Mark Littell

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Mark Littell
Pitcher
Born: (1953-01-17)January 17, 1953
Cape Girardeau, Missouri, U.S.
Died: September 5, 2022(2022-09-05) (aged 69)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 14, 1973, for the Kansas City Royals
Last MLB appearance
June 24, 1982, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Win–loss record32–31
Earned run average3.32
Strikeouts466
Saves56
Teams

Mark Alan Littell (January 17, 1953 – September 5, 2022), nicknamed "Country" and "Ramrod",

Bone spurs in his elbow cut his career short, forcing him to retire midway through the 1982 season at the age of 29, before the Cardinals went on to win the World Series. After his playing career, he coached in the minor leagues and in college baseball
.

Early life and career

Littell was raised on an 800-acre (320 ha) farm that grew cotton and soybean near Wardell, Missouri.[2] He attended Gideon High School in Gideon, Missouri, and played for the school's baseball team as a pitcher. He threw three no-hitters in his senior year.[3] He had a 7–3 win–loss record, a 0.97 ERA, and 127 strikeouts in 69+2⁄3 innings pitched in his senior year. He graduated with a 0.98 ERA in his high school career.[4] After he graduated, Littell played American Legion Baseball, representing Blytheville, Arkansas, and recorded 24 strikeouts in his first American Legion game.[2][5]

Professional career

The

Omaha Royals of the American Association, and made his major league debut as a starting pitcher on June 14, 1973.[3][7] Spending much of the season with Omaha, he was named the league's pitcher of the year in 1973.[6]

Littell spent the 1974 season in the minor leagues before returning to the major leagues in 1975. In May 1976, Royals manager Whitey Herzog named Littell his closer. That year, he had a 2.08 ERA with 16 saves, as the Royals won the American League West division. Littell allowed a walk-off home run to New York Yankees first baseman Chris Chambliss to end the 1976 American League Championship Series.[6][8] He had only allowed one home run during the regular season.[9] Littell had 12 saves in 1977, and also was a starting pitcher for five games, as the Royals again won the division and lost the AL Championship Series to the Yankees.[6]

Littell was traded along with

bone spurs from his elbow.[10][11] On August 10, 1981, Pete Rose recorded his 3,631st hit off Littell to become the National League's all-time hits leader.[3] Littell was a member of the Cardinals during their 1982 championship season;[6] however, the club designated Littell for assignment in June.[12] He accepted an assignment to the Louisville Bats.[13][14] In July, Littell went on the disabled list with an elbow injury.[15]

Littell retired after the 1982 season with a 32–31 win–loss record, a 3.32 ERA, and 56 saves.[1][16]

Coaching career

Littell served as a

Class A-Advanced California League in 1991.[19] The Padres fired Littell in September 1991.[20]

After the 1991 season, the

New Orleans Zephyrs in 1996[23] and for the Tucson Toros in 1997.[24] He coached the Ogden Raptors in 2001 and 2002[25][26] and coached for the Helena Brewers from 2003 to 2006.[27][28] He was an assistant coach for the college baseball team of Dickinson State University in 2012.[29]

Later life

Littell attended

athletic cup, which was anatomically correct. Called the "Nutty Buddy", Littell posted a video on YouTube of himself testing the cup by wearing it while getting hit in the groin by a pitching machine.[31] He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.[2]

Littell married Marsha (

née Carver) in December 1975.[32] In 1982, Marsha co-authored a 28-page magazine with Maryanne Simmons, the wife of Ted Simmons, called The Waiting Room, about being the partner of a professional athlete.[33][34]

Littell died on September 5, 2022, after having heart surgery.[1][35]

Books

  • Littell, Mark (2017). On the 8th day, God Made Baseball. Seattle: CreateSpace.
    OCLC 1321925595
    .
  • ——; Jerry Caulder (2018). What's Up Ramrod. Phoenix, AZ: Mark Littell.
    OCLC 1042169439
    .
  • Flannigan, Charlie; —— (2021). Country Boy: Conveniently Wild. Book Marketeers.
    OCLC 1340975240
    .

