Chuck Estrada
Encyclopedia
Charles Leonard Estrada (born February 15, 1938 in San Luis Obispo, California
) is a former American
baseball
player. Estrada was a 6 feet, one inch tall right-handed pitcher
in the Major Leagues
from to , playing for the Baltimore Orioles
, Chicago Cubs
, and New York Mets
. After his retirement from the major leagues, Estrada served as pitching coach in the majors.
in an unknown transaction.
two seasons later, on April 21, 1960, in front of a crowd of 9,377 at Memorial Stadium
. Estrada came in relief for starting pitcher
Steve Barber
in the 5th inning, and pitched two innings of one-hit ball with five strikeout
s. Estrada spent the beginning of the season coming in relief, but he later joined the young Orioles starting pitching rotation, which also featured Steve Barber
, Milt Pappas
, Jerry Walker
and Jack Fisher
. Estrada's rookie season was perhaps the best season of his career. He pitched in a total of thirty-six games, and started twenty-five of them. He tied with Jim Perry
for the American League
lead with 18 wins
that season. Only four other pitchers since had led their respective league without winning more than twenty games in the season. Estrada also was on top of the American League
in hits allowed per nine innings, and finished with a twelve complete game
s, 144 strikeout
s and a 3.58 earned run average
. The All-Star
Estrada finished second in the Rookie of the Year
voting, falling distantly behind Orioles teammate Ron Hansen
. He placed 12th in the American League
Most Valuable Player Award voting, but he did win the year's TSN Pitcher of the Year Award
. Estrada also was on the Topps All-Star Rookie Roster
under the category of right-handed pitcher
.
Estrada had another successful season in , pitching in thirty three games for the Orioles. He had a 15-9 record, a 3.69 earned run average
and 160 strikeout
s in 212 innings of work. He again led the league in hits allowed per nine innings. However, Estrada again showed signs of wild pitching, as he issued a league-high 132 walks
, thirty-one higher than that of his rookie season. He again placed second in the league by hitting ten batters
in the season, finishing only one lower than the leader, Jim Kaat
, of the Minnesota Twins
.
The next season was disastrous for Estrada, as he led the league with seventeen losses. He only collected nine wins on the season, and his ERA
ballooned to 3.83. He had 121 walks in 223.3 inning
s, finishing a close second behind Los Angeles Angels
rookie southpaw Bo Belinsky
.
Estrada's woes did not end, though. The following season, Estrada pitched in only eight games during the season. On June 8, 1963, Estrada suffered an elbow injury with bone chips and a spur in his right elbow, and was done for the season. The following season, Estrada came in as a relief/starting pitcher for the Orioles. It seemed the elbow injury had affected Estrada's pitching. He pitched only 54.7 innings that season, but he posted a 3-2 record with a 5.27 ERA
.
by the Orioles as part of a conditional deal two months prior to the start of the season. Just weeks into the 1966 season, he was returned by the Angels to the Orioles. A day later, he was sent packing again, this time to the Chicago Cubs
. The Cubs gave Estrada a shot as a starting pitcher on June 14, 1966, but he pitched less than an inning, giving up three hits and four earned run
s and also hitting a batter. The Cubs then sent him to the bullpen and used him in relief for the remainder of the 1966 season. His stats only worsened, as he pitched a career-worst 7.30 ERA
in only 12.3 innings of work. The 28-year-old Estrada was released by the Cubs on November 30, 1966. That same day, he was picked up by the New York Mets
as a free agent. The first game Estrada pitched as a Met was on April 13, 1967. Estrada came in the sixth inning to relieve Tom Seaver
on his major league debut, and Estrada pitched two innings of hitless ball. He picked up the win in the first start of Tom Seaver's Hall-of-Fame career. However, the rest of the season did not fair as nicely. In 22 innings of work, Estrada gave up 28 hits, walked 17 batters, and had a 9.41 ERA
. So ended Estrada's major league baseball career as a player. He officially announced his retirement from the majors in .
After retiring from the majors, Estrada found employment in the majors again, but this time as a pitching coach. He served as pitching coach for the Texas Rangers
, San Diego Padres
(–), and Cleveland Indians
.
San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...
) is a former American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. Estrada was a 6 feet, one inch tall right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in the Major Leagues
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
from to , playing for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, and New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. After his retirement from the major leagues, Estrada served as pitching coach in the majors.
Early years
After completing high school, Estrada was signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent on September 27, 1956. Prior to the start of the season, Estrada was sent from the Braves to the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in an unknown transaction.
With the Orioles
Chuck made his major league debut with the OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
two seasons later, on April 21, 1960, in front of a crowd of 9,377 at Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
. Estrada came in relief for starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
Steve Barber
Steve Barber
Stephen David Barber was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1960-1974 for seven different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the Baltimore Orioles...
in the 5th inning, and pitched two innings of one-hit ball with five strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s. Estrada spent the beginning of the season coming in relief, but he later joined the young Orioles starting pitching rotation, which also featured Steve Barber
Steve Barber
Stephen David Barber was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1960-1974 for seven different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the Baltimore Orioles...
