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Ron Stead

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Ron Stead
Pitcher
Born:(1936-09-24)September 24, 1936
London, Ontario,Canada
Died:December 5, 2011(2011-12-05)(aged 75)
Chatham, Ontario,Canada
Batted:Right
Threw:Left
Member of the Canadian
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction2006

Ronald Duncan Stead(September 24, 1936 – December 5, 2011) was a Canadian baseballpitcher.He played briefly inMinor League Baseball,then went on to play for over a decade in theIntercounty Baseball Leagueof Ontario, setting multiple league records. He was inducted to theCanadian Baseball Hall of Famein 2006. Listed at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and 150 pounds (68 kg), he threw left-handed and batted right-handed.

Biography

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Stead grew up in Toronto nearMaple Leaf Stadium,home ballpark of theToronto Maple Leafsof theInternational League.[1]He served as abatboyfor the team in 1947 and later was abatting practicepitcher for the team.[1]In 1956, he signed a player contract with the Maple Leafs and was assigned to theFlorida State League(FSL).[2][3]

Stead played inMinor League Baseballduring 1956, 1957, and part of 1958.[4]In 1956, he played in the FSL for theOrlando Seratomas.[4]In 30 games (29 starts and 20complete games) he compiled a 10–17win–loss recordwith a 3.04earned run average(ERA) while striking out 157 batters in 237innings pitched.[4]He returned to the FSL in 1957; pitching for theGainesville G-Menhe had a 17–10 record in 30 games (26 starts and 24 complete games) with a 2.34 ERA while striking out 138 batters in 226 innings.[4]In 1958, Stead made two appearances for theDuluth-Superior White Sox,afarm teamof theChicago White Soxin theNorthern League.[4]His statistics for the season are incomplete, although a newspaperbox scoreshows he allowed eight runs in1+1⁄3innings of relief during a game in May.[5]

In early June 1958, Stead joined theBrantford Red Sox,a team in the amateurIntercounty Baseball LeagueofSouthern Ontario.[6]One of his teammates with Brantford was outfielderJimmy Wilkes,[7]who had played several seasons inNegro league baseball.[8]Stead went on to pitch for Brantford for nine seasons, through 1966, and pitched 14 total seasons in the Intercounty Baseball League, finishing in 1972 with theGuelph CJoys.[9]Stead had great success in the league, including a 0.35 ERA in 1967, setting a new league record.[10]He was named an all-star 10 times,[11]was league MVP three times,[11]and is considered one of the top 100 players in league history.[12]Stead's uniform number, 11, wasretiredby the Brantford Red Sox in 2002.[11]He still held multiple Intercounty Baseball League records, including career wins (104) and strikeouts (1,231), when he was inducted to theCanadian Baseball Hall of Famein 2006.[1]

Stead also played for theCanada national baseball team,appearing in the1967 Pan American Games,contested inWinnipeg.He was the starting pitcher of the team's opening game, a 3–1 loss toMexico;Stead struck out 10 batters in seven innings while allowing four hits.[13]Canada won its second game in the tournament, defeatingPuerto Ricoby a 3–2 score.[14]However, officials then ruled that four players on the Canadian team, including Stead, were ineligible to compete because they had previously playedprofessional baseball.[14]The win over Puerto Rico was forfeited, and the Canadian team continued in the tournament without the ineligible players,[14]ultimately finishing last in the five-team competition.[15]Stead later played for the champion Ontario baseball team at the 1969Canada Games.[16]

Outside of baseball, Stead worked forUnion Gas.[11]After his baseball career, he playedslow-pitch softballuntil 2000.[11]Stead and his wife, Betty, had three sons and a daughter.[17]He died in 2011, aged 75.[4]

References

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  1. ^abc"Ron Stead".baseballhalloffame.ca.RetrievedDecember 24,2021.
  2. ^"Training Camp Notes: Leafs Sign Fielder".The Kingston Whig-Standard.Kingston, Ontario.CP.February 25, 1956. p. 12.RetrievedDecember 24,2021– via newspapers.
  3. ^"Rock's Brother Farmed Out".The Sault Star.Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.CP.April 4, 1956. p. 21.RetrievedDecember 24,2021– via newspapers.
  4. ^abcdef"Ron Stead Minor Leagues Statistics & History".Baseball-Reference.RetrievedDecember 24,2021.
  5. ^"Duluth-Superior vs. St. Cloud (box score)".St. Cloud Times.St. Cloud, Minnesota.May 19, 1958. p. 16.RetrievedDecember 24,2021– via newspapers.
  6. ^Beare, Ted (June 2, 1958)."Beare sport Facts (column)".The Expositor.Brantford, Ontario.p. 8.RetrievedDecember 24,2021– via newspapers.
  7. ^"Stead, Wilkes Lead Red Sox To Extra-Innings Victory".The Expositor.Brantford, Ontario.July 12, 1958. p. 8.RetrievedDecember 24,2021– via newspapers.
  8. ^"Jimmy Wilkes Stats".Baseball-Reference.RetrievedDecember 24,2021.
  9. ^Beare, Ted (August 18, 1972)."Beare sport Facts (column)".The Expositor.Brantford, Ontario.p. 6.RetrievedDecember 24,2021– via newspapers.
  10. ^"Weatherman assures Sox of full team".The Expositor.Brantford, Ontario.August 14, 1975. p. 9.RetrievedDecember 24,2021– via newspapers.
  11. ^abcdeBeare, Ted (June 5, 2002)."Beare Facts (column)".The Expositor.Brantford, Ontario.p. 13.RetrievedDecember 24,2021– via newspapers.
  12. ^"Top 100 IBL Players".theibl.ca.RetrievedJanuary 29,2021.
  13. ^Beck, Dallis (July 25, 1967)."Dallis Beck (column)".The Albertan.Calgary.p. 10.RetrievedDecember 24,2021– via newspapers.
  14. ^abc"Stead Suspended From Pan-Ams, Found Ineligible".The Expositor.Brantford, Ontario.July 27, 1967. p. 9.RetrievedDecember 24,2021– via newspapers.
  15. ^"Bits and pieces from Pan-Ams".The Leader-Post.Regina, Saskatchewan.CP.August 3, 1967. p. 20.RetrievedDecember 12,2022– via newspapers.
  16. ^"Ron Stead".attheplate.RetrievedDecember 25,2021.
  17. ^"Obituary of Ron D. Stead".mckinlayfuneralhome.RetrievedDecember 25,2021.
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