Claude Osteen
Encyclopedia
Claude Wilson Osteen nicknamed "Gomer" because of his resemblance to Gomer Pyle
, is a former Major League Baseball
left-handed
pitcher
. He pitched for six different teams: the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds
(1957–1961), Washington Senators
(1961–1964), Los Angeles Dodgers
(1965–1973), Houston Astros
(1974), St. Louis Cardinals
(1974), and Chicago White Sox
(1975).
and Pete Richert
) going to the Senators. As a Dodger, Osteen was finally made into a full-time starter. In his time with Cincinnati, he went 0-1; in his time with the Senators, he went 33-28. As a Dodger, his career finally took off.
After two years with an earned run average
under 3.00, Osteen was considered a top starter and a workhorse. In those two years, Osteen and the Dodgers reached two straight World Series
, the last two Osteen would reach in his career. In the 1965 World Series
, the Dodgers would beat the Minnesota Twins
in 7 games, and Osteen pitched brilliantly. He had a 0.64 ERA in the Series with a 1-1 record including a shutout
, which came after teammates Don Drysdale
and Sandy Koufax
lost their respective games, the first two games of the Series. In the 1966 World Series
, the Dodgers would lose to the Baltimore Orioles
in 4 games. Osteen gave up only three hits in seven innings in Game Three, only to lose 1-0, his efforts outdone by Wally Bunker
's six-hit pitching; a home run by Paul Blair
accounted for the game's only run. Osteen's final postseason statistics include a 0.86 ERA with 7 strikeout
s in 21 innings pitched
.
In , he reached his first All-Star game
, going 17-17 with a 3.22 ERA in 288⅓ innings pitched. He also picked up 14 complete game
s on the year, with 5 shutouts. In he posted a 3.08 ERA but won only 12 games against 18 losses. The 12 victories would be his fewest in a season from 1964-1973; the 18 losses tied him with Ray Sadecki
for the Major League lead. In , Osteen won 20 games for the first time and set a number of career highs:
Moving towards the 1970s, Osteen was still pitching an amazing average of 260 innings a year, which made people often consider him a link to old-time baseball.
In , Osteen pitched three shutout innings in the all-star game and got the win, a game remembered most by Pete Rose
's barreling into Ray Fosse
to score the winning run in the 12th inning. Coincidentally, like Osteen, the pitcher and hitter involved in the walkoff single were also Tennessee natives: Jim Hickman (a Dodger teammate of Osteen's in ) collected the hit off losing pitcher Clyde Wright
(coincidentally, Hickman and Wright would become Comeback Players of the Year in their respective leagues).
In , Osteen had an incredibly strong year finishing with 7 complete game victories in his last 9 starts. That year, he was 20-11 with a 2.64 ERA in 252 innings pitched.
He made his 3rd and final All-Star team in , in his last real quality season, and his last season with the Dodgers. That year, he went 16-11 and had a 3.31 ERA with a 2nd-place Dodger team. In his 33 starts on the season, he had 12 complete games and 3 shutouts. He had won in double figures each year from 1964-1973.
Prior to the 1974 season, the Dodgers traded Osteen to the Houston Astros
for outfielder Jimmy Wynn
. Wynn helped the Dodgers win the 1974 N.L. pennant.
Osteen played his final game on September 27, 1975 with the White Sox. He was released by them on April 5 of the next year.
During a 18-year baseball career, Osteen compiled 196 wins
, 1,612 strikeout
s, and a 3.30 earned run average
.
As a batter, Osteen had a .188 batting average
with 8 home run
s and 76 runs batted in.
He later became a pitching coach for the Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies
, Texas Rangers
and the Dodgers as well as various minor league teams.
Gomer Pyle
Gomer Pyle is a bubbly, gentle, rural auto mechanic character played by American singer/ television actor Jim Nabors. Gomer Pyle became a character on the TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, when actor Howard McNear, who played Floyd the barber, suffered a stroke and took a respite from acting. Jim...
, is a former 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 for six different teams: the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1957–1961), Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1961–1964), 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...
(1965–1973), 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...
(1974), 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...
(1974), and 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).
Career overview
The most significant portion of his career was with the Dodgers. After 6 years in the majors, he was traded from the Senators to the Dodgers in a 7-player deal, with four players (two of whom were Frank HowardFrank Howard (baseball player)
Frank Oliver Howard , nicknamed "Hondo", "The Washington Monument", and "The Capital Punisher", is a former left and right fielder, coach and manager in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Senators/Texas Rangers...
and Pete Richert
Pete Richert
Peter Gerard Richert is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Washington Senators , Baltimore Orioles , St...
) going to the Senators. As a Dodger, Osteen was finally made into a full-time starter. In his time with Cincinnati, he went 0-1; in his time with the Senators, he went 33-28. As a Dodger, his career finally took off.
After two years with 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...
under 3.00, Osteen was considered a top starter and a workhorse. In those two years, Osteen and the Dodgers reached two straight 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...