, Milt Pappas
Milt Pappas
Milton Steven "Milt" Pappas is a former professional baseball pitcher...
, Jerry Walker
Jerry Walker
Jerry Allen Walker is a former right-handed pitcher in American Major League Baseball who performed for the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Athletics and Cleveland Indians between and ....
and Jack Fisher
Jack Fisher
John Howard Fisher was a Major League Baseball pitcher. The right-hander was signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent on June 24, 1957. He played for the Orioles , San Francisco Giants , New York Mets , Chicago White Sox , and Cincinnati Reds...
. Estrada's rookie season was perhaps the best season of his career. He pitched in a total of thirty-six games, and started twenty-five of them. He tied with Jim Perry
Jim Perry (baseball)
James Evan Perry, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched for 1959-1975 for four different teams. During a 17-year baseball career, Perry compiled 215 wins, 1,576 strikeouts, and a 3.45 earned run average....
for the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
lead with 18 wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
that season. Only four other pitchers since had led their respective league without winning more than twenty games in the season. Estrada also was on top of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in hits allowed per nine innings, and finished with a twelve complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s, 144 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s and a 3.58 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. The All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
Estrada finished second in the Rookie of the Year
MLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
voting, falling distantly behind Orioles teammate Ron Hansen
Ron Hansen (baseball)
Ronald Lavern Hansen is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals...
. He placed 12th in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Most Valuable Player Award voting, but he did win the year's TSN Pitcher of the Year Award
The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award
Before there was a Cy Young Award, there was the Pitcher of the Year Award, established by The Sporting News in 1944, though no awards were given in 1946 or 1947. The award is given annually to the pitcher in each league judged by TSN baseball experts as having had the most outstanding season...
. Estrada also was on the Topps All-Star Rookie Roster
Topps All-Star Rookie Rosters
This is a year-by-year list of the Topps All-Star Rookie teams. Note that players selected for a particular team appear in the following year's set release...
under the category of right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
.
Estrada had another successful season in , pitching in thirty three games for the Orioles. He had a 15-9 record, a 3.69 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
and 160 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s in 212 innings of work. He again led the league in hits allowed per nine innings. However, Estrada again showed signs of wild pitching, as he issued a league-high 132 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, thirty-one higher than that of his rookie season. He again placed second in the league by hitting ten batters
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
in the season, finishing only one lower than the leader, Jim Kaat
Jim Kaat
James Lee "Jim" Kaat , nicknamed "Kitty", is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins , Chicago White Sox , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees , and St...
, of the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
.
The next season was disastrous for Estrada, as he led the league with seventeen losses. He only collected nine wins on the season, and his ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
ballooned to 3.83. He had 121 walks in 223.3 inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
s, finishing a close second behind Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
rookie southpaw Bo Belinsky
Bo Belinsky
Robert "Bo" Belinsky was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, who became an instant southern California celebrity as a rookie with the original Los Angeles Angels, especially when the fourth of his season-opening four straight wins was a no-hit, no-run game against his former...
.
Estrada's woes did not end, though. The following season, Estrada pitched in only eight games during the season. On June 8, 1963, Estrada suffered an elbow injury with bone chips and a spur in his right elbow, and was done for the season. The following season, Estrada came in as a relief/starting pitcher for the Orioles. It seemed the elbow injury had affected Estrada's pitching. He pitched only 54.7 innings that season, but he posted a 3-2 record with a 5.27 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
Across the league
Estrada did not pitch the following season, and he was sent to the California AngelsLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
by the Orioles as part of a conditional deal two months prior to the start of the season. Just weeks into the 1966 season, he was returned by the Angels to the Orioles. A day later, he was sent packing again, this time to the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. The Cubs gave Estrada a shot as a starting pitcher on June 14, 1966, but he pitched less than an inning, giving up three hits and four earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s and also hitting a batter. The Cubs then sent him to the bullpen and used him in relief for the remainder of the 1966 season. His stats only worsened, as he pitched a career-worst 7.30 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in only 12.3 innings of work. The 28-year-old Estrada was released by the Cubs on November 30, 1966. That same day, he was picked up by the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
as a free agent. The first game Estrada pitched as a Met was on April 13, 1967. Estrada came in the sixth inning to relieve Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
on his major league debut, and Estrada pitched two innings of hitless ball. He picked up the win in the first start of Tom Seaver's Hall-of-Fame career. However, the rest of the season did not fair as nicely. In 22 innings of work, Estrada gave up 28 hits, walked 17 batters, and had a 9.41 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. So ended Estrada's major league baseball career as a player. He officially announced his retirement from the majors in .
After retiring from the majors, Estrada found employment in the majors again, but this time as a pitching coach. He served as pitching coach for the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
(–), and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
.