Former Baltimore Orioles lefthander Steve Barber passed away at age 67 on Monday of complications from pneumonia according to an announcement on Monday by the Orioles. 

Barber is the second former Orioles hurler to have passed away in the off-season.  In late November, 2006, it was reported that Pat Dobson passed away after being diagnosed with leukemia.

The two pitchers were from different periods of Oriole history, with
Barber being the first pitcher in Oriole history to win 20 games, having his best year in the majors going 20-13 with a 2.75 ERA in 1963.

Barber won 10 or more games in 5 of his 7 seasons with the Orioles, and in 6 of his first 8 years in the majors including going 10-5 on the 1966 staff that led the Birds to their first World Seriers triumph, to a 4-0 sweep of the  L.A. Dodgers.  Barber was on the same Orioles staff with Jim Palmer and  Dave McNally who would later be part of that great 1971 Orioles staff with Dobson and Mike Cuellar.

Associated Press reports on ESPN about Barber’s 14 year major league career;

A two-time All-Star and a member of the Orioles’ Hall of Fame, Barber was 121-106 with a 3.36 ERA from 1960-74. The lefty spent the first half of his career with the Orioles and was traded to the New York Yankees in July 1967. He later pitched for the Seattle Pilots, the Chicago Cubs, the Atlanta Braves, the California Angels and the San Francisco Giants.

Barber started out the 1967 season in impressive fashion, holding the Angels hitless before Jim Fregosi doubled with one out in the ninth inning. Two weeks later, however, Barber pitched his most memorable game.

The AP story ESPN recounts that Barber was the losing pitcher in one of the wildest no-hitters in baseball history;

Facing Detroit in the first game of a doubleheader at old Memorial Stadium, Barber took a no-hit bid and a 1-0 lead into the ninth inning despite severe bouts of wildness.

Barber walked the first two batters in the ninth, then retired the next two hitters. But he threw a wild pitch that let the tying run score and, after yet another walk, was pulled from the game.

Stu Miller relieved, and the Tigers scored the go-ahead run on an error. The Tigers wound up winning 2-1 despite getting no hits. Barber’s line that afternoon: 8 2/3 innings, 10 walks, two hit batters, a wild pitch and a throwing error.

This blog also recorded Barber’s memorable no-hit loss.

The AP report continues; 

A hard-thrower, Barber led the majors in walks and also topped the AL in wild pitches as a rookie. The next year, in 1961, he pitched eight shutouts and tied for the major league lead with Camilo Pascual.

Born in Takoma Park, Md., Barber signed with the Orioles when he was 18. Barber spent three seasons in Class D ball before jumping to the majors in 1960 as was part of the “Baby Birds” staff that included Milt Pappas, Jack Fisher and  Chuck Estrada, all of them in their early 20s.

Barber was 28 when the Orioles won their first World Series with a whole new staff of aces in their early 20s — Jim Palmer, Dave McNally and Wally Bunker.

In 7½ years with the Orioles, he went 95-75 with a 3.12 ERA in 253 games. Overall, he pitched 1,999 innings in the big leagues.

Survivors include his wife, Patricia; his son, Steve Barber Jr. of Ellicott City, Md.; three daughters, Tracy Barber of South Carolina, Danielle Ehlert of Wisconsin, Kelly McCarthy of North Carolina, and a brother, Richard Barber of Ellicott City, Md.

The Orioles said the funeral would be private and that plans for a memorial service were incomplete Monday.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 6th, 2007 at 7:40 am and is filed under Real-Time Baseball News and Commentary, All Time Pitching Highlights, Untimely Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.