Brent Strom
Encyclopedia
Brent Terry Strom is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher who played from 1972 to 1973 and 1975 to 1977 for the New York Mets
, Cleveland Indians
and San Diego Padres
. According to an interview with Tommy John
, Strom was the second pitcher to receive Tommy John surgery
.
, Strom attended the University of Southern California
, leading them to two NCAA championships. He was originally drafted in the sixth round by the California Angels in the June Secondary phase of the 1967 amateur draft
. In the January Regular phase of the 1967 draft, he was drafted in the second round by the San Francisco Giants
. He did not sign either time. He finally did sign when the Mets drafted him third overall in the 1970 draft.
in 1970 with the Visalia Mets. That season, his record was four wins and five losses with a 3.75 earned run average
and 79 strikeouts in 72 innings
of work. The following year, he split time between the Memphis Blues
and the Tidewater Tides, going a combined 13-5 with a 2.85 ERA
and 147 strikeouts in 180 innings of work.
He earned a call-up to the majors in 1972 after doing well with the Tidewater Tides. With Tidewater, he had gone 6-7 with a 3.30 ERA in 142 innings of work. He made his big league debut on July 31, pitching well against the Montreal Expos
. In his first game, he pitched 6 2/3 innings of work, allowing two runs on two hits and four walks, striking out seven in the process. Although he pitched well, he did not get the decision
. The rest of his season didn't turn out well - overall, he appeared in 11 games, starting five of them. He went 0-3 with a 6.82 ERA.
On November 27, 1972, he was traded with fellow pitcher Bob Rauch
to the Indians for pitcher Phil Hennigan
. He played only one season with the Indians - 1973 - going 2-10 with a 4.61 ERA in 27 games (18 starts).
He did not play in 1974, but on June 21 of that year he was sent (with fellow pitcher Terry Ley
) to the Padres to complete an earlier trade that occurred on June 15. The Indians received pitcher Steve Arlin
in return.
He went 8-8 in 18 games for the San Diego in 1975. His 2.54 ERA was second on the team among all pitchers with at least 15 starts - he trailed only Randy Jones' 2.24 ERA. He had another respectable year in 1976, although his record was 12-16. In 210 2/3 innings, he posted a 3.29 ERA, and his 103 strikeouts led the team. 1977 would end up being his final season in the majors. He appeared in only eight games, making three starts. He went 0-2 with a 12.42 ERA. He played his final game on May 17, a game in which the Padres were routed by the Chicago Cubs
23-6.
Strom's sudden decline can be attributed to an elbow injury.
Although he did not play in the majors after the 1977 season, he remained active in the minors for a few more years. He did not play ball at all in 1978 after being released by the Padres in March of that year. However, he was signed by the Houston Astros
in March 1979. In his first year in the Astros' farm system, he pitched for the Daytona Beach Astros
, the Columbus Astros and the Charleston Charlies
. He went a combined 10-7 with a 3.63 ERA in 139 innings of work. In 1980, he pitched for the Tucson Toros
, and went 11-6 with a 4.37 ERA in 136 innings. He played his final year in 1981 with the Albuquerque Dukes
in the Los Angeles Dodgers
organization.
Overall, Strom went 22-39 with a 3.95 ERA in 100 big league appearances (75 starts). He pitched 501 innings, striking out 278 batters and walking 180. As a batter, he hit .078 in 102 career at-bats.
In the minors, he went 46-30 with a 3.65 ERA.
. He has also served as the minor league pitching coordinator in the Montreal Expos
/Washington Nationals
organization. He currently serves as the St. Louis Cardinals
minor league pitching instructor.
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 who played from 1972 to 1973 and 1975 to 1977 for 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...
, 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...
and 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...
. According to an interview with Tommy John
Tommy John
Thomas Edward John Jr. is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball whose 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers in major league history...
, Strom was the second pitcher to receive Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
.
College and the draft
Prior to playing professionallyProfessional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
, Strom attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, leading them to two NCAA championships. He was originally drafted in the sixth round by the California Angels in the June Secondary phase of the 1967 amateur draft
1967 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1967 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :The June draft was filled with talented prospects who would go on to pro careers...
. In the January Regular phase of the 1967 draft, he was drafted in the second round by 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....
. He did not sign either time. He finally did sign when the Mets drafted him third overall in the 1970 draft.
Professional career
Strom began his professional career as a starting pitcherPitcher
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...
in 1970 with the Visalia Mets. That season, his record was four wins and five losses with a 3.75 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...
and 79 strikeouts in 72 innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
of work. The following year, he split time between the Memphis Blues
Memphis Blues (baseball)
The Memphis Blues were a minor league baseball team from Memphis, Tennessee that played from 1968 to 1976. From 1968 to 1973, they were affiliated with the New York Mets and they played in the Texas League. From 1974 to 1975, they were affiliated with the Montreal Expos and they played in the...
and the Tidewater Tides, going a combined 13-5 with a 2.85 ERA
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...
and 147 strikeouts in 180 innings of work.
