Dave Stewart (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
David Keith Stewart is a former right-handed starting pitcher
in Major League Baseball
during the late 1980s and early 1990s. A 20-game winner for 4 consecutive years, he was known for his post-season performance and for staring down batters when pitching to them. He currently works as a sports agent in San Diego.
in the 16th round of the 1975 amateur draft
as a catcher, but made his major league debut on September 22, 1978 as a pitcher. He did not find his niche in the major leagues until some time later. After returning to the minor leagues, he resurfaced in the Majors again in 1981. Teams were unsure how he would be best utilized, and Stewart split time starting and relieving
for the Dodgers, Texas Rangers
and Philadelphia Phillies
in the early to mid-1980s. His nickname at the time was Dave "Smoke" Stewart. In 1986, the Oakland Athletics
signed him after he was released by the Phillies. Stewart successfully converted to a starting role with the A's, posting a 9-5 record.
and striking out
205 batters. His new-found stardom would not be short-lived as he won 20 or more games in each of the next three seasons (1988–1990) and led a powerful Athletics club to the World Series
each of those years. Remarkably, he pitched over 250 innings in each of those four seasons, frequently posting complete games. In 1989
, the Athletics won the World Series championship, with Stewart, who won two of the four games while giving up just three runs, being named World Series MVP
. In 1990, the A's won their third straight pennant, beating the Boston Red Sox
in the American League Championship Series
, and Stewart was named the ALCS MVP. However, Oakland was upset in the World Series with a sweep by a decidedly underdog Cincinnati Reds
squad.
On June 29, 1990, Stewart no-hit
his future team, the Toronto Blue Jays
, at SkyDome
, the first no-hitter by an African American since Jim Bibby
in 1973 and, the last thrown by an Athletic before Dallas Braden
pitched a perfect game
on May 9, 2010. In a game that started minutes after Stewart's no-hitter finished, Dodger Fernando Valenzuela
no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals
at Dodger Stadium
– the first time in Major League history that no-hitters had been thrown in both leagues on the same day. Coincidentally, ESPN
broadcast both games back-to-back that night.
to the Blue Jays. Toronto went on to win the World Series
that year, catching Stewart's eye and prompting him to sign with them in 1993. The Blue Jays made it to the ALCS
once again, and triumphed over the Chicago White Sox
4 games to 2, with Stewart winning ALCS MVP honors for the second time in his career. The Blue Jays then went on to defeat the Phillies 4 games to 2 in the World Series
. Stewart remained with the Blue Jays for the 1994 season, then returned to Oakland to finish his career in 1995.
Over his career, he started 18 games in the postseason, compiling a stellar 2.84 ERA and 10-6 record (although his best numbers were from the League Championship Series, going 8-0.) Including the postseason, Stewart posted a 9-1 career record against Roger Clemens
.
, Milwaukee Brewers
, and Toronto Blue Jays
. He was also assistant general manager for the Blue Jays, and for a time regarded as a candidate for GM. He started a sports agency called Sports Management Partners, and currently represents Major League players such as Matt Kemp
and Chad Billingsley
.
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...
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...
during the late 1980s and early 1990s. A 20-game winner for 4 consecutive years, he was known for his post-season performance and for staring down batters when pitching to them. He currently works as a sports agent in San Diego.
Early career
Stewart was drafted by the Los Angeles DodgersLos 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 the 16th round of the 1975 amateur draft
1975 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1975 Major League Baseball draft..Many baseball draft experts consider the 1975 draft to be the weakest in MLB history.- External links :*- References :...
as a catcher, but made his major league debut on September 22, 1978 as a pitcher. He did not find his niche in the major leagues until some time later. After returning to the minor leagues, he resurfaced in the Majors again in 1981. Teams were unsure how he would be best utilized, and Stewart split time starting and relieving
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...
for the Dodgers, 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 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 the early to mid-1980s. His nickname at the time was Dave "Smoke" Stewart. In 1986, 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....
signed him after he was released by the Phillies. Stewart successfully converted to a starting role with the A's, posting a 9-5 record.
1987-1990
In 1987 he won 20 games while posting a 3.68 ERAEarned 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 striking out
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....
