Jerry Stephenson

Jerry Joseph Stephenson (October 6, 1943 – June 6, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher and longtime scout. As a player, he appeared for all or parts of seven seasons for the Boston Red Sox (1963; 1965–68), Seattle Pilots and Los Angeles Dodgers (1970). Born in Detroit, Michigan, and raised in Hermosa Beach and Anaheim, California, Stephenson was a graduate of Anaheim High School and California State University, Fullerton. He threw right-handed, batted left-handed, and was listed as tall and .

The son of former MLB catcher and longtime Boston scout Joe Stephenson, Jerry Stephenson signed a bonus contract with the Red Sox upon his high school graduation in June 1961. He was regarded as a top prospect until he hurt his elbow while pitching for the 1964 Seattle Rainiers of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League; until he was injured, he had posted a 6–4 record and an ERA of 1.57 in 14 starts, along with 97 strikeouts and only 61 hits allowed in 92 innings pitched.

During his MLB career, Stephenson compiled a won–lost record of 8–19, 184 strikeouts, three complete games, one save, and a 5.70 earned run average in 67 games (33 as a starting pitcher) and 238 innings pitched. He also pitched in relief during Game 4 of the 1967 World Series.

Following in his father's footsteps, Stephenson spent 36 years as a Major League scout, working with the Dodgers (1974–94) and Red Sox (1995–2009) before his retirement to part-time status after the season. His son Brian Stephenson, a former minor league pitcher, is a regional crosschecker for the Dodgers — the third generation of the family to serve as an MLB scout.