A baseball legend has left the field. It's with a heavy heart that we share the news of Dave Morehead's passing last week at the age of 82, as reported by J.P. Hoornstra of Newsweek.
Morehead, a native of San Diego, made his mark in the world of baseball. He was signed by the Red Sox at just 17 years old. Within two years, he was already making waves in the big leagues.
In his age-19 season, Morehead won 10 games and pitched an impressive 174 2/3 innings. Standing tall at 6'1", the right-handed pitcher made a stunning MLB debut, throwing a complete game shutout with 10 strikeouts against the Washington Senators. That year, he recorded 136 strikeouts with an earned run average of 3.81 in what many consider his best season.
He held a key position in Boston's rotation for the following two seasons. Although his ERA rose above 4.00 in the subsequent years, he still started over 30 games and surpassed 130 strikeouts in both seasons.
The highlight of his career arrived at the end of the '65 season. Morehead pitched a no-hitter in a 2-0 victory over Cleveland that September. He struck out eight and allowed only one baserunner (a second-inning walk to Rocky Colavito) to outduel Luis Tiant. This was the 14th no-hitter in Red Sox history.
But here's where it gets controversial... Morehead struggled with injuries and was limited to a combined 33 regular-season appearances over the next three seasons. However, the Red Sox still managed to win 92 games and claim the AL pennant in 1967. Morehead played in two games during the Fall Classic, pitching 3 1/3 scoreless innings despite walking four batters. Boston narrowly missed the title, as Bob Gibson led the Cardinals to a seven-game Series win.
After the '68 season, Morehead moved to Kansas City in the expansion draft. He finished his career with the Royals, pitching for two seasons. Over parts of eight seasons, Morehead achieved a 4.15 ERA with 627 strikeouts over 819 1/3 innings.
MLBTR extends its deepest condolences to Morehead's family, friends, and loved ones.
What do you think? Did you have the chance to see Dave Morehead play? Share your memories or thoughts in the comments below. Do you think his career was cut short by injuries?
