Steve Barber
Encyclopedia
Stephen David Barber was an American
Major League Baseball
left-handed
pitcher
. He pitched from 1960-1974 for seven different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the Baltimore Orioles
. During a 15-year baseball career, Barber compiled 121 wins
, 1,309 strikeout
s, and an earned run average
of 3.36.
Barber was born in Takoma Park, Maryland
and graduated in 1956 from Montgomery Blair High School
located in Silver Spring
in Montgomery County
, Maryland
. He signed with the Orioles in 1957. As a , rookie he had a record of 10-7 and an earned run average
of 3.22 (sixth best in the American League
), but also led the AL in both walks
(113) and wild pitch
es (10). In , he tied for the AL lead in shutout
s with 8, and had a record of 18-12. In 1963, he became the first pitcher of the modern Orioles to win 20 games in a season when he compiled a 20-13 record, 180 strikeouts, and a 2.75 ERA, which led to him being named an All-Star
for the first time in his career. He was again named an All-Star one last time in , but tendinitis in his elbow prevented him from appearing in the game, and also kept him out of the World Series
as the Orioles swept the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers
in four games for the first title in franchise history. On April 30, 1967, he was removed from a game against the Detroit Tigers
with two outs in the ninth inning after having given up two runs
despite having not surrendered a hit
; Stu Miller
got the final out to complete the no-hitter
, although the Orioles lost 2-1.
Barber spent the rest of his career with several teams, plagued by elbow troubles. He was traded by the Orioles to the New York Yankees
in July 1967, and was selected by the expansion Seattle Pilots
in an expansion draft
after the 1968 season when the Yankees left him unprotected. After the Pilots relocated and became the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970, Barber was released just before the season, but played that year for the Chicago Cubs
, and then for the Atlanta Braves
after the Cubs released him in June 1970; from 1970 forward, Barber pitched almost exclusively in relief
. He remained with the Braves until they released him in May 1972, then joined the California Angels
until they traded him back to the Brewers following the 1973 season. The Brewers cut him in spring training, however, and he appeared in 13 games for the San Francisco Giants
, ending his career. He signed with the St. Louis Cardinals
in August 1974, but never pitched for the team.
Barber and his wife moved to the Las Vegas
area in 1978. From 1992-2006, he worked as a driver for the Clark County School District
, providing transportation for children with disabilities. Barber died of pneumonia
in Henderson, Nevada
. His son, Stephen David Barber Jr., lives in Ellicott City, Maryland with his four children and his wife. His daughter, Kelly, lives in North Carolina with her two kids. Stephen and Kelly are from Steve's first marriage. Steve also has two daughters by his second wife Pat. Tracy lives in SC with her twin sons and Danielle lives in Michigan with her husband and children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
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...
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...
. He pitched from 1960-1974 for seven different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with 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...
. During a 15-year baseball career, Barber compiled 121 wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
, 1,309 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, and 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...
of 3.36.
Barber was born in Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
and graduated in 1956 from Montgomery Blair High School
Montgomery Blair High School
Montgomery Blair High School is a public high school located in unincorporated Silver Spring in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States...
located in Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. He signed with the Orioles in 1957. As a , rookie he had a record of 10-7 and 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...
of 3.22 (sixth best in 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...
), but also led the AL in both walks
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...
(113) and 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 (10). In , he tied for the AL lead in shutout
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....
s with 8, and had a record of 18-12. In 1963, he became the first pitcher of the modern Orioles to win 20 games in a season when he compiled a 20-13 record, 180 strikeouts, and a 2.75 ERA, which led to him being named an All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
for the first time in his career. He was again named an All-Star one last time in , but tendinitis in his elbow prevented him from appearing in the game, and also kept him out of the 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...
as the Orioles swept the defending champion 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...
in four games for the first title in franchise history. On April 30, 1967, he was removed from a 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...
with two outs in the ninth inning after having given up 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...
despite having not surrendered a hit
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....
; Stu Miller
Stu Miller
Stuart Leonard Miller , is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Philadelphia Phillies , New York & San Francisco Giants , Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves...
got the final out to complete the 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"...
, although the Orioles lost 2-1.
Barber spent the rest of his career with several teams, plagued by elbow troubles. He was traded by the Orioles to 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 July 1967, and was selected by the expansion Seattle Pilots
Seattle Pilots
The Seattle Pilots were an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington for one season, . The Pilots played home games at Sick's Stadium and were a member of the West Division of Major League Baseball's American League...
in an expansion draft
Expansion draft
An expansion draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to create one or more new expansion teams or franchises. This occurs mainly in North American sports. One of the ways of stocking the new team or teams is an expansion draft...
after the 1968 season when the Yankees left him unprotected. After the Pilots relocated and became the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970, Barber was released just before the season, but played that year for 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...
, and then for the 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....
after the Cubs released him in June 1970; from 1970 forward, Barber pitched almost exclusively in relief
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...
. He remained with the Braves until they released him in May 1972, then joined the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
until they traded him back to the Brewers following the 1973 season. The Brewers cut him in spring training, however, and he appeared in 13 games 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....
, ending his career. He signed with the 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...
in August 1974, but never pitched for the team.
Barber and his wife moved to the Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
area in 1978. From 1992-2006, he worked as a driver for the Clark County School District
Clark County School District
The Clark County School District, , is the 5th largest school district in the United States. It serves all of Clark County, Nevada, including the cities of Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City, and Mesquite; plus the census-designated places of Laughlin, Blue Diamond, Logandale,...
, providing transportation for children with disabilities. Barber died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in Henderson, Nevada
Henderson, Nevada
-Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...
. His son, Stephen David Barber Jr., lives in Ellicott City, Maryland with his four children and his wife. His daughter, Kelly, lives in North Carolina with her two kids. Stephen and Kelly are from Steve's first marriage. Steve also has two daughters by his second wife Pat. Tracy lives in SC with her twin sons and Danielle lives in Michigan with her husband and children.
External links
- BaseballLibrary - profile and career highlights
- ESPN: Barber, O's first 20-game winner, dies at 67
- Steve Barber at Find a Grave.com