Jay Dahl
Encyclopedia
Jay Steven Dahl was an American
baseball
player who debuted in Major League Baseball
at age 17 in 1963, then died less than two years later in an automobile
accident.
directly out of high school in Colton, California
in June 1963, Dahl was sent to the Moultrie, Georgia
Colt .22s of the Georgia-Florida League
. Dahl dominated the league, with a 5–1 record and a 1.42 ERA—his only loss was a one-hitter, in his pro debut. After making one start for the San Antonio Bullets of the AA Texas League
(pitching four innings and allowing only three hits and an unearned run), he made his big-league debut on September 27, 1963 at Colt Stadium
against the New York Mets
.
Dahl wasn't the only rookie in the lineup for Houston that night; in fact, the entire Colts starting nine were first-year players (the only time this has ever been attempted by an MLB club):
Houston Colt .45s starting lineup, September 27, 1963
Dahl got New York out in the first inning, but allowed three runs in the second and four more in the third before being removed by manager Harry Craft
. (Danny Coombs
and Joe Hoerner
, who followed Dahl on the mound for Houston, were also making their MLB debuts.) The Mets went on to win, 10–3. It was to be Dahl's only major league appearance. , Dahl is the most recent MLB player under the age of eighteen.
In 1964, Dahl developed back problems and did not pitch at all, appearing in eleven games as an outfielder for Statesville
Colts in the Western Carolinas League
. In 1965, Dahl was back on the mound, starting seven games with Carolina League
's Durham Bulls
, then moving over to the Salisbury
Astros of the WCL, where he had a 5–0 record.
with two passengers: Dahl and 20-year-old Patricia Ann Troutman. Apparently traveling at a high rate of speed, the car hit a patch of sand on Lincolnton Road in Salisbury, skidded out of control for about 185 feet (56.4 m) and slammed broadside into a tree. Troutman was killed instantly, and Dahl died of extensive internal injuries about three hours later in Salisbury's Rowan Memorial Hospital
. Marshall survived the wreck but was blinded, also suffering a broken right arm and a broken right leg; he was later charged with manslaughter, but the charges were dismissed and he was allowed to return home to Hutchinson, Kansas
. (Marshall later moved to Dallas and joined the ministry, tending to the newly blinded; he died in 2008, at the age of 62.)
Earlier that day, Dahl had pitched the Astros into first place; in celebration of his 7–3 victory over Gastonia, North Carolina
, the players were the guests that evening at a steak dinner at the home of G. M. Hamilton, Salisbury's club president. Dahl and Marshall left after dinner and attended a movie with Troutman; they were returning her to her home when the crash occurred.
At the age of 19, Dahl is the youngest at death of any player in major league history.
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...
player who debuted 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...
at age 17 in 1963, then died less than two years later in an automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
accident.
Career
Signed by the Houston Colt .45sHouston 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...
directly out of high school in Colton, California
Colton, California
Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The city is located in the Inland Empire region of the state and is approximately 57 miles east of Los Angeles. The population of Colton is 52,154 according to the 2010 census, up from 47,662 at the 2000 census.Colton is the...
in June 1963, Dahl was sent to the Moultrie, Georgia
Moultrie, Georgia
Moultrie is the county seat and largest city of Colquitt County and the third largest in Southwest Georgia behind Thomasville and Albany. As of 2009, Moultrie's population is 15,199 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 6.07 percent....
Colt .22s of the Georgia-Florida League
Georgia-Florida League
The Georgia-Florida League was a minor baseball league that existed from 1935 through 1958 and in 1962–1963...
. Dahl dominated the league, with a 5–1 record and a 1.42 ERA—his only loss was a one-hitter, in his pro debut. After making one start for the San Antonio Bullets of the AA 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...
(pitching four innings and allowing only three hits and an unearned run), he made his big-league debut on September 27, 1963 at Colt Stadium
Colt Stadium
Colt Stadium was a Major League baseball stadium that formerly stood in Houston, Texas. It was the home of the Houston Colt .45s. It was their temporary home from 1962-1964 while the Astrodome was being built, just to the south of it. The stadium consisted of an uncovered grandstand stretching from...
against 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...
.
Dahl wasn't the only rookie in the lineup for Houston that night; in fact, the entire Colts starting nine were first-year players (the only time this has ever been attempted by an MLB club):
Houston Colt .45s starting lineup, September 27, 1963
- Sonny Jackson, ss (also making his MLB debut)
- Joe MorganJoe MorganJoe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
, 2b (future Hall of Famer) - Jim Wynn, cf ("The Toy Cannon"; 290 career home runs)
- Rusty StaubRusty StaubDaniel Joseph "Rusty" Staub is an American former Major League Baseball right fielder, designated hitter, and first baseman. He enjoyed a 23-year baseball career with 5 different teams...
