Tim Stoddard
Encyclopedia
Timothy Paul Stoddard is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
. He is one of only two known men to have played in both a World Series
and an NCAA basketball national championship game.
A right-handed pitcher, Stoddard pitched for the Chicago White Sox
(1975), Baltimore Orioles
(1978–83), Chicago Cubs
(1984), San Diego Padres
(1985–86), New York Yankees
(1986–88) and Cleveland Indians
(1989). Currently, he is the pitching coach for the baseball team at Northwestern University
.
team, which went undefeated (29-0) and won the Indiana
state high school basketball championship. Among his teammates were Pete Trgovich
(who played at UCLA) and Junior Bridgeman
(who played at Louisville
and in the NBA).
Stoddard also lettered in basketball as well as baseball at North Carolina State University
. He was a starting forward on the 1973-74 Wolfpack’s NCAA Basketball champions
, which featured future Basketball Hall-of-Famer David Thompson
. The Wolfpack went 30-1 on the season, the lone loss coming to the Bill Walton
-led UCLA Bruins. The Wolfpack gained revenge in the NCAA Tournament and defeated UCLA in the Final Four, ending UCLA's seven-year run as National Champions.
, who released him after two minor league
seasons. He reached the majors for good in ; that year, he pitched in 29 games, winning three and saving three others, with a 1.71 earned run average
in 58 innings pitched
. His Orioles won the American League
pennant, but lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates
in the World Series
after leading three games to one. In Game Four, Stoddard was the winning pitcher and drove in a run with an eighth-inning single, becoming the first player to drive in a World Series run in his very first at-bat. (At the time, the World Series only used the designated hitter
in even-number years.)
Stoddard became the Orioles’ closer in , pitching in a career-high 64 games and finishing fourth in the AL with 26 saves, which would stand as a single-season franchise record until it was broken by Don Aase
's 34 in . Over the next three years he shared the closer role with left-hander Tippy Martinez
, but his earned run average ballooned to 6.09.
That year he was a member of the Orioles World Championship
team. Stoddard did not pitch in the Series, which the Orioles won over the Philadelphia Phillies
in five games, but he did become the only man ever to win a championship ring in both an NCAA basketball championship game and a World Series.
After the 1983 season Stoddard was traded to the Oakland Athletics
for third baseman
Wayne Gross
. In spring training
(March 26, 1984) he was again traded, this time to the Chicago Cubs
for two minor league players. During the season, Stoddard pitched in 58 games and posted a 10-6 record and seven saves as the Cubs won the National League East
title—their first postseason appearance since the 1945 World Series
. The Cubs, however, lost to the San Diego Padres
in the National League Championship Series
after leading two games to none. After the season Stoddard signed with none other than the Padres as a free agent
.
After pitching for the Padres for a year and a half, Stoddard was traded to the New York Yankees, where he pitched well and served mainly as a setup man for Dave Righetti
. While pitching against the then-California Angels (today the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) on September 5, 1987, Stoddard gave up the first-ever "broken bat" home run to Jack Howell. Stoddard was released on August 14, 1988 after posting a 6.38 ERA. He pitched his final season with the Cleveland Indians, pitching in 12 games before being released on July 12.
In his career, Stoddard pitched in 485 games, all in relief. He won 41 games against 35 losses, with a 3.95 ERA and 582 strikeouts in 729⅔ innings pitched. Stoddard is one of only two men to play in both an NCAA Basketball Final Four game, and an MLB World Series.
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...
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 is one of only two known men to have played in both a 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...
and an NCAA basketball national championship game.
A right-handed pitcher, Stoddard pitched for 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...
(1975), 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...
(1978–83), 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...
(1984), 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...
(1985–86), 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...
(1986–88) and 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...
(1989). Currently, he is the pitching coach for the baseball team at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
.
Basketball career
The 6'7" Stoddard was a member of the 1971 East Chicago Washington High School Senators basketballBasketball
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...
team, which went undefeated (29-0) and won the Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
state high school basketball championship. Among his teammates were Pete Trgovich
Pete Trgovich
Pete Trgovich was an American basketball player.Trgovich was a member of the 1971 East Chicago Washington High School Senators basketball team, which went undefeated and won the Indiana state high school championship...
