Pitcher, Washington
Senators
Age: 29 (Sept. 12)
1st season
with Senators
Bats – Right,
Throws – Right
Height: 6’0” Weight: 195
Prior to 1962:
A native of
Westerly, Rhode Island, Stenhouse was part of an athletic family. His father
and uncle starred in three sports at Westerly High School, where Stenhouse
himself performed with distinction in basketball and football, as well as
baseball. A good student, he moved on to the University of Rhode Island where
he excelled in basketball and baseball on his way to earning a degree in
Industrial Engineering. Upon graduation in 1955, he signed with the Chicago
Cubs. His first professional experience came with the Burlington Bees of the
Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa-(or Three I) League in ’55 in which he produced a
0-1 record in six appearances. He advanced to the Lafayette Oilers of the Class
C Evangeline League in 1956 and posted a 16-4 tally and 1.92 ERA, 14 complete
games, 6 shutouts, and 181 strikeouts over 183 innings pitched. In addition to
a fastball, Stenhouse had developed an effective knuckle-curveball in high
school which was his best pitch. He would add a sinker and slider that he used
effectively. Advancing to Des Moines of the Class A Western League in 1957, he
went 12-13 with a 3.54 ERA, 11 complete games, and 184 strikeouts over 201
innings. With Pueblo of the Western League and Fort Worth of the Class AA Texas
League in 1958, his production was a combined 17-9 with a 3.15 ERA, 17 complete
games, 3 shutouts, and 190 strikeouts over 237 innings, although he was
hindered by a sore arm. Drafted away from the Cubs by the Cincinnati Reds in
1959, he was assigned to the Seattle Rainiers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast
League where he turned in a 12-13 tally and 2.84 ERA, 12 complete games, 4
shutouts, and 118 strikeouts over 200 innings. Barely missing making the
Cincinnati roster in the spring of 1960, Stenhouse returned to Seattle and
posted a 13-12 mark and 4.16 ERA with 11 complete games and 134 strikeouts over
186 innings. Still unable to crack the Reds pitching staff in 1961, Stenhouse
was assigned to Jersey City of the Class AAA International League where his
record was 14-12 with a 3.32 ERA, 12 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 144
strikeouts over 214 innings. Having put in a long and solid minor league
apprenticeship, Stenhouse was traded to the Senators in the offseason as part
of a four-player deal where he finally got the opportunity to pitch for a major
league club.
1962 Season Summary
Appeared in 34
games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]
Pitching
Games – 34
Games Started –
26
Complete Games
– 9 [11, tied with Gene Conley, Juan Pizarro & Milt Pappas]
Wins – 11 (20,
tied with five others)
Losses – 12
(14, tied with five others)
PCT - .478
Saves – 0
Shutouts – 2 [11,
tied with fourteen others]
Innings Pitched
– 197 [20]
Hits – 169
Runs – 84
Earned Runs – 80
Home Runs – 24
[11, tied with Chuck Estrada, Don Mossi & Jim Grant]
Bases on Balls
– 90 [9]
Strikeouts – 123
[19, tied with Dan Pfister]
ERA – 3.65 [17]
Hit Batters – 2
Balks – 0
Wild Pitches – 4
Midseason
Snapshot: 6-4, ERA - 3.03, SO – 58 in 95 IP
---
Most
strikeouts, game – 9 (in 6 IP) vs. Cleveland 8/10, (in 10 IP) at Minnesota 7/12
10+ strikeout
games – 0
Fewest hits
allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) at Chi. White Sox 7/17, (in 7 IP) at NY
Yankees 5/6
Batting
PA – 66, AB – 58,
R – 3, H – 3, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 4, BB – 1, SO – 13, SB – 0, CS – 0,
AVG - .052, GDP – 2, HBP – 1, SH – 6, SF – 0
Fielding
Chances – 54
Put Outs – 21
Assists – 33
Errors – 0
DP – 3
Pct. - 1.000
Awards & Honors:
All-Star
(started second game for AL)
---
In their second
season, the expansion Senators went 60-101 to finish tenth (last) in the AL, 35.5
games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees. The pitching staff led the
league in fewest saves (13) and fewest strikeouts (771). Playing in the new DC
Stadium (later RFK Stadium), the power-deprived Senators started poorly and
were 26-53 at the All-Star break, with both manager Mickey Vernon and GM Ed
Doherty under threat of dismissal. The club went on a 28-31 run thereafter
before tailing off in September, causing the firing of Doherty but not Vernon.
The pitchers, including Stenhouse, featured best throughout the disappointing
season. Stenhouse started the year off in the bullpen prior to moving into the
starting rotation in May. Soon after the All-Star break, he suffered a knee
injury and lost his next six starts and went only 5-8 during the season’s
second half.
Aftermath of 1962:
In 1963, Stenhouse’s season ended in July due to elbow surgery. His record was only 3-9 in 16 starts with a 4.55 ERA and 47 strikeouts over 87 innings. He suffered through an injury-plagued season in 1964, highlighted by a three-hit shutout of the Orioles in July, and ended up with a 2-7 tally and 4.81 ERA. He found himself back in the minors in 1964 where he lasted until 1967, but he was unable to recover the form that made him an All-Star as a rookie in 1962. For his major league career, spent entirely with the Senators, his record was 16-28 with a 4.14 ERA, 12 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 214 strikeouts over 372 innings. Following his playing career, he returned to Rhode Island and coached baseball and basketball at Rhode Island College and Brown University. Stenhouse died in 2023 at age 90. His son, Mike, was an outfielder and first baseman who played for Montreal, Minnesota, and Boston between 1982 and ’86.
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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league
in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum
of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who
led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a
minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between
the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category will also include
Misc. players who don’t otherwise qualify but received MVP votes or were contributors
to teams that reached the postseason.
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