, 1b (2,716 career hits) - Aaron PointerAaron PointerAaron Elton Pointer is a retired American baseball player. He played in the major leagues for the Houston Colt .45's/Astros in 1963 and again in 1966-7. After his baseball career, he was a National Football League referee...
, rf - Brock DavisBrock DavisBryshear Barnett "Brock" Davis is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Davis was born in Oakland, California and attended John C. Fremont High School in Los Angeles and California State University, Los Angeles....
, lf - Glenn Vaughn, 3b
- Jerry GroteJerry GroteGerald Wayne Grote is a former professional baseball player. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Mets and was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era.-Early life:...
, c (played for 1969 "Miracle Mets") - Jay Dahl, p
Dahl got New York out in the first inning, but allowed three runs in the second and four more in the third before being removed by manager Harry Craft
Harry Craft
Harry Francis Craft was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. Born in Ellisville, Mississippi, he was an center fielder for the Cincinnati Reds from 1937–1942...
. (Danny Coombs
Danny Coombs
Daniel Bernard Coombs is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played from 1963 to 1971 for the Houston Colt .45s, Houston Astros and San Diego Padres....
and Joe Hoerner
Joe Hoerner
Joseph Walter Hoerner was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. A native of Dubuque, Iowa, the left-hander was signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before the 1957 season. He played for the Houston Colt .45s , St...
, who followed Dahl on the mound for Houston, were also making their MLB debuts.) The Mets went on to win, 10–3. It was to be Dahl's only major league appearance. , Dahl is the most recent MLB player under the age of eighteen.
In 1964, Dahl developed back problems and did not pitch at all, appearing in eleven games as an outfielder for Statesville
Statesville, North Carolina
Statesville is a city located in Iredell County, North Carolina, United States and was named an All-America City in 1997 and 2009. The population was 24,633 at the 2010 census...
Colts in the Western Carolinas League
Western Carolinas League
The Western Carolinas League was a Class D and a low Class A full-season league in American minor league baseball. The WCL changed its name prior to the 1980 season and has been known since as the South Atlantic League, a highly successful low Class A circuit with teams up the Eastern Seaboard...
. In 1965, Dahl was back on the mound, starting seven games with Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
's Durham Bulls
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the International League. The Bulls play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park located in the downtown area of Durham, North Carolina. Durham Bulls Athletic Park is often called the "DBAP" or "D-Bap". The Bulls are...
, then moving over to the Salisbury
Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
Astros of the WCL, where he had a 5–0 record.
Death
At 11:24 p.m. on June 20, 1965, Dahl's teammate Gary Allen Marshall was driving a GTOGTO
GTO is an abbreviation of:* A gate turn-off thyristor*Geographic targeting order, an order issued by the United States Secretary of Treasury* Geostationary transfer orbit, an intermediate orbit around the Earth...
with two passengers: Dahl and 20-year-old Patricia Ann Troutman. Apparently traveling at a high rate of speed, the car hit a patch of sand on Lincolnton Road in Salisbury, skidded out of control for about 185 feet (56.4 m) and slammed broadside into a tree. Troutman was killed instantly, and Dahl died of extensive internal injuries about three hours later in Salisbury's Rowan Memorial Hospital
Rowan Regional Medical Center
Rowan Regional Medical Center is a 268-bed hospital in Salisbury, North Carolina. The hospital offers 24-hour emergency services, a maternity center and surgical services including orthopaedics, cancer care, cardiology, rehabilitation and other specialty care, such as hospice, behavioral health and...
. Marshall survived the wreck but was blinded, also suffering a broken right arm and a broken right leg; he was later charged with manslaughter, but the charges were dismissed and he was allowed to return home to Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
. (Marshall later moved to Dallas and joined the ministry, tending to the newly blinded; he died in 2008, at the age of 62.)
Earlier that day, Dahl had pitched the Astros into first place; in celebration of his 7–3 victory over Gastonia, North Carolina
Gastonia, North Carolina
Gastonia is the largest city and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is also the third largest suburb of the Charlotte Area, behind Concord and Rock Hill. The population was 71,226 as of Gastonia is the largest city and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina,...
, the players were the guests that evening at a steak dinner at the home of G. M. Hamilton, Salisbury's club president. Dahl and Marshall left after dinner and attended a movie with Troutman; they were returning her to her home when the crash occurred.
At the age of 19, Dahl is the youngest at death of any player in major league history.