| Denny Lemaster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1939-02-25)February 25, 1939 Corona, California, U.S. | |
| Died: July 24, 2024(2024-07-24) (aged 85) | |
Batted: Right Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 15, 1962, for the Milwaukee Braves | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 21, 1972, for the Montreal Expos | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 90–105 |
| Earned run average | 3.58 |
| Strikeouts | 1,305 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Denver Clayton Lemaster (February 25, 1939 – July 24, 2024) was an American professionalbaseball player andleft-handedpitcher who appeared in 357games over 11 seasons (1962–1972) for theMilwaukee / Atlanta Braves,Houston Astros andMontreal Expos. A one-time (1967)National LeagueAll-Star, Lemaster won 90 games over the course of his MLB career. He was listed as 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and 182 pounds (83 kg).
Lemaster was born inCorona, California, on February 25, 1939.[1] His Missouri born father, Cyrus Lemaster, moved his family to Missouri, but returned toVentura County, California for work on a dairy farm when Lemaster and his sister were young children. The farm also housed the Lemasters. In a tragic incident, while Lemaster was playing with his sister on dairy owned property, the ground gave way under his sister, swallowing her in a muck from which she could not escape, and help could not reach her before she died. Three years later, Cyrus would die in a car accident. The local community rallied to support Lemaster and his mother. Two decades later, his first wife Earlene was also killed in a car accident.[2][3]
At 14, he joined a semi-pro baseball team, the Camarillo Blue Sox, which included adult players. Before he was 16, he was pitching for the Blue Sox.[3]
Lemaster attendedOxnard High School inOxnard, California. One of his high school teammates was future major league third basemanKen McMullen.[3] During high school, Lemaster threw sevenno-hitters, oneperfect game, and had a 0.14ERA during his senior year in 1958.[3] He was All-County from 1956-1958, and All-California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) from 1956-1958, CIF Player of the Year in 1958, and was selected Oxnard High's Player of the Year and Most Outstanding athlete in 1958.[4]
Lemaster has been inducted into the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame.[4]
He was pursued by major league baseball scouts upon graduating in 1958. The 19-year old Lemaster leveraged a scholarship offer from theUniversity of Southern California in negotiations with the professional baseball scouts, and ultimately received an $80,000 bonus to sign with theMilwaukee Braves.[3]
Lemaster was in the Braves minor league system from 1958 to 1962. In 1962, he began the year with theLouisville Colonels of theTriple-AAmerican Association, and had awin-loss record of 10-4 with a 2.40 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 124 innings, before being called up to the Braves that year.[5]
After rising through the team'sfarm system over through 41⁄2 years, he made his major league debut as the Braves'starting pitcher onJuly 15, 1962, against the defending league championCincinnati Reds atMilwaukee County Stadium. He held a 2–1 lead going into theninth inning, but aVada Pinsonhome run, followed by anunearned run, saddled him with a 3–2,complete game defeat.[6] He appeared in 17 games for the Braves in 1962, starting 12, with a 3-4 record and 3.01 ERA. He threw four complete games, one shutout and struck out 69 batters in 86.2 innings.[7]
In 1963, Lemaster became a regular member of the Braves' starting rotation, and exceeded 200innings pitched three times in the next five seasons, moving with the Braves from Milwaukee to Atlanta.[7] He won 17 games in 1964 (losing 11),[7] threw two one-hitters (in 1964[8] and 1967[9][10]), and set a team record of 14 strikeouts in one 1966 game.[4][11][12] (In 2022,Spencer Strider set the team record with 16 strikeouts in a game.[13]) He was selected to the 1967 NL All-Star Team during his final season with the club.[14] He did not appear in thegame, played atAnaheim Stadium on July 11 and won by the National League 2–1 in 15 innings.[15]
After the 1967 season, Lemaster was traded withDenis Menke to the Houston Astros in exchange for infieldersSonny Jackson andChuck Harrison.[16] He again exceeded 200 innings pitched in his first two seasons in Houston and posted a solid 3.00 compositeearned run average, but won only 23 of 55decisions.[7] He became abullpenspecialist during his final two seasons in Houston and a partial season with theMontreal Expos before retiring. He had 32 and 37 starts in 1968 and 1969 with the Astros, but started only 21 of the 39 games he appeared in the following year. In 1971, he appeared in 42 games without any starts. In his final season, with Montreal, he appeared in 13 games with no starts.[7] The Expos released him on July 1, 1972.[2]
All told, Lemaster posted a 90–105win–loss record and a 3.58 career earned run average during his MLB tenure. In 249 games started, he registered 66 complete games and 14shutouts, adding eightsaves as arelief pitcher. In 1,7822⁄3 innings pitched, he allowed 1,703 hits and 600bases on balls with 1,305strikeouts.[7] In 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1969, he led the league in fielding percentage.[3]
After retirement Lemaster spent over 30 years in the homebuilding business.[2] He also became a hunting and fishing guide, and developed a mastery in carving and paintingwooden decoy ducks.[3] He remarried after the death of his first wife.[3] Lemaster died on July 24, 2024, at the age of 85. At the time of his death he had four children, three stepchildren, 14 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.[1]