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Former Major League Baseball outfielder Larry Stahl, who was best known for spoiling a perfect game, has died at the age of 84.
Stahl passed away on Tuesday at the Caseyville Nursing and Rehab center in Illinois, leaving behind a legacy defined by one of the most controversial walks in baseball history.
While he played 10 seasons across four different clubs, Stahl’s name is etched into the record books for his role in the ‘near-perfect’ game of Milt Pappas.
On September 2, 1972, Chicago Cubs pitcher Pappas was just one out away from a perfect game, having retired 26 consecutive batters at Wrigley Field.
Stahl, a left-handed hitter then playing for the San Diego Padres, was sent to the plate as a pinch-hitter by manager Don Zimmer to face the red-hot right-hander.
The veteran worked the count full, and on the decisive payoff pitch, he checked his swing as a ball narrowly missed the strike zone, drawing a walk.
Former Major League Baseball outfielder Larry Stahl, bottom, has died at the age of 84
The call ended the bid for a perfect game, though Pappas retired the very next batter to secure a no-hitter in an 8-0 victory for Chicago.
Pappas, who died in 2016, famously spent decades blaming home plate umpire Bruce Froemming for failing to ‘help’ him make history with that final pitch.
Froemming, a major league umpire for 37 consecutive years who worked the third-most games in big league history and a record 11 no-hitters, died last month after falling and hitting his head. He was 86.
He had brain bleeding that medical personnel could not stop because Froemming was on blood thinners, leading to his death. Froemming’s son, Steven, confirmed the news to Associated Press.
Froemming is remembered by sports fans for his massive contribution to baseball. His life in the sport began as a semipro baseball player and he started his umpiring career in the minor leagues in 1958 at age 18.
He worked his way up and joined the National League staff in 1971. He shifted to the unified major league staff in 2000 and retired in 2007 having worked 5,163 games, second at the time to Bill Klem’s 5,373.
Stahl, a Belleville, Illinois native, finished his own career with a .232 batting average, 36 home runs, and 163 RBIs over 730 Major League games
Stahl, a Belleville, Illinois native, finished his own career with a .232 batting average, 36 home runs, and 163 RBIs over 730 Major League games.
His journey through the big leagues saw him feature for the Kansas City Athletics, the New York Mets, the Padres, and finally the Cincinnati Reds.
His statistical peak came in 1971 with San Diego, where he recorded a career-high .253 average along with eight home runs and 36 RBIs.
Stahl’s final act in the majors was a postseason appearance with the 1973 Reds, where he notched two hits in four at-bats before retiring from the game.
More to follow…
