MLB: Geographically Unique Baseball All-Stars
By Adam Tabakin
Maine – Bob Stanley
Bob Stanley was born in Portland on November 10, 1954, and had a generally successful career that spanned 13 seasons from 1977-89 for the Boston Red Sox. Serving as something of a predecessor to later Red Sox pitchers such as Tom Gordon, Derek Lowe and even Tim Wakefield, Stanley functioned as both a starting pitcher and a formidable reliever during his tenure. He was named to the All-Star team in 1979 and 1983.
In 1979 he made the team after filling a variety of roles for the Red Sox, starting 15 games (including seven complete games) and finishing seven others (including one save) in the first half of the season while going 11-6 with a 3.29 ERA. Stanley relieved starter Nolan Ryan and pitched the third and fourth innings, allowing one run on one hit.
In 1983 Stanley had settled in as Boston’s closer, finishing the first half with a 2.27 ERA to go along with a 5-4 record and 16 saves. Once again, he pitched two innings of relief, this time not allowing a run.
Stanley may best be remembered for his wild pitch in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series that preceded Bill Buckner’s error, but his body of work led to his induction into the Red Sox Hall of Fame. Stanley was only 34 when he retired, and finished his career with a 115-97 record and 132 saves.