher, who is a currently a free agent...
, Jerry OwensJerry OwensJerry Lee Owens is a Major League Baseball center fielder who is currently a free agent. He played most of the season with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights of the International League, but was called up and made his major league debut as a pinch runner on September 11...
and Jeremy ReedJeremy ReedJeremy Thomas Reed is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Reed graduated from Bonita High School in 1999, and went on to play college baseball at Long Beach State University...
have all played in the major leagues.
- The Pacific Coast League: A Statistical Record, 1903-1957 is a complete PCL encyclopedia, introduced by Stevens in collaboration with Roger Osenbaugh, which shows complete statistics for every player in the league, presented in year-by-year, team-by-team format, with batting and pitching categories. The book also included leader boards, season and lifetime record holders, league officials, playoff records and attendance.
- Stevens also parlayed his Hollywood prestige into roles in two baseball related filmFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s, appearing in The Stratton StoryThe Stratton StoryThe Stratton Story is a 1949 film directed by Sam Wood which tells the true story of Monty Stratton, a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1934-1938...
(Sam WoodSam WoodSamuel Grosvenor "Sam" Wood was an American film director, and producer, who was best known for directing such Hollywood hits as A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, and The Pride of the Yankees...
, 1949), starred by James StewartJames Stewart (actor)James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
and June AllysonJune AllysonJune Allyson was an American film and television actress, popular in the 1940s and 1950s. She was a major MGM contract star. Allyson won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance in Too Young to Kiss . From 1959–1961, she hosted and occasionally starred in her own CBS anthology...
, and The Winning TeamThe Winning TeamThe Winning Team is 1952 film directed by Lewis Seiler. It is fictionalized biography of the life of major league pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander starring Ronald Reagan as Alexander, Doris Day as his wife, Aimee and Frank Lovejoy as Rogers Hornsby...
(Lewis SeilerLewis SeilerLewis Seiler was an American film director. He directed 88 films between 1923 and 1958.He was born in New York, New York, and died in Hollywood, California.-Selected filmography:* A Bankrupt Honeymoon...
, 1952), featuring Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
and Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
.
Fact
- Stevens is recognized as one of the oldest living major league ballplayers.
See also
- 1948 Cleveland Indians season
- List of oldest living MLB players