STU MILLER - 1963 Most Valuable Oriole

[Boy Howdy]

Read all about it before it gets lost in the history forum :D

http://urbanshocker.wordpress.com/2008/02/01/stu-miller-1963-most-valuable-oriole/

[RShack]

Great read (as usual).

ps: The AS-game story somehow does not include the word "balk". That's the funny part: the Candlestick wind made the ump ring him up for a balk. The ump didn't want to, but he had to, and was rumored to have been laughing about it when he did it.

[T2E2C]

THANK YOU. I'm a big fan of Stu Miller's. In those days Miller, as well as Gossage, Sutter, & Fingers, were real Fireman, called in to get the starter's bacon out of the fire. Today, according to what constitutes a 'save' the tying run may still be in elementary school.

[Cakes2Kakes]

THANK YOU. I'm a big fan of Stu Miller's. In those days Miller, as well as Gossage, Sutter, & Fingers, were real Fireman, called in to get the starter's bacon out of the fire. Today, according to what constitutes a 'save' the tying run may still be in elementary school.

Actually those three would come along after Miller retired.
Stu was one of the most entertaining pitchers to watch, because of the reactions the batters would have. He made even great hitters look silly! I remember more then one hitter taking double hacks at the ball, and asking my dad if that should count as two strikes instead of one! Guys would fall down swinging, bail on pitches that would end up outside, and many would walk away smiling and shaking their head and would have team mates rolling with laughter on the bench!
I always thought he was the perfect type to be a closer, (as opposed to fireballers), since he threw so slow that the batter had to supply all the power to hit one out.
Nice to hear his name again and reminisce! Thanks Boom Boom!

[Who's On 1st]

Nice story! I really don't remember him all that much, as I was 10 when he got traded to Balmer. But I do remember reading about him. He IS one for the history of the O's.

[Lucky Jim]

Actually those three would come along after Miller retired.
Stu was one of the most entertaining pitchers to watch, because of the reactions the batters would have. He made even great hitters look silly! I remember more then one hitter taking double hacks at the ball, and asking my dad if that should count as two strikes instead of one! Guys would fall down swinging, bail on pitches that would end up outside, and many would walk away smiling and shaking their head and would have team mates rolling with laughter on the bench!
I always thought he was the perfect type to be a closer, (as opposed to fireballers), since he threw so slow that the batter had to supply all the power to hit one out.
Nice to hear his name again and reminisce! Thanks Boom Boom!

My dad is a big Stu Miller fan - I remember him telling me the All Star game story when I was a kid. And I think Hoyt Wilhelm is woefully underappreciated by Orioles fans.*



*Which is a non-sequitir if you haven't read the article.

[paulcoates]

I went to school with his son. I met him a couple of times as his son played baseball with me at MSJ. Nice guy.

[T2E2C]

Actually those three would come along after Miller retired.

I didn't mean that they were contemporaries. I meant they all pitched in eras when the closer's saves were more substantial.

[Cakes2Kakes]

My dad is a big Stu Miller fan - I remember him telling me the All Star game story when I was a kid. And I think Hoyt Wilhelm is woefully underappreciated by Orioles fans.*



*Which is a non-sequitir if you haven't read the article.

Right you are about Wilhelm, and **** Hall was also an excellent part of the great Orioles bullpens of that era!

Factoid:Stu Miller was part of an Orioles no hitter! He got the final out of Steve Barbers April 30th 1967 no hitter we lost 2-1 to Detroit! I was at that game, (I believe it was a Jr. Orioles game or else Safety day), and it was cold and windy. Barber walked 10 batters and the Orioles committed 2 costly errors. Baltimore was leading 1-0 going into the top of the ninth, Barber walked the first two batters, the 3rd batter moved up the runners with a sac bunt, the next batter popped to the catcher, Barber then wild pitched the tying run across, he intentionally walked the next guy. Stu Miller was brought in and got the first batter to hit a grounder to the sure handed Mark Belanger who muffed it and the go ahead run scored. He then got Al Kaline to ground out to Brooks to end the inning. The Tigers retired Frank, Brooks and Mike Epstien 1-2-3 to end the game!

[Cakes2Kakes]

I didn't mean that they were contemporaries. I meant they all pitched in eras when the closer's saves were more substantial.

I see what you mean.
The Orioles bullpen of the mid 60's was what I consider old school, when old starters, especially the junk ballers, would go to the pen to finish up their careers. I consider Eddie Watt to be the first O's reliever to fit the mold of the ones you mentioned, but that's just my opinion based on nothing scientific!

[Cakes2Kakes]

Right you are about Wilhelm, and **** Hall was also an excellent part of the great Orioles bullpens of that era!

That's funny! :)
I guess I should have changed his name to Richard! ;)

[Boy Howdy]

Thanks for the feedback everybody!

Can someone who actually saw Stu Miller pitch explain to me what his head fake was all about? What did he do, and when in his motion did he do it?

Is there any pitcher in the last 20 years or so who's employed something similar?

I haven't been able to get a satisfactory explanation anywhere.

[Cakes2Kakes]

Thanks for the feedback everybody!

Can someone who actually saw Stu Miller pitch explain to me what his head fake was all about? What did he do, and when in his motion did he do it?

Is there any pitcher in the last 20 years or so who's employed something similar?

I haven't been able to get a satisfactory explanation anywhere.

I was trying to recall that myself Boom Boom, but can't remember anything specific. I just recall his delivery was a little unorthodox. What stands out most in my mind was how slow his change was and the crazy movement on it.

[mikezpen]

I never noticed it but I sure heard about it. He made some guys look like absolute fools. I mean, Yogi Berra w/almost fall down reaching for Miller's junk.
Chuck Thompson called him "Bullet".

Eddie Watt was always a reliever w/Baltimore, and a very good one. He was best as a long reliever who w/come in during the middle of the game and hold a team down for 3 innings or so.

Orioles always had fabulous bullpens in those years. There was a steady stream of top-notch relievers-Miller, Wilhelm, Hall, Watt, Haddix, Richert, Drabowsky....

[RShack]

youtube fails us.
Dang.