Frank W. Overmire (May 16, 1919 – March 3, 1977) was a
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), ...
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 ...
who played ten seasons for the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
(1943–1949),
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...
(1950–1952), and
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
(1951). In ten seasons, Overmire won 58 games and lost 67 with a 3.96 earned run average. Because of his stature, and , the
left-hander was nicknamed "Stubby."
Born in
Moline, Michigan, Overmire attended Western State Teachers College, now known as
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...
, where he played for the then Hilltoppers from 1938 to 1941
Overmire signed with the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
after in 1941 as an undrafted free agent. He debuted for the Tigers in April 1943 and won 7 games with 8 complete games and 3 shutouts in his rookie season. In his second season, Overmire pitched 11 complete games, 3 shoutouts, and had his career-low ERA at 3.07.
In 1945, Overmire started 22 games, and won 9, for the American League pennant winning Tigers. He was the Tigers' starting pitcher in Game 3 of the 1945 World Series against the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
, Despite giving up only 2 runs in 6 innings, Overmire took the loss as the Tigers were shut out 3–0.
Overmire's best season was 1947, when he won 11 and lost 5 for the Tigers with a 3.77 earned run average. His 3 shutouts and won-loss percentage of .688 were both fifth best in the American League.
Overmire went on to pitch for the St. Louis Browns from 1950 to 1952 with a short stint with the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
at the end of the 1951 season. Stubby pitched in 15 games for the Yankees in 1951 and won his second
World Series ring
A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...
, as the Yankees beat the Giants in the 1951 World Series.
After his playing career ended, Overmire became a manager in the Tigers' minor league organization. Through the 1950s, he served as a manager in Little Rock, Terre Haute, Montgomery, Valdosta, and
Decatur. In 1959 as manager of the
Decatur Commodores
The Decatur Commodores were a professional minor league baseball team based in Decatur, Illinois that played for 64 seasons. The Commodores are the primary ancestor of today's Kane County Cougars. They played, with sporadic interruptions, from ...
of the
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
, Overmire was named
Manager of the Year Manager of the Year may refer to:
* Major League Baseball Manager of the Year Award
* League Managers Association Manager of the Year
* Premier League Manager of the Season
The Premier League Manager of the Season is an annual association footba ...
. He moved on to Durham in 1960 and Jamestown in 1962. From 1963 to 1966, he was a coach in the Major Leagues for the Tigers. In 1967, he managed Lakeland, and in 1970, he returned as the manager for Montgomery. He finished his career as a manager in
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...
, where he served as manager from 1971 to 1975.
Overmire died on March 3, 1977, after suffering a stroke.
Tigers 'Stubby' Overmire dies
/ref>
References
External links
Baseball-Reference.com
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Overmire, Stubby
1919 births
1977 deaths
Baseball players from Michigan
Beaumont Exporters players
Decatur Commodores players
Detroit Tigers coaches
Detroit Tigers players
Detroit Tigers scouts
Durham Bulls managers
Lakeland Flying Tigers managers
Little Rock Travelers players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Major League Baseball pitching coaches
Muskegon Reds players
New York Yankees players
St. Louis Browns players
Terre Haute Tigers players
Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players
Western Michigan Broncos baseball players