Sammy Stewart
From BR Bullpen
Samuel Lee Stewart
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 208 lb.
- School Montreat-Anderson College
- Debut September 1, 1978
- Final Game October 3, 1987
- Born October 28, 1954 in Black Mountain, NC USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
Sammy Stewart is best known for his eight years with the Baltimore Orioles, 1978-1985. In his major league debut against the Chicago White Sox on September 1, 1978, he struck out 7 consecutive batters.
Stewart and Steve McCatty were the two pitchers involved in the famous "rounded-off ERA" controversy at the end of the 1981 season. Major league baseball at the end of each season used to round off innings pitched to the nearest inning, until that turned out to alter the outcome of the 1981 championship for the lowest ERA.
His main teammates were Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken, Ken Singleton, Scott McGregor, Al Bumbry and Rick Dempsey.
In 1989, Stewart played for the St. Petersburg Pelicans and Bradenton Explorers of the Senior Professional Baseball Association.
A self-described crack addict, he was charged 46 times with more than 60 offenses between 1988 and 2006: his first six prison sentences totalled 25 months. In October 2006, at Buncombe County Superior Court, NC, he pleaded guilty to being a habitual felon, felony drug possession and failure to appear in court on a felony. He was sentenced to "between 80 and 105 months".
After that trial, the District Attorney said: "It's a very sad situation. I've known Sammy Stewart for probably 20 years. We've dealt with him here in the court system for years, and he would get caught and make promises and not follow through. He's a fellow that had all the opportunities in the world and made a lot of money. We're just not going to deal with him up here anymore, at least for the next 80 months."
[edit] Notable Achievements
- AL ERA Leader (1981)
- Won a World Series with the Baltimore Orioles in 1983
[edit] Further Reading
- Peter Golenbock: "What Made Sammy Run", in The Forever Boys
