About Stover McIlwain
Lived 1939 – 1966 (aged 26). Stover McIlwain was an American baseball player.
Stover William McIlwain (September 22, 1939 – January 15, 1966), nicknamed "Smokey", was an American professional baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, he appeared in two games for the 1957–58 Chicago White Sox, making his Major League debut just three days after his 18th birthday. The native of Savannah, Georgia, batted right-handed, stood tall and weighed . He graduated from J. M. Tate High School in Gonzalez, Florida, and attended Rollins College.
McIlwain's two MLB games took place during consecutive Septembers, with a relief appearance in against the Detroit Tigers and a starting assignment against the Kansas City Athletics in . In the latter game, McIlwain allowed a home run to lead-off batter Lou Klimchock, an 18-year-old rookie. Klimchock remains the youngest player to achieve the feat in major league history. McIlvain settled down to pitch four innings without further scoring, allowing four hits and no bases on balls. He left for a pinch hitter in the home half of the fourth inning with a 2–1 lead in an eventual 11-4 victory.
In his two big league appearances and five innings pitched, McIlwain did not record a win or a loss, gave up six hits and just the one earned run for a lifetime earned run average of 1.80. He notched four strikeouts, all during his 1958 starting assignment. His minor league pitching career, spent entirely in the White Sox' farm system, extended from 1957 through 1963, with 1961–62 spent in military service.
McIlwain died in Buffalo, New York, from testicular cancer at the age of 26 and was interred in Spruell Memorial Cemetery, Cantonment, Florida.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Stover McIlwain's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Stover McIlwain's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Stover McIlwain?
American baseball player (1939–1966)
When was Stover McIlwain born?
Stover McIlwain was born on 22 September 1939 in Savannah.
When did Stover McIlwain die?
Stover McIlwain died on 15 January 1966 in Buffalo.
What was Stover McIlwain's occupation?
Stover McIlwain was a baseball player.
What nationality was Stover McIlwain?
Stover McIlwain was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Stover McIlwain. https://biography.guide/stover-mcilwain/
MLA: "Stover McIlwain." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/stover-mcilwain/.
Chicago: "Stover McIlwain." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/stover-mcilwain/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:24 UTC