References

  1. ^ a b c Lee, Bradford (September 6, 2022). "Former Royals pitcher Mark Littell dies at the age of 69". Royals Review. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Gladstone, Douglas (May 30, 2018). "Mark Littell Shares His Wildest Stories". Missouri Life. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c McCarty, Jim (June 15, 2017). "Community Sports: From the Bootheel to the Big League (6/15/17)". Standard Democrat. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  4. ^ "Littell Inks 5-Figure Pact". The Daily Standard. Sikeston, Missouri. June 12, 1971. p. 4. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  5. ^ Hayes, Ed (June 2, 1971). "Three-Dot Data". Orlando Evening Star. p. 1D. Retrieved September 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Grathoff, Pete (September 5, 2022). "Pitcher on the Kansas City Royals' first playoff team dies at the age of 69". Kansas City Star. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  7. ^ Russell, Ron (June 14, 1973). "A Waiting Game Ends Early; Littell vs. Baltimore Tonight". The Courier News. p. 14. Retrieved September 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b "Cards Trade Hrabosky To Royals for Littell". Herald and Review. Associated Press. December 10, 1977. Retrieved September 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b c Kaegel, Dick (June 6, 1994). "Two big moments in baseball continue to follow former pitcher Littell". The Kansas City Star. p. C-6. Retrieved September 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Cards' Littell to have surgery". The Tampa Times. Associated Press. June 24, 1980. p. 22. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  11. ^ "Little Missing Again". The Dispatch. United Press International. April 12, 1981. p. 15. Retrieved September 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Hummel, Rick (June 27, 1982). "Cards Drop Littell And Bring Up Lahti". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 1E, 3E – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "1 Jul 1982, Page 49". St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "3 Jul 1982, Page 2". The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune. July 3, 1982. Retrieved September 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "20 Jul 1982, Page 12". The Courier-Journal – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Former Cardinals pitcher Mark Littell dies". ksdk.com. August 31, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  17. ^ "3 Feb 1989, 17". The Courier. February 3, 1989. Retrieved September 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "14 Jul 1990, Page 26". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. July 14, 1990. Retrieved September 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Gildea, William (July 11, 1991). "In The High Desert, Baseball Blooms". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  20. ^ "PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : His Father's Illness Figured in Hamilton's Decision to Sign". Los Angeles Times. September 21, 1991.
  21. ^ "27 Nov 1991, 13". The Journal Times. November 27, 1991. Retrieved September 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "29 Aug 1994, 20". The Leaf-Chronicle. August 29, 1994. Retrieved September 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "4 Apr 1996, Page 44". The Courier-Journal. April 4, 1996. Retrieved September 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "03 Apr 1997, page 28". Edmonton Journal. April 3, 1997. Retrieved September 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "22 Jun 2001, 41". Casper Star-Tribune. June 22, 2001. Retrieved September 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "6 Nov 2001, 12". The Reporter. November 6, 2001. Retrieved September 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "19 Jan 2004, 9". The Montana Standard. January 19, 2004. Retrieved September 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ McCalvy, Adam (February 7, 2006). "Brewers promote skippers Aviles, Guerrero: Triple-A, Double-A managers remain at respective positions". MiLB.com. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  29. ^ "1st-year DSU baseball coach trying to find team's balance". Dickinson Press. March 11, 2012.
  30. ^ "11 Mar 1974, 12". The Kansas City Star. March 11, 1974. Retrieved September 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ Kahn, Chris (December 16, 2007). "Ex-player selling new athletic cup". East Bay Times. Walnut Creek, California. Associated Press. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  32. ^ "28 Dec 1975, 71". The Kansas City Star. December 28, 1975. Retrieved September 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ "SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Winning Battery – The New York Times". The New York Times. August 18, 1982. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  34. ^ "9 Aug 1982, 24". The Post-Crescent. August 9, 1982. Retrieved September 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Russell, David (September 7, 2022). "Former MLB pitcher Mark Littell dead at 69". New York Post. Retrieved September 7, 2022.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mark_Littell&oldid=1176830105"