Robert Wayne Stanifer (born March 10, 1972) is an American former
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
who pitched for the
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
and
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
of the
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB). He also pitched one season for the
Hiroshima Toyo Carp
The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda ...
of the
Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
(NPB). Listed at , 205 lb., he batted and threw
right-handed
In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...
.
Early life
Stanifer grew up in
Easley, South Carolina
Easley is a city in Pickens County (with parts extending into Anderson County) in the State of South Carolina. Most of the city lies in Pickens County, with a small portion of the city in Anderson County.
In 2001, Easley hosted the Big League ...
, where he attended
Easley High School
Easley High School (EHS) is a public high school in Easley, South Carolina, founded in 1909. The original auditorium is on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
The school was built on Russell street in 1909, then relocated to a new ...
and played varsity baseball. Stanifer is the only Major League player to attend the high school. Following his senior year at the school, Stanifer elected to play
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
at
Anderson College, now known as Anderson University, a Junior College at the time. In 1993, he played
collegiate summer baseball
Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
with the
Orleans Cardinals
The Orleans Firebirds, formerly the Orleans Cardinals, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Orleans, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Firebirds play t ...
of the
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...
. He was the 1994
National Christian College Athletic Association
The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic co ...
National Player of the Year while at the school.
Professional career
Florida Marlins
Stanifer was selected in the 12th round (320th overall) by the Marlins in the
1994 MLB draft
First round selections
The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft.
Compensation picks
Compensation Picks
Other notable players
*Troy Glaus, 2nd round, 37th overall by the San Diego Padres, but did not ...
out of
Anderson University.
Stanifer made his MLB debut in 1997, after spending 3 years in the minor leagues. He appeared in 36 games as a rookie, primarily as a relief pitcher. The Marlins surprised baseball that season, with their run all the way to the World Series, in only their 4th season as a franchise. Stanifer returned to the Marlins the next season, and posted a similar 38 games as a relief pitcher, even recording 1 save on the season.
Boston Red Sox
Following the 1998 season, Stanifer was traded to the Boston Red Sox on May 31, 1999, in exchange for Brian Partenheimer. He did not make his debut with the Red Sox until the 2000 season and only appeared in 8 games. Stanifer became a free agent after the season.
Stanifer then spent time with the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, in their minor league teams, for the majority of the 2001.
Hiroshima Toyo Carp
After the 2001 season he opted to play for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the NPB for the 2002 season. He appeared in only 15 games in the NPB, posting a 4.74 ERA over 19 innings pitched.
Minor Leagues
After the 2002 season, he moved back to the states and spent time in the minor leagues within the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Montreal Expos farm systems before retiring from baseball in 2004.
Career Stats
In 82 relief appearances for the Marlins and Red Sox, Stanifer posted a 3–6 record with a 5.43
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
and two
saves, giving up 75 runs (11 unearned) on 119 hits and 42
walks while
striking out
''Striking Out'' is an Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who is ...
61 in 106.0 innings. In 358 minor league appearances, he went 44–35 with a 3.73 ERA and 42 saves, including 184 walks, 494 strikeouts, and innings of work.
Coaching career
After retiring from baseball, Stanifer did not stay far away from the game. He initially became a baseball coach at the Largo High School in the town where he currently resides. Achieving moderate success and developing a reputation as a valuable coach in the Tampa Bay Area, this time served as a very good stepping stone into the coaching world for Stanifer. He coached there until the year 2009, until he ultimately made the move to his current position at Northeast High School.
With his new position at NEHS, Stanifer brought a new approach to a team that featured many college bound players with high expectations. He used his professional experience to mentor the players and lead them in the right direction. With Northeast St. Petersburg, having a strong little league baseball presence, the school's proximity to the area would allow for a steady stream of talent to flow through the school. It was up to Stanifer to hone the talent and bring out the best in the players. The baseball program was already relevant, even having former MLB First round Draft pick, Doug Waechter, being an alumnus, but Stanifer brought consistent success to the school.
Stanifer led the team to multiple district championships, including a run of 4 in a row. In 2017, Stanifer's team made one the schools deepest runs in history, making it all the way to the regional semifinals of the 7A FHSAA State Playoffs.
In 2018, Stanifer was ejected from a semifinal game for repeatedly complaining about the umpiring. "After the ejection, Stanifer continued to yell at the umpires as he was being escorted from the field. Stanifer allegedly called the umpire 'Tubby.' He also said 'Boy, the things I would do if I got you in the parking lot. Ohhh, you would regret it.'"
The Florida High School Athletic Association found that Stanifer committed Level 3 egregious unsportsmanlike conduct and suspended him for one year. He is not eligible to coach again until May 2, 2019
Personal life
Stanifer also was a member of the Florida Marlins
1997 World Series Champions. He currently resides in
Largo, Florida
Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, as well as the fourth largest in the Tampa Bay area. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 82,500, up from 69,371 in 2000.
Largo was first incorporated in 1 ...
, where he lives with his wife and their two young daughters. He also works at his own company on top of his job as the head coach of the Northeast High School Varsity Baseball team. He is also now a member of the Anderson University Hall of Fame.
References
External links
, o
Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Winter League)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stanifer, Rob
1972 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
American expatriate baseball players in Japan
Anderson Trojans baseball players
Baseball coaches from South Carolina
Baseball players from Anderson County, South Carolina
Boston Red Sox players
Brevard County Manatees players
Calgary Cannons players
Charlotte Knights players
Edmonton Trappers players
Elmira Pioneers players
Florida Marlins players
Hiroshima Toyo Carp players
Iowa Cubs players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Navegantes del Magallanes players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
New Orleans Zephyrs players
Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers
Orleans Firebirds players
Pawtucket Red Sox players
People from Easley, South Carolina
People from Largo, Florida
Baseball players from Pinellas County, Florida
Portland Sea Dogs players
Trenton Thunder players