Former ace, longtime pitching coach Stottlemyre dies at 77

NEWYORK(AP) >> Mel Stottlemyre made his mark on the mound: He started Game 7 of the World Series, earned five championship rings as a pitching coach, wound up with a plaque at Monument Park.

But his most enduring impression might have come with the bat — more than a half-century later, he remains the last pitcher to hit an inside-the-park grand slam.

Stottlemyre, the ace who later oversaw stellar staffs for both the New York Yankees and Mets, has died. He was 77.

The Yankees said Stottlemyre died Sunday. He had been living in the Seattle area and had multiple myeloma for nearly 20 years.

“Mel was more than a pitching coach to me. He was a dear friend. Everything I accomplished in the game was because of him. He taught me so much more than balls and strikes,” former pupil Dwight Gooden said in a statement.

A five-time All-Star and threetime 20- game winner, Stottlemyre went 164-139 with a 2.97 ERA in 11 seasons, all with the Yankees.

Stottlemyre made his major league debut in August 1964, providing a big boost in the pennant race. The 22-year-old rookie started three times against St. Louis great Bob Gibson in the

World Series, eventually losing Game 7 on two days’ rest.

The r i ght - hander showed he could excel at the plate, too. He got five hits in a game during his first year.

On July 20, 1965, Stottlemyre came up with the bases loaded in the fifth inning against Boston righty Bill Monbouquette. The Red Sox drew in their defense all over the diamond.

Instead, Stottlemyre hit a line drive that split left fielder Carl Yastrzemski and center fielder Jim Gosger and kept rolling, well over 450 feet away at spacious Yankee Stadium. Stottlemyre took off, ran around third and slid home as the throw bounced past the catcher.

“I guess they thought I was going to bunt to squeeze in a run,” Stottlemyre said after the game.

Only one other time has a pitcher hit an inside-thepark grand slam — in 1910, by Deacon Phillippe of Pittsburgh.

Stottlemyre went 20- 9 that year, completing 18 of his 37 starts, but the Yankees dipped below .500. Coming off a long period of dominance, the Yanks stayed stuck in a tailspin and never again reached the postseason during his playing days.

Stottlemyre then moved into the second phase of his career, teaching what he had learned. Working with the likes of Gooden, David Cone and Roger Clemens, Stottlemyre emerged as a top pitching coach.