Jim Coates
| Jim Coates | |
|---|---|
 Coates pitched for the Hawaii Islanders in 1969–70, his last two seasons in pro baseball | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: August 4, 1932 Farnham, Virginia, U.S. | |
| Died: November 15, 2019 (aged 87) Lancaster, Virginia, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 21, 1956, for the New York Yankees | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 1967, for the California Angels | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 43–22 |
| Earned run average | 4.00 |
| Strikeouts | 396 |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
James Alton Coates (August 4, 1932 – November 15, 2019) was an American
Career
Early career
Coates was signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1951. He spent seven years in the Yankees’
Fully recovered in 1959, Coates pitched in 37 games, all but four in
1960 World Series
In 1960, Coates went 13–3 as a spot starter. After winning his last five decisions in 1959 and his first nine this season, Coates finally had his winning streak broken against the
Coates was a member of the Yankee team that regained the American League pennant in 1960, but lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series in seven games. In Game 1, Coates gave up a home run by Bill Mazeroski for the deciding runs in the Pirates’ 6–4 victory. Before Ralph Terry gave up Mazeroski's second home run of this Series (the walk-off home run that won Game 7 10–9 for the Pirates and ended the Series), Coates himself was almost the scapegoat in the Yankees’ loss. With the Yankees ahead 7–5 with no outs (and one run in) in the eighth inning and Bill Virdon on second and Dick Groat on first, Coates relieved Bobby Shantz and got Bob Skinner out on a sacrifice bunt, which advanced the runners. Rocky Nelson then flew out to Roger Maris in right field, and Virdon declined to challenge Maris’ throwing arm. Coates then got to an 0–2 count on Roberto Clemente and was a strike away from getting the Yankees out of trouble.
However, a lapse by Coates allowed the Pirates to keep their inning alive. Clemente eventually chopped a ground ball toward first base, and Coates initially ran toward the ball instead of running directly to cover first base. First baseman
1961 and 1962 championships
In 1961, Coates went 11–5 as a spot starter. Led by the hitting of Maris, Skowron, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Elston Howard, the infield defense of Clete Boyer, Tony Kubek and Bobby Richardson, and Whitey Ford's 25–4 season, the now-Ralph Houk-led Yankees (Stengel had been fired immediately after the 1960 World Series) won the World Series over the Cincinnati Reds in five games. Coates relieved Ford in Game 4 of the Series and pitched four scoreless innings for the save in a 7–0 Yankee win; Ford had left the game with an injury, but not without first breaking Babe Ruth's World Series record of 29+2⁄3 consecutive scoreless innings.
In 1962, Coates went 7–6 for a Yankee team that repeated as World Series champions, defeating the San Francisco Giants in seven games. Coates was the losing pitcher in Game 4 but he threw 2+1⁄3 shutout innings in relief of Ford in Game 6. It would be Coates' last appearance in a New York uniform.
Senators, Reds and Angels
Traded away by the Yankees (for
Legacy
In his 247-game MLB career, Coates, whose
Coates was also well known for throwing at opposing batters. Jim Bouton, in his book, Ball Four, said Coates, after throwing at the opposing hitters, "would not get into the fights that followed." In 2012, Coates published an autobiography titled Always a Yankee.
In 1994, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. [2] Coates died on November 15, 2019, at the age of 87.[3]
Notes
- ^ New Yank ace credits Lopat
- ^ "Pribanic's Grandfather has Place in Pirates History". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. May 6, 2011. Archived from the original on May 9, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ James Coates Obituary
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet