Tracy Stallard

Evan Tracy Stallard (August 31, 1937 – December 6, 2017) was an American professional baseball player, a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1960 to 1966. He played with the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals.

Stallard is most remembered for having given up New York Yankees slugger Roger Maris' 61st home run in 1961.

Early career Stallard began his professional career in Minor League Baseball with the Lafayette Red Sox of the Class D Midwest League from 1956 to 1957. Over the two seasons, he notched up win–loss records of 5–8 and 7–12, respectively. For the 1958 season, he was promoted to the Raleigh Capitals of the Class B Carolina League, where he posted a 9–6 record and a 3.09 earned run average. 1959 had several stops for Stallard, the first being the Class AAA Minneapolis Millers of the American Association. Stallard threw for a 7–11 record and a 3.51 ERA. He also saw time with the Class A Eastern League Allentown Red Sox, where he posted up a 9–4 record with a dominant 1.68 ERA. During the 1960 season, where Stallard was eventually called up to the major leagues, he posted a 4–5 record with a 4.82 ERA for Allentown.

Boston Red Sox Stallard appeared in four games in his debut season of 1960. He faced 15 batters without giving up a single hit, and amassed 6 strikeouts. Three of his appearances were against the New York Yankees. Stallard's first victory came on August 10, striking out eight in 8 innings pitched in a 3–2 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Stallard started in 14 of his last 15 appearances for the season going 2–7 with a 5.00 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 86 innings pitched as a starter.

Stallard again started in the relief role for his first 13 games, but was finally given the opportunity to start on June 2. Stallard responded to the promotion by notching up a 2.28 ERA with 27 strikeouts in innings for the entire month of June. Afterwards, though, Stallard's season fell apart. He ended with a record of 6–17 to go with a 4.71 ERA. In 11 of his games the Mets scored one or no runs. While with the Mets, Stallard developed something of a taste for New York's night life, dating, among others, actress Julie Newmar, who would go on to play Catwoman in the Batman television series.

St. Louis Cardinals On December 7, 1964, Stallard joined the St. Louis Cardinals in a move that sent him to the Cards in exchange for Johnny Lewis and Gordie Richardson.

Stallard had the best season of his career in his first year with the Cardinals in 1965. After pitching in his first three games as a reliever, Stallard was moved to starter on April 24, and began the season 7–3 with a 2.80 ERA. In May alone, Stallard went 3–0 with a 2.31 ERA in 50 innings.

Late career During the 1966 season, Stallard was very vocal about his displeasure of being assigned to the bullpen, though he had a 6.10 ERA at the time and had just came off three consecutive games where he gave up one or more earned runs in relief. He was promoted back to the starting role on June 4, but it only amounted to a 5.71 ERA in seven starts, averaging only five innings per outing. but the damage had been done. Stallard played his final Major League game on July 24 against the Chicago Cubs on the front-end of a doubleheader.

Soon after his final appearance, the Cardinals reassigned Stallard to the Class AAA Tulsa Oilers of the Pacific Coast League. From 1967 to 1973, he played for several more minor league teams including the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs and High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms, with stops in Torreón and Córdoba of the Class AAA Mexican League. previously a Minnesota Twins scout and eventual manager of the 2003 World Series champion Florida Marlins and two-time National League Manager of the Year Award winner. Stallard resumed his playing career in 1969 for High Point-Thomasville by posting a 3–4 record and a 2.68 ERA.