He earned a call-up to the majors in 1972 after doing well with the Tidewater Tides. With Tidewater, he had gone 6-7 with a 3.30 ERA in 142 innings of work. He made his big league debut on July 31, pitching well against the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
. In his first game, he pitched 6 2/3 innings of work, allowing two runs on two hits and four walks, striking out seven in the process. Although he pitched well, he did not get the decision
Decision (baseball)
A decision is a statistical credit given to a baseball pitcher.There are two types of decisions: win and loss.In order to receive a win, the starting pitcher must complete at least five innings and leave with the lead. If the pitcher's lead is preserved by the bullpen, he is credited with a win...
. The rest of his season didn't turn out well - overall, he appeared in 11 games, starting five of them. He went 0-3 with a 6.82 ERA.
On November 27, 1972, he was traded with fellow pitcher Bob Rauch
Bob Rauch
Robert John Rauch is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets in 1972....
to the Indians for pitcher Phil Hennigan
Phil Hennigan
Phillip Winston Hennigan is a right-handed former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1969 to 1973 with the Cleveland Indians and New York Mets...
. He played only one season with the Indians - 1973 - going 2-10 with a 4.61 ERA in 27 games (18 starts).
He did not play in 1974, but on June 21 of that year he was sent (with fellow pitcher Terry Ley
Terry Ley
Terrence Richard Ley is a retired baseball pitcher who began his career in the season for the New York Yankees. He was a student of University of Oregon before he was drafted in the 3rd round of the January 1967 draft and was 24 when he made his major league debut on August 20, 1971 for the...
) to the Padres to complete an earlier trade that occurred on June 15. The Indians received pitcher Steve Arlin
Steve Arlin
Steven Ralph Arlin is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. In six major league seasons, Arlin pitched for the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians .-College Star:...
in return.
He went 8-8 in 18 games for the San Diego in 1975. His 2.54 ERA was second on the team among all pitchers with at least 15 starts - he trailed only Randy Jones' 2.24 ERA. He had another respectable year in 1976, although his record was 12-16. In 210 2/3 innings, he posted a 3.29 ERA, and his 103 strikeouts led the team. 1977 would end up being his final season in the majors. He appeared in only eight games, making three starts. He went 0-2 with a 12.42 ERA. He played his final game on May 17, a game in which the Padres were routed by 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...
23-6.
Strom's sudden decline can be attributed to an elbow injury.
Although he did not play in the majors after the 1977 season, he remained active in the minors for a few more years. He did not play ball at all in 1978 after being released by the Padres in March of that year. However, he was signed by 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...
in March 1979. In his first year in the Astros' farm system, he pitched for the Daytona Beach Astros
Daytona Beach Astros
The Daytona Beach Astros were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1978 to 1984. They played in the Florida State League and were affiliated with the Houston Astros. Located in Daytona Beach, Florida, they were known as the Daytona Beach Islanders prior to being the Daytona Beach Astros...
, the Columbus Astros and the Charleston Charlies
Charleston Charlies
The Charleston Charlies was the name of the third and most recent Class AAA minor league baseball franchise that was located in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. The Charlies played in the International League from 1971 to 1976 as the relocated Columbus Jets franchise. In 1977 the franchise...
. He went a combined 10-7 with a 3.63 ERA in 139 innings of work. In 1980, he pitched for the Tucson Toros
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. They are owned by Tucson Baseball, LLC with Jay Zucker as chairman of the board. Sean Smock is the team's general manager....
, and went 11-6 with a 4.37 ERA in 136 innings. He played his final year in 1981 with the Albuquerque Dukes
Albuquerque Dukes
The Albuquerque Dukes were a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.-History:The first Dukes team was formed in 1915 as part of the Class-D Rio Grande Association. The team finished in third place with a 32-25 record. Frank Huelman was the league leader in home runs,...
in the 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...
organization.
Overall, Strom went 22-39 with a 3.95 ERA in 100 big league appearances (75 starts). He pitched 501 innings, striking out 278 batters and walking 180. As a batter, he hit .078 in 102 career at-bats.
In the minors, he went 46-30 with a 3.65 ERA.
Post-playing career
Since 1992, Strom has moved around a lot, serving as the pitching coach for the Tucson Toros, Houston Astros and, finally, with the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
. He has also served as the minor league pitching coordinator in the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
/Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
organization. He currently serves as 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...
minor league pitching instructor.