Steve Stone (baseball)

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"I knew it would ruin my arm. But one year of 25–7 is worth five of 15–15."

— Stone, on throwing over 50% curveballs in 1980

Stone threw as many as 73 curveballs in a game at least twice that season, even though he knew he might damage his pitching arm. [16]

"I used to try not to lose before", Stone said in 1980. "Now, when I go out, I go out to win every time, and I'm certain I am. I try to envision myself literally walking off the mound a winner. I allow no negatives in my thinking. When certain ones start creeping in, I erase them and make it like a blank blackboard waiting to be filled in with things like, 'The team is going to play well, is going to score some runs, I'm going to throw strikes, I'm going to win.' " [17]

After his Cy Young season, the pitcher who was listed as 5' 10" commented:

All my life, because of my size, people have been telling me what I couldn't do. They said I was too small and not durable enough. First they said I'd never pitch in high school. Then they said I'd never pitch in college. Then they said okay, but you'll never pitch professionally. Then they said well, maybe you're pitching professionally but you'll never make it out of the minors. When I got to the majors, they said well, you may be in the majors but you'll never be good. Now those same people are saying I won't have a good year this year. That kind of thing is reiterated by people who've never achieved a great deal themselves. [4]

Stone suffered from shoulder tendinitis in 1981, going 4–7 with a 4.60 ERA. [18] [6] He appeared in a pair of spring training contests before going on the disabled list on March 21, 1982. He announced his retirement as an active player 2+1⁄2 months later on June 2 due to recurring arm problems. His MLB career record was 107–93, 40–21 with the Orioles for a .656 winning percentage which was the best ever by a Baltimore pitcher over a three-year span. [19]

He is considered one of the best Jewish pitchers in major league history. [2] [20] [21] [22] Through July 2011, Stone was third among Jewish pitchers in career wins (107) and strikeouts (1,065), behind Ken Holtzman and Sandy Koufax and directly ahead of Jason Marquis, and ninth in games pitched (320), behind Barry Latman. [23] Reminiscing about Sandy Koufax's influence on him and others when he was a child, he said, "He gave little Jewish boys some hope." [24]

Sportscasting career (1982–present)

Stone announcing with WGN Sports in 2010 Steve Stone interviews Mike Mullen CROP.jpg
Stone announcing with WGN Sports in 2010

Monday Night Baseball / ABC Sports (1982)

Following his retirement, Stone was hired by ABC [25] to serve as a color commentator [26] for their Monday Night Baseball [27] telecasts. Stone was normally paired with Al Michaels [28] and Bob Uecker [29] in the booth.

Chicago Cubs / WGN (1983–2004)

In 1983, Stone became a color commentator for the WGN television broadcasts of the Chicago Cubs, teaming for 14 years with Hall of Fame announcer Harry Caray. In 1985, he posed for Playgirl . [3] After Harry Caray's death in February 1998, Stone was paired with Caray's grandson Chip Caray. Stone left the booth due to health reasons in 2000, including a case of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) and kidney stones, and returned to the Cubs booth in 2003 and 2004. [30] [5]

Stone temporally took over play-by-play duties from Caray while the latter was recovering from a stroke at the start of the 1987 season. WGN announced that until Caray was well enough to return, guest announcers would fill in and sit alongside Stone. [31]

On August 7, 1993, Stone provided commentary alongside Jim Kaat for a Cubs game against the St. Louis Cardinals for CBS. [32] [33]

Leaving the Cubs booth

Stone refused a contract extension as the Cubs color-man after the 2004 season amid a controversy involving Cubs players who felt he was being overly critical of their performance. Even so, he was a fan favorite. One reason he was so well-liked was his ability to accurately predict what might happen in various game situations, explaining to the audience why the strategy or pitch would be successful prior to the play. A famous example of this was him expressing "I wouldn't pitch to this guy" in a 2004 game, seconds before the batter (Adam Dunn) hit a home run off Cubs pitcher Mike Remlinger to give the Cincinnati Reds the lead.

