Steve Comer | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | January 13, 1954|
Batted: Both Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 15, 1978, for the Texas Rangers | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 15, 1984, for the Cleveland Indians | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 44–37 |
Earned run average | 4.13 |
Strikeouts | 245 |
Teams | |
Steven Michael Comer (born January 13,1954) is an American former professional baseball pitcher,who player in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers,Philadelphia Phillies,and Cleveland Indians in all or parts of seven seasons. [1]
Comer was born January 13,1954,in Minneapolis,the son of Kenneth Donald Comer (1928-2009) and Joyce Emily Nelson Comer (1928–2010). His father served as a sergeant in the United States Army during the Korean War. He had two older brothers,Kenneth Donald Comer Jr. and John Nelson Comer,and a younger sister,Laurie Gail Comer,who died before turning a month old in 1960. [2]
Comer attended the University of Minnesota. In 1974,he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. [3] He was not drafted by an MLB club,instead working in construction before being signed by the Texas Rangers in 1976.
Comer played for the Texas Rangers (1978–1982),Philadelphia Phillies (1983),and Cleveland Indians (1984).
His first year in the Major Leagues had Comer both starting and relieving,going 11-5 with an ERA of 2.30 in 30 games,11 of them starts. He completed three games,threw two shutouts,finished 14 games and had one save.
His best season came in 1979 when he won a career-high 17 games for the Rangers and set personal bests for innings pitched,complete games,and strikeouts. [1] He also led the team in wins,with one more than Hall of Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins,and was second to Jenkins in games started (36) and complete games (6) for the team.
In 1980,Comer came into the season in the rotation,but he started the year on a negative note,losing three of his first four decisions with an ERA around 10.00 when he was sidelined due to a shoulder injury. He wouldn't recover fully that year,finishing at 2-4 with a 7.99 ERA.
In 1981,his shoulder was healed,and Comer was a vital part of the Rangers bullpen,pitching in 36 games,finishing 22 of them,and earning 6 saves,tying him with Charlie Hough for the team lead. He also went 8-2 with a 2.56 ERA.
1982 was more of a trying year for Comer,as he pitched in one more game than the previous year (37),and nailed down six more saves,but ultimately he struggled,going 1-6 with an ERA of 5.10. He was released by the Rangers after the season.
Prior to the 1983 season,Comer was signed by the New York Yankees,but released before Opening Day;he then signed with the Seattle Mariners,who released him in June. Picked up by the Phillies,Comer appeared in only three games for them that season,going 1-0 with a 5.19 ERA in three games,one of those a start. Philadelphia would lose the World Series that year,though Comer was a non-factor in the postseason,not appearing on their roster.
Comer would wrap up his Major League career in 1984 with the Indians,for whom he went 4-8 with an ERA of 5.68 in 22 games,20 of them starts. He was one of seven pitchers that year to start double digit games for Cleveland.
On November 3,1979 in Hennepin County,Minnesota,Steve married Kathy Lynn Gatz (b. January 10,1955). Together they have three daughters:Margaret Anne Comer Hansel (b. July 2,1985);Lauren Elizabeth Comer Schlangen (b. November 10,1987) and Stephanie Lynn Comer (b. November 6,1990).
Comer is a descendant of the Newkirk family,an early Dutch settler family to Ulster County,New York,as well as the Hay family,being a second cousin,four times removed of United States Secretary of State John Hay. A second cousin is actor Dash Mihok,as his grandfather Kenneth Newkirk Comer is the older brother of Mihok's grandmother,Zoe Comer Cloak.
Clifton Phifer Lee is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2002 and 2014 he played for the Cleveland Indians,Philadelphia Phillies,Seattle Mariners,and Texas Rangers. During his career,Lee was a member of four All-Star teams,won the Cy Young Award,and had consecutive World Series appearances in 2009 and 2010 with the Phillies and Rangers.
Brian James Anderson is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher,who played 13 seasons for five teams,as well as a sports broadcaster and coach. Currently,Anderson is the color commentator on the Rays TV crew on Bally Sports Sun.
Joseph Matthew Blanton is an American former professional baseball pitcher,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics,Philadelphia Phillies,Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim,Kansas City Royals,Pittsburgh Pirates,Los Angeles Dodgers,and Washington Nationals.
Charles Harrison Nagy is an American former Major League Baseball All-Star right-handed pitcher who played for 14 seasons in the major leagues from 1990 to 2003. He played for the Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres. He served as the pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2011 to 2013 and the Los Angeles Angels from 2016 to 2018.
Vicente de la Cruz Padilla is a Nicaraguan former professional baseball pitcher. Padilla played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks,Philadelphia Phillies,Texas Rangers,Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Matthew Jason Anderson is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) relief pitcher. The first overall pick in the 1997 MLB Draft,he played for the Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies between 1998 and 2005.
Aaron Michael Harang is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics,Cincinnati Reds,San Diego Padres,Los Angeles Dodgers,Seattle Mariners,New York Mets,Philadelphia Phillies,and Atlanta Braves.
Robert Andrew Witt Sr. is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers,Oakland Athletics,Florida Marlins,St. Louis Cardinals,Tampa Bay Devil Rays,Cleveland Indians,and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Zachary Thomas Jackson is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians.
Kenneth Howell,Jr. was an American professional baseball pitcher and pitching coach,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the National League (NL) Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies (1984-1990). During his playing days,Howell stood 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) tall,weighing 200 pounds (91 kg). He batted and threw right-handed.
Nelson Figueroa is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks,Philadelphia Phillies,Milwaukee Brewers,Pittsburgh Pirates,New York Mets,and Houston Astros. Figueroa also played for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in Taiwan. He featured a fastball topping out at 91 mph,slider,curveball,changeup,and a splitter. He has also worked as a post-game studio analyst for Mets broadcasts.
Kenneth George Sanders is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1964 to 1976 for the Kansas City Athletics,Boston Red Sox,Oakland Athletics,Milwaukee Brewers,Minnesota Twins,Cleveland Indians,California Angels,New York Mets,and Kansas City Royals.
Robert Joseph "R. J." Swindle is a Canadian former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers in 2008 and 2009.
Darryl Nelson Scott is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current pitching coach for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the California Angels.
Joshua William Lindblom is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers,Philadelphia Phillies,Texas Rangers,Oakland Athletics,Pittsburgh Pirates,and Milwaukee Brewers and in the KBO League for the Lotte Giants and Doosan Bears.
Brandon Carlin Workman is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2013 and played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox,Philadelphia Phillies,and Chicago Cubs. He throws and bats right-handed,and is listed at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) and 235 pounds (107 kg).
Justin Scott Grimm is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers,Chicago Cubs,Kansas City Royals,Seattle Mariners,Milwaukee Brewers and Oakland Athletics.
Michael Clifton Lorenzen is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Cincinnati Reds,Los Angeles Angels,Detroit Tigers,Philadelphia Phillies,and Texas Rangers.
Edward Bennett Lively is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Philadelphia Phillies,Kansas City Royals,and Cincinnati Reds and in the KBO League for the Samsung Lions.
Zachary Peter Gallen is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the North Carolina Tar Heels for three seasons before being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round of the 2016 MLB draft.