| Lee Stange | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1936-10-27)October 27, 1936 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Died: September 21, 2018(2018-09-21) (aged 81) Melbourne, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 1961, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 21, 1970, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 62–61 |
| Earned run average | 3.56 |
| Strikeouts | 718 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Albert Lee Stange (October 27, 1936 – September 21, 2018)[1][2] was an American professionalbaseball player andcoach. During his playing career, theright-handedpitcher appeared in 359games pitched inMajor League Baseball over all or parts of ten seasons (1961–70) for theMinnesota Twins (1961–64),Cleveland Indians (1964–66),Boston Red Sox (1966–70) andChicago White Sox (1970). He was listed as 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and 170 pounds (77 kg).
Born inChicago, Stange grew up inBroadview, Illinois.[3] He attendedProviso Township High School, in Maywood, Illinois, thenDrake University on a football scholarship, but a knee injury led to him playing baseball instead.[4] Stange was signed by theWashington Senators' organization before the 1957 season. In 1960, he won 20 games in the Class BCarolina League, and in1961 he was promoted all the way to the majors as a member of theinaugural edition of the Twins, who had just moved toMinneapolis–Saint Paul from Washington. After two early-Aprilrelief performances, he spent the bulk of 1961 inTriple-A, then was recalled in September. On September 15, he earned his first MLB victory by throwing two scorelessrinnings in relief ofJack Kralick against the Indians.[5]
The majority of his 359 MLB appearances were as a relief pitcher, but he did start 125 games. In 1963, Stange was 12–5 and finished sixth in theAmerican League inearned run average (2.62) and fifth inwinning percentage (.705). In 1967, he was 8–10 (2.77) for the pennant-winning"Impossible Dream" Red Sox,[4] and pitched two scoreless innings in1967 World Series Game 3 (October 7, 1967). He finished his career with a total of 62 wins, 61 losses, 32complete games, 8shutouts, 21saves, 77games finished, 718strikeouts and only 344walks in 1,216innings pitched, and anERA of 3.56.
Stange was later apitching coach for the Red Sox (1972–74; 1981–84), Twins (1975) andOakland Athletics (1977–79). He was a roving minor league pitching instructor in the Red Soxfarm system in 1971, 1980 and from 1985 to 1994, andmanaged Oakland's Triple-ATucson Toros farm club for the final weeks of the 1976 season. In 2005, Stange was named pitching coach forNCAA Division IIFlorida Institute of Technology.[4] He was the stepfather of former major league infielderJody Reed.[2]
Stange died at age 81 on September 21, 2018.
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Boston Red SoxPitching Coach 1972–1974 1981–1984 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minnesota TwinsPitching Coach 1975 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Oakland AthleticsPitching Coach 1977–1979 | Succeeded by |