Stanley Pitula Jr. (March 23, 1931 – August 15, 1965) was an American
professional baseball player. A right-handed
pitcher, he appeared in 23
Major League Baseball games
A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...
for the
Cleveland Indians during the
1957 season. Pitula stood tall, weighed , and batted right-handed.
Born in
, he signed his first pro contract with Cleveland after a standout career at
Hackensack High School
Hackensack High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Hackensack, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Hackensack Public Schools. Hackensack High School serves students from the Bergen County, New Jer ...
, which would later induct him into its Sports Hall of Fame. Pitula also was highly successful during the first five years of his professional career, going 81–43 (.653) in
minor league baseball in leagues ranging from Class D to
Triple-A. In he made the Indians' Major League roster, and pitched in 23 games,
starting five. However, he injured his arm in an early-season game while facing
Yogi Berra,
[Smith, Steve, "Stan Pitula," ''The Baseball Biography Project'', Society for American Baseball Research](_blank)
/ref> and after pitching through pain for two months, he sustained a severe elbow injury while facing Roy Sievers of the Washington Senators on July 24, 1957. He never again pitched in the Major Leagues, making his last official appearance in MLB as a pinch runner
In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been sub ...
late in 1957.
In his 23 MLB games and 59⅔ innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
, Pitula allowed 67 hits
Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block
* ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998
* ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...
(including eight home runs
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
) and 32 bases on balls
A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Se ...
, with 17 strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
s. He tossed one complete game
In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
, a 17–4 thrashing of the Boston Red Sox on July 14, 1957, at Cleveland Stadium. Pitula collected two hits in five at bats to help his cause, knocking in two runs.Retrosheet box score: 1957-07-14 (2)
/ref>
Pitula returned to the minor leagues from 1958 to 1961 to try to regain his effectiveness, but he was unable to return to the Majors. After enduring personal difficulties, he died by suicide via carbon monoxide poisoning at the age of 34 in Hackensack.
References
External links
Smith, Steve, "Stan Pitula," ''The Baseball Biography Project'', Society for American Baseball Research
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitula, Stan
1931 births
1965 deaths
1965 suicides
Baseball players from Bergen County, New Jersey
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Burials at Hackensack Cemetery
Chattanooga Lookouts players
Cleveland Indians players
Daytona Beach Islanders players
Denver Bears players
Hackensack High School alumni
Indianapolis Indians players
Jersey City Jerseys players
Keokuk Kernels players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Mobile Bears players
Sportspeople from Hackensack, New Jersey
San Diego Padres (minor league) players
Spartanburg Peaches players
Suicides by carbon monoxide poisoning
Suicides in New Jersey
Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players