One of the great relief pitchers in the history of the Orioles has died.
The club announced Stu Miller passed away at age 87 Sunday after a brief illness. Miller was a member of the Orioles Hall of Fame as well as the 1966 World Series championship team.
The right-hander spent five seasons in Baltimore, posting a 38-36 mark with 100 saves and a 2.37 ERA as one of the best relievers in baseball from 1963 through 1967. Miller led the majors with 27 saves in 1963 in the midst of an era when relievers were regularly called upon to pitch multiple innings.
His 100 saves rank fourth in franchise history behind only Gregg Olson, Jim Johnson, and Tippy Martinez. His straight changeup was regarded by many as one of the best in major league history and a major reason why he went on to have such a long career.
He finished 19th in American League Most Valuable Player voting in 1963 as well as seventh in 1965 and 11th in 1966. Despite being an important part of the 1966 championship club, Miller did not appear in the World Series after collecting 18 saves and posting a 2.25 ERA in 92 innings during the regular season.
Miller started his career in St. Louis and also spent time with San Francisco, Atlanta, and Philadelphia over 16 seasons, posting a 105-103 record with 154 saves and a 3.24 career ERA. He was selected to his lone All-Star Game in 1961 as a member of the Giants.
He was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1989.
A native of Northampton, Mass., Miller is survived by his wife, Jayne, and six children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandson.
