June (16)
June 1st – Part of the “bonus baby” rules in the 1950s, Fred Van Dusen spent all of 1955 in the major leagues. Van Dusen has the distinction of never recording an official at bat, being one of five players in baseball history who was hit by pitch in his only plate appearance. He played in the minor leagues for another 6 seasons, but never made it back to the majors.
June 2nd – One of the most accomplished pitchers that passed in 2018, Bruce Kison pitched in 15 major league seasons as a long (6’4″), lanky righty, tossing 1,809 2/3 innings, primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning World Series in 1971 and 1979 with the team. He spent the rest of his life coaching and scouting in the game.
June 4th – A 7th round pick out of high school in Washington state by the New York Yankees in 1966, Steve Kline worked his way up to the major leagues by 1970, and he had a very good introduction to the league, with a 2.80 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 559 innings over his first 3 seasons. However, he would never again toss 200 innings, struggling with injuries and ineffectiveness and being out of the league after 1977, before he was even 30. He was 70.
June 5th – After almost a decade in the minor leagues, Chuck Taylor got his break in the major leagues in 1969 with the Cardinals. He would go on to have a very solid rookie campaign, with a 2.56 ERA over 126 2/3 innings. He would pitch 8 seasons in the majors, with his best year being in 1974 with the Expos, when pitched exclusively out of the bullpen, with a 2.17 ERA over 107 2/3 innings, winning 6 games and saving 11.
June 6th – Originally a 17th round selection by the Atlanta Braves in 1977, Larry Owen worked his way up to the major leagues for a few cups of coffee over four seasons between 1981 and 1985 with the Braves before signing with the Royals and playing as a backup for two seasons, but his .193 career batting average kept him from getting more playing time, in spite of an excellent glove.
For over 65 years, the name Red Schoendienst was part of professional baseball’s landscape as a player, manager, or coach. He spent the first dozen seasons of his career in St. Louis. He would go on to play in two World Series with the Milwaukee Braves at the end of his career. He then undertook what would be an incredible run at the helm with the St. Louis Cardinals, managing from 1964-1976, winning a World Series in 1967. He would end up managing in four different decades for the Cardinals, managing for 37 games in 1980 and for 24 games in 1990. He was selected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 1989.
June 14th – A rare pitcher in the 1950s and 1960s who specialized working out of the bullpen, Ed Roebuck made 460 career appearances, with just 1 start. Over 11 seasons in the majors, he had a 3.35 career ERA, pitching mostly with the Dodgers, winning a World Series in his first year in the majors with the Dodgers.
June 15th – After a short minor league career interrupted by military service, Hal Smeltzly began a career in coaching. He’s most known for his work at Florida Southern College, which he developed into a Division II powerhouse for nearly 20 years, winning 3 national championships. He retired from coaching into the role of athletic director at the school until his retirement in 2000. His #7 is retired by the school.
June 17th – First coming on the national baseball scene as part of a Little League World Series championship team in 1954, Bill Connors would spend nearly 50 years in professional baseball. He pitched just 43 major league innings, with a rough 7.53 ERA. He found that he could coach what he couldn’t do on the mound, though. He spent 15 years with four clubs as a pitching coach before working with the Yankees in player personnel from 1996-2012. He was 76.
Often cited as the inspiration for the outlandish umpire in the Naked Gun movie, Dutch Rennert was known for a demonstrative strike call at the plate over 20 seasons as a National League umpire. He was able to call 3 World Series in the 1980s as well as two All-Star games and six NLCS over his career.
June 19th – Playing infield as a backup, Don Mason tallied just 336 games over an 8-year career in the major leagues in which he hit .205. The Massachusetts native spent 6 seasons in the minors with much more success, retiring in 1974 at age 29.
June 20th – In college, Jack Stallings was roommates with golfer Arnold Palmer. He spent two seasons in the minor leagues before becoming a college coach, winning over 1,200 games. He managed the highly-regarded 1984 USA Olympic team that lost to Japan and finished with a Silver Medal. That team featured future stars such as Mark McGwire, Barry Larkin, and Will Clark along with over a dozen more players that reached the major leagues.
June 22nd – For his only season in the majors, Tony Bartirome was a full-time player, playing 124 games in 1952 for the Pirates. He served two years in military service after that season, returning to the minor leagues in 1955, but never again making the majors. He became a trainer in the major and minor leagues for nearly 25 years after his playing days were done.
June 23rd – Donald Hall is a well-known poet, published first in 1955. He was the Poet Laureate of the United States in 2006 and 2007. He focused on baseball in many of his writings. He passed away at age 89.
While serving in the Army during the Korean War, Joe Belak played for Team USA in an exhibition game in the 1956 Olympics. He returned home to South Dakota after the war and played for years in amateur ball, making the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame.
June 28th – Mike Kilkenny holds the rare distinction of having played for four teams in one season. He opened 1972 with the Detroit Tigers, then played for the Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, and Cleveland Indians in the 1972 season. The Canadian pitched 410 innings in his major league career.