Stone expressed frustration with Cubs manager Dusty Baker for not controlling his players. At one point during the 2004 season, Kent Mercker called the broadcast booth from the bullpen during a game to complain about comments made, also confronting Stone in a hotel lobby. [34] Among the comments that reportedly irked Mercker were Chip Caray's praise of Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt. It was also reported that Mercker and left fielder Moisés Alou shouted at Stone on a team charter plane to a road game in 2004, and that Alou tried to have Stone and Caray banned from the team charter flights. [35]

On September 30, 2004, in the wake of a 12-inning loss to the Cincinnati Reds that all but eliminated the Cubs, Stone strongly criticized the team. "The truth of this situation is [this is] an extremely talented bunch of guys who want to look at all directions except where they should really look, and kind of make excuses for what happened. ... This team should have won the wild-card [playoff berth] by six, seven games. No doubt about it." [36] The comments stunned manager Baker and were a factor in Stone's resignation as a Cub broadcaster the following month. [37]

Chicago White Sox (2005–present)

In early 2005 Stone was hired by Chicago radio station WSCR to provide commentary and host a weekly talk show, hosted on Mondays by Terry Boers and Dan Bernstein, on Tuesdays by Mike North, and on Thursdays by Brian Hanley and Mike Mulligan. [38] He was also hired by ESPN to work some of that network's baseball telecasts.

In early August 2007, Stone filled in for Chicago White Sox color commentator Darrin Jackson, while Jackson took leave for the birth of his child, during which he successfully predicted a walk-off home run by Juan Uribe in extra innings. [39] In October 2007, Stone called postseason games between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for TBS, partnered with play-by-play announcer Ted Robinson. On March 4, 2008, Stone was named the color commentator for White Sox radio broadcasts for the 2008 season on WSCR AM670 The Score, replacing Chris Singleton, who moved to ESPN's Baseball Tonight .

On September 13, 2008, Stone accepted the job as the color commentator for White Sox television broadcasts for six years beginning with the 2009 season. He said he enjoyed being in the booth with Hawk Harrelson, stating that he liked his nickname "Stone Pony." Stone also acted as a fill-in play-by-play announcer when Harrelson wasn't available. He worked with either analysts Tom Paciorek or Tony Graffanino.

As of 2023 (since Harrelson's retirement), Stone remains the White Sox television color commentator, now alongside Jason Benetti.

Writing

In 1999, Stone, along with Barry Rozner of the Chicago suburban area Daily Herald , authored Where's Harry?, a memoir of his experiences with Harry Caray in the WGN booth.