(who played at UCLA) and Junior Bridgeman
Junior Bridgeman
Ulysses Lee "Junior" Bridgeman is a retired American basketball player.Born in East Chicago, Indiana, Bridgeman was a member of the 1971 East Chicago Washington High School Senators basketball team, which went undefeated and won the Indiana state high school basketball championship...
(who played at Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
and in the NBA).
Stoddard also lettered in basketball as well as baseball at North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
. He was a starting forward on the 1973-74 Wolfpack’s NCAA Basketball champions
1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It was the first tournament to officially be designated as a Division I championship—previously, NCAA member...
, which featured future Basketball Hall-of-Famer David Thompson
David Thompson (basketball)
David O'Neil Thompson is a former American professional basketball star with the Denver Nuggets of both the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association , as well as the Seattle SuperSonics...
. The Wolfpack went 30-1 on the season, the lone loss coming to the Bill Walton
Bill Walton
William Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
-led UCLA Bruins. The Wolfpack gained revenge in the NCAA Tournament and defeated UCLA in the Final Four, ending UCLA's seven-year run as National Champions.
Baseball career
In Stoddard was signed by the Chicago White SoxChicago 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...
, who released him after two minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
seasons. He reached the majors for good in ; that year, he pitched in 29 games, winning three and saving three others, with a 1.71 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...
in 58 innings pitched
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...
. His Orioles won 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...
pennant, but lost to the 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 the World Series
1979 World Series
The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...
after leading three games to one. In Game Four, Stoddard was the winning pitcher and drove in a run with an eighth-inning single, becoming the first player to drive in a World Series run in his very first at-bat. (At the time, the World Series only used the designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
in even-number years.)
Stoddard became the Orioles’ closer in , pitching in a career-high 64 games and finishing fourth in the AL with 26 saves, which would stand as a single-season franchise record until it was broken by Don Aase
Don Aase
Donald William Aase is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1990. During his MLB career, Aase played with the Boston Red Sox , California Angels and Baltimore Orioles , of the American League...
's 34 in . Over the next three years he shared the closer role with left-hander Tippy Martinez
Tippy Martinez
Felix Anthony Martinez , is a retired professional baseball pitcher. Martinez, who threw left-handed, pitched fourteen seasons in Major League Baseball between 1974 and 1988, primarily as a relief pitcher...
, but his earned run average ballooned to 6.09.
That year he was a member of the Orioles World Championship
1983 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandJohn Denver, whose Thank God I'm a Country Boy was played at the seventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sang the National Anthem prior to this game....
team. Stoddard did not pitch in the Series, which the Orioles won over 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...
in five games, but he did become the only man ever to win a championship ring in both an NCAA basketball championship game and a World Series.
After the 1983 season Stoddard was traded 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....
for third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Wayne Gross
Wayne Gross
Wayne Dale Gross , is a former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball primarily as a third baseman from 1976-1986. Gross was an All-Star as a rookie in 1977, belting 22 home runs that year...
. In 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...
(March 26, 1984) he was again traded, this time to 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...
for two minor league players. During the season, Stoddard pitched in 58 games and posted a 10-6 record and seven saves as the Cubs won the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
title—their first postseason appearance since the 1945 World Series
1945 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 2:Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 3:Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan...
. The Cubs, however, lost to 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 the National League Championship Series
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
after leading two games to none. After the season Stoddard signed with none other than the Padres 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....
.
After pitching for the Padres for a year and a half, Stoddard was traded to the New York Yankees, where he pitched well and served mainly as a setup man for Dave Righetti
Dave Righetti
David Allan Righetti is a former left-handed pitcher for various Major League Baseball teams, primarily the New York Yankees. He is currently the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants and was the first player in history to both pitch a no-hitter and also lead the league in saves in his career...
. While pitching against the then-California Angels (today the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) on September 5, 1987, Stoddard gave up the first-ever "broken bat" home run to Jack Howell. Stoddard was released on August 14, 1988 after posting a 6.38 ERA. He pitched his final season with the Cleveland Indians, pitching in 12 games before being released on July 12.
In his career, Stoddard pitched in 485 games, all in relief. He won 41 games against 35 losses, with a 3.95 ERA and 582 strikeouts in 729⅔ innings pitched. Stoddard is one of only two men to play in both an NCAA Basketball Final Four game, and an MLB World Series.