205 batters. His new-found stardom would not be short-lived as he won 20 or more games in each of the next three seasons (1988–1990) and led a powerful Athletics club to the 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...
each of those years. Remarkably, he pitched over 250 innings in each of those four seasons, frequently posting complete games. In 1989
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
, the Athletics won the World Series championship, with Stewart, who won two of the four games while giving up just three runs, being named World Series MVP
World Series MVP Award
The World Series Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the Major League Baseball postseason...
. In 1990, the A's won their third straight pennant, beating the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in the American League Championship Series
1990 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 6, 1990 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe opening game of the series saw a battle of aces, as Oakland sent Dave Stewart to the hill against Boston's Roger Clemens. The game was a scoreless pitchers duel until the bottom of the fourth, when Red Sox third baseman...
, and Stewart was named the ALCS MVP. However, Oakland was upset in the World Series with a sweep by a decidedly underdog Cincinnati 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....
squad.
On June 29, 1990, Stewart no-hit
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"...
his future team, the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, at SkyDome
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
, the first no-hitter by an African American since Jim Bibby
Jim Bibby
James Blair Bibby was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1984 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he was a member of its 1979 World Series Champions...
in 1973 and, the last thrown by an Athletic before Dallas Braden
Dallas Braden
Dallas Lee Braden is a left-handed pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. He was drafted out of Texas Tech University in the twenty fourth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft by the Athletics...
pitched a perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
on May 9, 2010. In a game that started minutes after Stewart's no-hitter finished, Dodger Fernando Valenzuela
Fernando Valenzuela
Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea is a Mexican former left-handed pitcher, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers.In 1981, the 20-year-old Valenzuela took Los Angeles by storm, winning his first 8 decisions and leading the Dodgers to the World Championship...
no-hit 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...
at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
– the first time in Major League history that no-hitters had been thrown in both leagues on the same day. Coincidentally, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
broadcast both games back-to-back that night.
1991-1995
Stewart was also a part of the 1992 Oakland team which lost in the ALCS1992 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 7, 1992 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe first game of the series had Oakland's Dave Stewart face off against Toronto's Jack Morris. The A's put up a three-spot against Morris in the second inning, as Mark McGwire and Terry Steinbach hit back-to-back home runs...
to the Blue Jays. Toronto went on to win the World Series
1992 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 17, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaBraves fans had plenty to worry about in regard to both starting pitchers. Tom Glavine's post-season career had been less than stellar, including giving up eight runs in the second inning of Game 6 of the NLCS...
that year, catching Stewart's eye and prompting him to sign with them in 1993. The Blue Jays made it to the ALCS
1993 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 5, 1993 at Comiskey Park in Chicago, IllinoisThe ALCS opened at Comiskey Park with a battle of aces, as Toronto threw Juan Guzmán against Chicago's Jack McDowell, the eventual 1993 American League Cy Young Award winner...
once again, and triumphed over 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...
4 games to 2, with Stewart winning ALCS MVP honors for the second time in his career. The Blue Jays then went on to defeat the Phillies 4 games to 2 in the World Series
1993 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
. Stewart remained with the Blue Jays for the 1994 season, then returned to Oakland to finish his career in 1995.
Over his career, he started 18 games in the postseason, compiling a stellar 2.84 ERA and 10-6 record (although his best numbers were from the League Championship Series, going 8-0.) Including the postseason, Stewart posted a 9-1 career record against Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
.
Post-playing career
Stewart has served as pitching coach for the San Diego PadresSan 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...
, Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, and Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. He was also assistant general manager for the Blue Jays, and for a time regarded as a candidate for GM. He started a sports agency called Sports Management Partners, and currently represents Major League players such as Matt Kemp
Matt Kemp
Matthew Ryan "Matt" Kemp is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers.Kemp was drafted by the Dodgers in the 6th round of the 2003 draft and made his major league debut in 2006...
and Chad Billingsley
Chad Billingsley
Chad Ryan Billingsley is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers.-Biography:...
.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball wins champions
- Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeTop 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeIn baseball, a strikeout occurs when the batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher and failure on the part of the batter....
- Major League Baseball titles leadersMajor League Baseball titles leadersAt the end of each Major League Baseball season, the league leaders of various statistical categories are announced. Leading the league in a particular category is referred to as a title....
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
External links
- http://blog.nbx.com/dave_stewart/index.html Dave Stewart's blog