See also

Books

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Steve Stone | Society for American Baseball Research
  2. 1 2 3 Horvitz, Peter (2001). The Big Book of Jewish Baseball: An Illustrated Encyclopedia & Anecdotal History. SP Books. p. 180. ISBN   1-56171-973-0.
  3. 1 2 Steve Stone on his 70th birthday: Harry, Hawk and Playgirl pictorial | Chicago Sun-Times
  4. 1 2 3 A STONE'S THROW: Steve Stone - The Washington Post
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 70 short stories for Steve Stone's 70th birthday - Chicago Tribune
  6. 1 2 Steve Stone – Jewish Baseball Museum
  7. ↑ Cape Cod Baseball League: Welcome Page
  8. ↑ "Stone on golf: 'I just get up and hit it'". Chicagotribune.com. May 15, 2010. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Jewish Baseball Stars". Jewsinsports.org. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Steve Stone Stats | Baseball-Reference.com
  11. ↑ "Steve Stone Statistics". The Baseball Cube. Archived from the original on February 27, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Exhibit Page". Jews In Sports. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  13. ↑ "White Sox Acquire Henderson And Send Bradley to the Giants," The New York Times, Thursday, November 30, 1972. Retrieved March 10, 2020
  14. ↑ "Santo Stays in Chicago, Cubs Trade Him to White Sox," United Press International (UPI), Tuesday, December 11, 1973. Retrieved October 30, 2020
  15. ↑ "White Sox Finish Trade for Santo," United Press International (UPI), Tuesday, December 18, 1973. Retrieved October 30, 2020
  16. ↑ James, Bill; Neyer, Rob (June 15, 2004). The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers: An Historical Compendium of Pitching, Pitchers, and Pitches. Simon and Schuster. p. 395. ISBN   9780743261586 . Retrieved May 25, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Jews In Sports". December 17, 2010. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  18. ↑ Slater, Robert (2008). Great Jews in sports. The University of Michigan. p. 275. ISBN   9780824604332.
  19. ↑ "Steve Stone, the former Cy Young winner who once...," United Press International (UPI), Wednesday, June 2, 1982. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  20. ↑ Horvitz, Peter (2007). The Big Book of Jewish Sports Heroes: An Illustrated Compendium of Sports History and The 150 Greatest Jewish Sports Stars. SP Books. p. 52. ISBN   978-1-56171-907-5.
  21. ↑ Levine, Peter (1993). Ellis Island to Ebbets Field: Sport and the American Jewish Experience. Oxford University Press. p. 243. ISBN   0-19-508555-8.
  22. ↑ Rielly, Edward (2006). Baseball in the classroom: essays on teaching the national pastime. McFarland. p. 52. ISBN   0-7864-2779-5.
  23. ↑ "Jewish Major Leaguers Career Leaders". Jewishmajorleaguers.org. Archived from the original on August 3, 2004. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  24. ↑ Leavy, Jane (2010). Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy. HarperCollins. p. 193. ISBN   978-0-06-177900-8.
  25. ↑ "Interview: Steve Stone". The Heckler. September 6, 2004.
  26. ↑ Paintadosi, Roger (August 13, 1982). "There's No Play-by-Play Like Home".
  27. ↑ "STEVE STONE: THINKING OUT OF THE STRETCH". Arizona Jewish Life. April 1, 2013.
  28. ↑ Hirdt, Steve (July 23, 2021). "Yes, Al, We Do Believe In Miracles". The Analyst.
  29. ↑ Stone, Steve (January 2001). Where's Harry?: Steve Stone Remembers 25 Years with Harry Caray. Taylor Trade. p. 8. ISBN   9781461732471.
  30. ↑ Schollmeyer, Josh, Stone in Exile Chicago Magazine, October 2007.
  31. ↑ "Guest announcers for Harry Caray, 1987". Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  32. ↑ "Quip About Beating Wife Gets Green in Trouble". St. Paul Pioneer Press. August 5, 1993. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  33. ↑ Prentis Rogers (August 6, 2012). "Monday Night Football intro will vary". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  34. ↑ Unchanged Stone will be back in '05 Chicago Sun-Times
  35. ↑ "Donovan: Second half went sour for these clubs". Sports Illustrated. September 3, 2004. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  36. ↑ Carrie Muskat. "Stone's criticism surprises Cubs". MLB.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
  37. ↑ "Steve Stone Resigns". The Cubs Chronicle. October 28, 2004. Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  38. ↑ Goldman, David (2006). Jewish sports stars: athletic heroes past and present. Kar-Ben Publishing. p. 16. ISBN   1-58013-183-2.
  39. ↑ "x". Aolnews.com. August 9, 2007. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
Steve Stone
Steve Stone 1979 Orioles.jpg
Stone with the Baltimore Orioles in 1979
Pitcher
Born: (1947-07-14) July 14, 1947 (age 76)
South Euclid, Ohio, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 8, 1971, for the San Francisco Giants
Last MLB appearance
September 29, 1981, for the Baltimore Orioles
Preceded by Chicago Cubs television color commentator
1983–2000
2003–2004 		Succeeded by
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