WATCH: 2016 House Coast Sports activities Corridor of Fame Inductee Billy Stein Amongst Greatest Pinch Hitters In MLB Historical past

SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME

WATCH: Billy Stein, who performed 14 seasons with 4 totally different golf equipment in MLB, performed in the entire native leagues in Cocoa – Little League, Babe Ruth, Legion Ball and Connie Mack earlier than happening to play for Cocoa Excessive.

2016 PROFESSIONAL INDUCTEE: Drafted In 1969 By St. Louis Cardinals, Lifetime Batting Common of .267, Amongst American League’s Greatest Pinch Hitters

COCOA HIGH GRAD: From when he was a child in Little League till he was drafted for the second time in 1969, Billy Stein realized the sport of baseball proper right here on the House Coast of Florida.

Stein, who performed 14 seasons with 4 totally different golf equipment in MLB, performed in the entire native leagues in Cocoa – Little League, Babe Ruth, Legion Ball and Connie Mack earlier than happening to play for Cocoa Excessive.

After graduating in 1965 from Cocoa, Stein attended BCC the place he would interrupt his research and baseball profession for one 12 months to serve within the U.S. Military.

When he returned from serving his nation, Stein was drafted within the thirty third spherical of the 1968 draft by the Baltimore Orioles however elected to proceed enjoying school ball for the Southern Illinois College Salukis.

SIU was a perennial Division I profitable baseball staff in these days, collaborating in school world sequence on a yearly foundation. The choice to attend precisely 363 days paid off for Stein because the St. Louis Cardinals chosen him 29 rounds larger in 1969 by drafting him within the fourth spherical.

This time Stein signed the contract, reported to minor league ball and a bit over three years afterward September 6, 1972, made his MLB debut. Batting leadoff, Stein had 5 at-bats and picked up his first hit, a house run off Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ken Reynolds within the backside of the ninth.

Stein’s final residence run got here on August 17, 1985, within the first inning of a 9-2 Rangers win. What occurred in between these two lengthy balls was a dream come true for Stein.

Throughout these 13 years, Stein performed for the St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox and the Texas Rangers.

CLUTCH PINCH-HITTER

Generally numbers don’t at all times inform the story of a participant’s worth. Stein performed double-digit video games at each place within the subject besides shortstop, pitcher and catcher and he transformed 96.5 p.c of the balls hit his manner within the subject into an out for his staff.

His lifetime batting common was .267 however he batted .285 throughout the closing 5 years of his profession enjoying in Texas.

Clutch pinch-hitting is an artwork in baseball, and good pinch hitters are laborious to seek out, but when Billy Stein might do something in baseball, he might pinch hit. Requested to do it 179 instances, he batted .282 with 36 pivotal RBIs late in video games in his profession.

Stein coached and managed for some time in a number of unbiased leagues and later served because the supervisor for the New York Mets’ and San Francisco Giants’ Class A associates within the late 80s and early 90s. He additionally spent one season as supervisor of the Rockledge Raiders in 1987, main them to a district title.

Stein moved to Palm Coast, Florida in 2013 after residing in Texas since his retirement from enjoying for the Rangers in 1985.

In Palm Coast, Stein is as versatile as ever, enjoying everywhere in the infield and knocking across the pitching within the Flagler (County) Senior Softball League.

LOCAL BASEBALL LEGEND

From the fields of Provost Park in Cocoa to the outdated baseball fields at Brevard Neighborhood Faculty to Arlington Stadium in Texas, Brevard County’s personal Billy Stein is an enormous a part of the profitable baseball historical past that helps make up the lore of House Coast sports activities.

For greater than a century, athletes from Brevard County have been thought of among the many most interesting in America and their accomplishments are honored and immortalized by the House Coast Sports activities Corridor of Fame.

House Coast Day by day created the House Coast Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 2012 and has up to now inducted greater than 140 of Brevard’s most excellent athletes, coaches and sports activities personalities.

SELECTED IN FOUR CATEGORIES

Nominees are chosen in 4 classes together with skilled sports activities, school sports activities, highschool sports activities and newbie sports activities. Particular honorary recognition can be bestowed upon people and teams which have made vital contributions to sports activities on the House Coast.

A particular committee will choose the Class of 2023, and the inductees will likely be enshrined within the House Coast Sports activities Corridor of Fame. The checklist of potential and deserving candidates for induction historically contains athletes and coaches all people is aware of – and a few which will have been forgotten with the passing of time.

FOR INFORMATION concerning the House Coast Sports activities Corridor of Fame, or to make a nomination, e-mail [email protected] or name 321-615-8111.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MEMBERS OF THE SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME