Stu Miller

Stu Miller (1950s)

Stuart Leonard (Stu) Miller (born December 26, 1927 in Northampton, Massachusetts), is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1952-1956), Philadelphia Phillies (1956), New York & San Francisco Giants (1957-1962), Baltimore Orioles (1963-1967) and Atlanta Braves (1968). He batted and threw right handed.

In a 16-season career, Miller posted a 105-103 record with a 3.24 earned run average, 1164 strikeouts, and 154 saves in 704 games pitched (93 as a starter).

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On April 30, 1967, Steve Barber and Miller combined to pitch a no-hitter for the Orioles against the Detroit Tigers, but would lose 2–1 because of a wild pitch and an error allowing two runs to score in the ninth inning.

Miller was involved in one of the most embarrassing moments in All Star Game history. In the ninth inning of the first of two 1961 All Star Games (two were played between 1959 and 1962), which was played at Candlestick Park, a gust of wind blew the 165-pound Miller off the pitcher's mound for a balk, which advanced Roger Maris to second and Al Kaline to third. Kaline later scored on an error by Ken Boyer on Rocky Colavito's ground ball, which tied the score at 3-3. One batter later, the wind caused catcher Smoky Burgess to drop Tony Kubek's foul pop-up for an error. Miller bailed Burgess out by striking out Kubek, and after Yogi Berra reached base on Don Zimmer's error, Miller got Hoyt Wilhelm to fly out to left to end the inning. In the top of the 10th inning, the defense behind Miller almost did him in; Nellie Fox walked and scored all the way from first on Boyer's three-base throwing error (the second by Boyer in as many innings) on Kaline's ground ball. Miller's teammates bailed him out in the bottom of the inning and made him the winning pitcher; Hank Aaron singled and scored on a double by Miller's Giant teammate Willie Mays to tie the score, then Mays scored the winning run on Roberto Clemente's single. [1]