Hub Kittle
Encyclopedia
Hubert Milton "Hub" Kittle (February 19, 1917 — February 10, 2004) was an American
baseball
pitcher
, manager
and front office executive in the minor leagues
and a pitching coach
at the Major League
level. When he took the mound for the Springfield Redbirds
in an official American Association
game on August 27, 1980, at the age of 63, Kittle, a longtime minor league hurler whose professional career began in the 1930s, became the only man ever to pitch in professional baseball in six decades. He retired the Iowa Oaks on 11 pitches.
Kittle was born in Los Angeles, California
, and attended San Diego State University
. As a player, he threw and batted right-handed, stood 6'1" (1.85 m) tall and weighed 195 pounds (88 kg). He began his pitching career in 1937 with the Ponca City Angels of the Class C Western Association
, a farm club of the Chicago Cubs
. Two years later, Kittle won 20 of 30 decisions pitching for the Yakima Pippins of the Class B Western International League
— beginning a long association with professional baseball in Yakima, Washington
, and the Pacific Northwest
. Including his two years of military service during World War II
, Kittle's active pitching career prior to his 1980 Springfield appearance spanned 22 years (1937-55, plus cameos as a fill-in pitcher during his minor-league managerial career in 1958, 1966 and 1969). His appearance in the 1970s came in a Major League uniform during his tenure as the pitching coach of the Houston Astros
, when he hurled in an exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers
at the Astrodome at the age of 56 in . All told, as a minor league pitcher, Kittle won 144 games and lost 115 (.556). He won 7 games and lost 6 during his three stints (1940-41; 1943) at the highest minor league level, in the Pacific Coast League
.
Kittle's minor league managerial career was almost as long as his pitching tenure. It extended for 20 years (1948-59; 1964-70; 1977). In addition, Kittle was general manager
of the Yakima Bears
of the Northwest League
, and the Hawaii Islanders
and Portland Beavers
of the Pacific Coast circuit. He was selected Minor League Executive of the Year (lower classification) by The Sporting News
in 1960. Kittle managed in the Philadelphia Phillies
, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves
, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals
organizations. His career managerial record was 1,329 victories and 1,250 defeats (.515).
Kittle finally reached the Major Leagues in when he was named an Astros' coach by manager Harry Walker
. He spent five years on Houston's MLB staff, and was the team's pitching coach in 1973, working with celebrated pitchers such as Larry Dierker
, J. R. Richard and Don Wilson. In 1976, he joined the Cardinals' organization, and spent the rest of his career with the Redbirds as a minor league manager, roving minor league pitching instructor, and Major League pitching coach from 1981-83. He was the pitching coach for the 1982 World Series
champion Cardinals.
He was still working with St. Louis' minor league pitchers as he neared his 80th birthday. "He's the Santa Claus of pitching coaches," Cardinals' field coordinator of instruction George Kissell
said in 1989. "Only he can't come down the chimney anymore, his bag is so full of tricks. Nobody teaches pitching like he does."
Kittle died at age 86 in Yakima from complications of kidney failure and diabetes.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
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...
, manager
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...
and front office executive in 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...
and a pitching coach
Coach (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...
at the Major League
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...
level. When he took the mound for the Springfield Redbirds
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
in an official 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...
game on August 27, 1980, at the age of 63, Kittle, a longtime minor league hurler whose professional career began in the 1930s, became the only man ever to pitch in professional baseball in six decades. He retired the Iowa Oaks on 11 pitches.
Kittle was born in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, and attended San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
. As a player, he threw and batted right-handed, stood 6'1" (1.85 m) tall and weighed 195 pounds (88 kg). He began his pitching career in 1937 with the Ponca City Angels of the Class C Western Association
Western Association
The Western Association was the name of five different leagues in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western Association on October 28, 1887...
, a farm club of 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...
. Two years later, Kittle won 20 of 30 decisions pitching for the Yakima Pippins of the Class B Western International League
Western International League
The Western International League was a mid- to higher-level circuit in American and Canadian minor league baseball. It operated in 1923, 1937-42, and 1946-54. In 1955, it changed its name to the Northwest League, and still operates today as a Short Season A loop under that name.The WIL consisted of...
— beginning a long association with professional baseball in Yakima, Washington
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
, and the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. Including his two years of military service during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Kittle's active pitching career prior to his 1980 Springfield appearance spanned 22 years (1937-55, plus cameos as a fill-in pitcher during his minor-league managerial career in 1958, 1966 and 1969). His appearance in the 1970s came in a Major League uniform during his tenure as the pitching coach of the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, when he hurled in an exhibition game against 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...
at the Astrodome at the age of 56 in . All told, as a minor league pitcher, Kittle won 144 games and lost 115 (.556). He won 7 games and lost 6 during his three stints (1940-41; 1943) at the highest minor league level, 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...
.
Kittle's minor league managerial career was almost as long as his pitching tenure. It extended for 20 years (1948-59; 1964-70; 1977). In addition, Kittle was general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
of the Yakima Bears
Yakima Bears
The Yakima Bears are a minor league baseball team in Yakima, Washington. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Arizona Diamondbacks since 2001, formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers from the team's creation in 1990 when the Salem...
of the Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
, and the Hawaii Islanders
Hawaii Islanders
The Hawaii Islanders were a AAA minor league baseball team, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1961 through 1987. The Islanders were originally an affiliate of the Kansas City Athletics. They played their home games at Honolulu Stadium, Honolulu's Aloha Stadium...
and Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
of the Pacific Coast circuit. He was selected Minor League Executive of the Year (lower classification) by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
in 1960. Kittle managed in 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...
, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, Houston Astros and 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...
organizations. His career managerial record was 1,329 victories and 1,250 defeats (.515).
Kittle finally reached the Major Leagues in when he was named an Astros' coach by manager Harry Walker
Harry Walker
Harry William Walker, known to baseball fans of the middle 20th century as "Harry the Hat" , was an American baseball player, manager and coach.-Early life and family:...
. He spent five years on Houston's MLB staff, and was the team's pitching coach in 1973, working with celebrated pitchers such as Larry Dierker
Larry Dierker
Lawrence Edward Dierker is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and manager. During a 14-year baseball career as a pitcher, he pitched from 1964–1977 for the Houston Colt .45s/Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals...
, J. R. Richard and Don Wilson. In 1976, he joined the Cardinals' organization, and spent the rest of his career with the Redbirds as a minor league manager, roving minor league pitching instructor, and Major League pitching coach from 1981-83. He was the pitching coach for the 1982 World Series
1982 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 12, 1982 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Brewers' left-hander Mike Caldwell pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits. The Brewers' offense was led by Paul Molitor, who had a World Series-record five hits and two RBIs...
champion Cardinals.
He was still working with St. Louis' minor league pitchers as he neared his 80th birthday. "He's the Santa Claus of pitching coaches," Cardinals' field coordinator of instruction George Kissell
George Kissell
George Marshall Kissell was an American baseball minor league player, manager, coach, scout, and instructor, as well as a major league coach, for the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Born in Watertown, New York, he attended Ithaca College, where he earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in...
said in 1989. "Only he can't come down the chimney anymore, his bag is so full of tricks. Nobody teaches pitching like he does."
Kittle died at age 86 in Yakima from complications of kidney failure and diabetes.