, the last two Osteen would reach in his career. In the 1965 World Series
1965 World Series
The 1965 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the American League champion Minnesota Twins, who had won their first pennant since 1933 when the team was known as the Washington Senators...
, the Dodgers would beat the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in 7 games, and Osteen pitched brilliantly. He had a 0.64 ERA in the Series with a 1-1 record including a 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....
, which came after teammates Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
and Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
lost their respective games, the first two games of the Series. In the 1966 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...
, the Dodgers would lose to 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...
in 4 games. Osteen gave up only three hits in seven innings in Game Three, only to lose 1-0, his efforts outdone by Wally Bunker
Wally Bunker
Wallace Edward Bunker is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. A right-hander, Bunker pitched for the Baltimore Orioles from to and Kansas City Royals from to .-Biography:...
's six-hit pitching; a home run by Paul Blair
Paul Blair (baseball)
Paul L. D. Blair is a former outfielder who spent seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles , New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds...
accounted for the game's only run. Osteen's final postseason statistics include a 0.86 ERA with 7 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 in 21 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...
.
In , he reached his first All-Star game
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...
, going 17-17 with a 3.22 ERA in 288⅓ innings pitched. He also picked up 14 complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s on the year, with 5 shutouts. In he posted a 3.08 ERA but won only 12 games against 18 losses. The 12 victories would be his fewest in a season from 1964-1973; the 18 losses tied him with Ray Sadecki
Ray Sadecki
Raymond Michael Sadecki is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. A left-hander, Sadecki pitched for the St...
for the Major League lead. In , Osteen won 20 games for the first time and set a number of career highs:
- 20 wins
- 321 innings
- 183 strikeouts
- 7 shutouts
- 16 complete games
- 41 starts
Moving towards the 1970s, Osteen was still pitching an amazing average of 260 innings a year, which made people often consider him a link to old-time baseball.
In , Osteen pitched three shutout innings in the all-star game and got the win, a game remembered most by Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
's barreling into Ray Fosse
Ray Fosse
Raymond Earl Fosse is a former professional baseball player who was a catcher in the Major Leagues. He was drafted in the first round of the 1965 amateur draft by the Cleveland Indians. Fosse also holds the distinction of being the Indians' first ever draft pick, as 1965 was the first year of the...
to score the winning run in the 12th inning. Coincidentally, like Osteen, the pitcher and hitter involved in the walkoff single were also Tennessee natives: Jim Hickman (a Dodger teammate of Osteen's in ) collected the hit off losing pitcher Clyde Wright
Clyde Wright
Clyde Wright , nicknamed "Skeeter", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched for the California Angels , Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers . He also pitched three seasons in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants...
(coincidentally, Hickman and Wright would become Comeback Players of the Year in their respective leagues).
In , Osteen had an incredibly strong year finishing with 7 complete game victories in his last 9 starts. That year, he was 20-11 with a 2.64 ERA in 252 innings pitched.
He made his 3rd and final All-Star team in , in his last real quality season, and his last season with the Dodgers. That year, he went 16-11 and had a 3.31 ERA with a 2nd-place Dodger team. In his 33 starts on the season, he had 12 complete games and 3 shutouts. He had won in double figures each year from 1964-1973.
Prior to the 1974 season, the Dodgers traded Osteen to 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...
for outfielder Jimmy Wynn
Jimmy Wynn
James Sherman Wynn , nicknamed the "Toy Cannon," is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. During a 15-year baseball career, he played from 1963-1977 for five different teams: the Houston Colt .45s/Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, and Milwaukee Brewers...
. Wynn helped the Dodgers win the 1974 N.L. pennant.
Osteen played his final game on September 27, 1975 with the White Sox. He was released by them on April 5 of the next year.
During a 18-year baseball career, Osteen compiled 196 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...
, 1,612 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 a 3.30 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...
.
As a batter, Osteen had a .188 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 8 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 76 runs batted in.
He later became a pitching coach for the Cardinals, 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...
, Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
and the Dodgers as well as various minor league teams.
Highlights
- 3-time All-Star (1967, 70, 73)
- Top 10 in the league in games started, 10 times (1964,'65,'66,'67,'68,'69,'70,'71,'72,'75)
- 2nd in the league in shutouts 3 times (1967,'69,'70), top 10 in the league 3 more times (1971,'72,'73)
- Top 10 in the league in innings pitched, 6 times (1964,'65,'67,'69,'70,'72)
- Top 10 in ERA, 3 times (1965,'66,'72)
- Ranks #71 in all-time innings pitched (3460⅓) http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/IP_career.shtml
- Ranks #44 (tie) in all-time shutouts (40) http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SHO_career.shtml
- Ranks #46 in all-time games started (488) http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/GS_career.shtml
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Texas Rangers Opening Day starting pitchers
- List of Washington Senators Opening Day starting pitchers