Steven Charles Barr (born September 8, 1951) is a retired American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
player
Player may refer to:
Role or adjective
* Player (game), a participant in a game or sport
** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games
** Athlete, a player in sports
** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who is ...
. A left-handed
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the 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 ...
, he worked in 24
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 ...
in
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), ...
between 1974 and 1976 for the
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 ...
and the
Texas Rangers. He was listed as tall and .
Early life
Barr was born in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
but grew up in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
.
Career
After graduating from
Carson High School (Carson, California)
Carson High School is a four-year public high school in Carson, California, United States. It is situated in the District South area of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Carson High is located on the corner of 223rd Street and Main Street. ...
, he was picked by Boston in the seventh round of the
1969 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1969 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft took place prior to the 1969 MLB season. The draft featured future Hall of Famers Bert Blyleven (pick 55) and Dave Winfield (pick 882).
First round selections
The following are the first round picks ...
. In 1974, his sixth season in the Red Sox
farm system
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
, he won 16 games, lost eight, and posted a 2.45
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
and 15
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 ...
s with the
Double-A Bristol Red Sox
The Bristol Red Sox baseball club was an American minor league baseball franchise. Based in Bristol, Connecticut, it was the Double-A Eastern League farm system affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for ten seasons (1973–82) and played at Muzzy Fi ...
. Barr led the
Eastern League in
games won was named to the All-Star team. Boston recalled him to their active roster that September and he started the penultimate game of the season. In his MLB debut, Barr threw a complete game 7–4 victory against the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
, scattering seven
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 ...
and six
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 ...
.
He began with
Triple-A Pawtucket, and was given a three-game trial with the
pennant-bound Red Sox in July. He made three appearances, including two starts in which he was treated roughly. surrendering ten hits, four walks and nine
runs in only six
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 ...
—but only two of the runs were
earned. He returned to Pawtucket, where he posted a good 2.92 ERA despite a
win–loss record
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
of only 6–12. Then, on November 17, he was included in one of the off-season's blockbuster trades when he was sent to the Rangers with
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
Juan Beníquez
Juan José Beníquez Torres (born May 13, 1950) is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals an ...
for future
Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
pitcher
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins CM (born December 13, 1942) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1965 to 1983 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and ...
.
Barr then spent all of on the Ranger roster, appearing in 20 games, including ten as a
starting pitcher
In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...
. In his first start, April 13 against the defending
American League West
The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams curr ...
champion
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
, Barr threw a complete game, four-hit, 3–1 victory,
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 ...
seven. He was credited with two more complete games that season, but he struggled to a 2–6 mark with a poor 5.59 earned run average. He was selected by the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
with the 54th pick in the
1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft
The 1976 MLB Expansion Draft was held November 5, 1976. This expansion draft was conducted by Major League Baseball to stock the major league rosters of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners, new major league expansion franchises establis ...
, but did not the M's big-league roster and spent both 1977 and 1978 in Triple-A before retiring from baseball after ten pro seasons.
In his 24 MLB games pitched, Barr allowed 88 hits and 57 bases on balls in 83
total innings pitched. He fanned 32, and was credited with four complete games in 13 total starts. He is the uncle of pitcher
Ryan Madson
Ryan Michael Madson (born August 28, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles D ...
.
Baseball Reference
/ref>
Sources
External links
Steve Barr
at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
Steve Barr
at Baseball Almanac
Steve Barr
at Baseball Gauge
Steve Barr
at Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barr, Steve
1951 births
Living people
Baseball players from St. Louis
Boston Red Sox players
Florida Instructional League Red Sox players
Greenville Red Sox players
Jamestown Falcons players
Kansas City Royals players
Leones del Caracas players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Major League Baseball pitchers
Omaha Royals players
Pawtucket Red Sox players
People from Carson, California
Portland Beavers players
Texas Rangers players
Toledo Mud Hens players
Winston-Salem Red Sox players
Winter Haven Red Sox players
Carson High School (Carson, California) alumni