Dave Morehead
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David Michael Morehead (born September 5, 1942 in San Diego, California) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
| Dave Morehead | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | ||
| Born: September 5, 1942 San Diego, California |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | ||
| April 13, 1963 for the Boston Red Sox |
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| Final game | ||
| September 29, 1970 for the Kansas City Royals |
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| Career statistics | ||
| Record | 40-64 | |
| Earned Run Average | 4.15 | |
| Strikeouts | 627 | |
| Teams | ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
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A right-hander, Morehead pitched for the Boston Red Sox (1963-68) and Kansas City Royals (1969-70).
As a rookie in 1963 Morehead broke into the Red Sox starting rotation and posted a 10-13 record with a 3.81 earned run average. He shut out the Washington Senators in his Major League debut on April 13. On May 12 of that same year, he pitched a one-hitter against the same Senators, the lone hit coming on a Chuck Hinton home run.
In 1964 Morehead went 8-15 and his ERA ballooned to 4.97. In 1965 he led the American League with 18 losses (against 10 victories) for a Red Sox team that finished next-to-last, with 100 losses. The season, however, was not a total loss: on September 16, the same day the Red Sox fired Pinky Higgins as general manager, Morehead no-hit the Cleveland Indians 2-0 before only 1,247 fans at Fenway Park, the lone baserunner coming on Rocky Colavito’s second-inning walk. Not until Hideo Nomo in 2001 would another Red Sox pitch a no-hitter, and the next no-hitter at Fenway Park wouldn’t come until 2002 (Derek Lowe). It was the fourth no-hitter by a Red Sox pitcher in a decade, with Mel Parnell pitching one in 1956 and Earl Wilson and Bill Monbouquette both pitching one in 1962. Parnell's and Wilson's no-hitters, like Morehead's, had also been pitched at Fenway Park—one of Major League Baseball's most notorious hitter-friendly stadiums.
Over the next three years, Morehead would be beset by arm ailments that limited him to 33 games pitched—one fewer than in 1965. He was a member of the Carl Yastrzemski-led 1967 Red Sox team that won the American League pennant and pitched two games in relief in the World Series, which the Red Sox lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Morehead was selected in the expansion draft by the Kansas City Royals and pitched in 21 games in 1969, 19 in relief. In 1970 he pitched in 28 games and posted a 3.62 ERA, the lowest of his career. In spring training of 1971, the Royals released him; he had pitched his final game at 27 years of age. The arm ailments had ended his career too early, as they would for then-Royal teammate Wally Bunker a year later.
In his career, Morehead won 40 games against 64 losses with a 4.15 ERA and 627 strikeouts in 819 1/3 innings pitched. He also exhibited periods of wildness, walking 463 batters for just over 5 BB/9 innings. In each of his first three seasons, Morehead was second in the American League in walks allowed with 99, 112 and 113 respectively.
