Albert Lee (Stinger) Stange, born on October 27, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois, passed away at the age of 81 in Melbourne, Florida after losing his battle with cancer. Stange was a great athlete in high school playing baseball, basketball, and football (with Ray Nitschke) and winning all-state honors in the latter two sports. After graduating from high school Stange went to Drake University on a football scholarship but a knee injury his freshman season ended his football career, but it did not end his dream of being a professional athlete.
“Two years later, I called a scout (Washington Senators scout Ossie Bluege) who saw me play baseball in high school, and I said I wanted to play ball. He sent me a contract for $200 a month (to play) in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.”
Lee signed as a free agent with the Washington Senators in 1957. Stange spent 1957 and 1958 in class “D” ball at Fort Walton Beach before moving up to class “B” in 1959. In 1960 while still in class “B”, Stange won 20 games while losing 13 when he threw for 251 innings and finished the season with a 3.59 ERA. The following spring, 1961, in the Minnesota Twins initial spring training, Lee made the big league club, pitching in a couple of games before getting sent down and spending most of the season in AAA Syracuse before he was recalled to Minnesota in September. Stange spent the entire 1962 season with the Twins, starting 6 games but pitching primarily in relief. In 1963 Stange again started the season with Minnesota but in early May was again sent down to AAA where he ripped off a string of victories that forced the Twins hand and he was once again in the majors. After being recalled, Stange pitched primarily as a starter and won 12 games including two shutouts while losing just 5 and putting up an exceptional 2.62 ERA in 164+ innings. During his Twins career between 1961-1964 Stange appeared in 97 games, starting 37 times and posting a 20-14 record with a 3.61 ERA. Stange was more of a throw to contact pitcher then a power pitcher but his pitching skills served him well. Stange had 10 complete games, two shutouts and 3 saves on his resume at Minnesota. Stange was an excellent bowler, so good in fact that the Brunswick bowling company signed Stange to tour Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakotas during the winter on exhibition tours. One year, Stange said, he was offered a sponsorship to go on the pro tour, but he declined.
In June of 1964 Lee Stange and George Banks were traded to the Cleveland Indians for Jim Grant. That September the Stinger struck out four Washington Senator batters in one inning. After pitching for the Indians for a couple of seasons Stange was once again traded, this time to the Red Sox in 1966.
Stange pitched very well for the 1967 Red Sox and was involved in one of the greatest pennant races the American league history. Even though he finished with an 8-10 record, he led the Red Sox pitching staff with an ERA of just 2.77. The race was so tight that it was thought that a playoff game might be necessary to determine a pennant winner and Red Sox manager Dick Williams saved Stange to pitch that game. It turned out that an extra game was not needed and the Red Sox won the pennant and got the right to play the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Losing to Bob Gibson three times, the Red Sox went on to lose the World Series to the Cardinals 4 games to 3. Stange pitched for the Red Sox until June of 1970 when he was sold to the White Sox. After the 1970 season Stange’s body told him that enough was enough and Lee retired as an active player and went on to coaching and managing in the minors as well as serving as a pitching coach in the major leagues for the Minnesota Twins, the Oakland A’s, and the Boston Red Sox on two separate occasions.
Stange was twice the pitching coach of the Red Sox, from 1972-74 and again from 1981-84. He then became a minor league pitching instructor for the Sox from 1985-94. Stange also had coaching stints with the Twins (1975) and Athletics (1977-79). In all he spent 40 years in professional baseball, 23 of them with the Boston Red Sox. Stange spent nine years as the pitching coach for Division 2 Florida Tech before retiring from baseball at age 78. Lee Stange participated in Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox fantasy baseball camps for many years and was always a fan favorite.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara and three children, Tim, Jim and Jana. Stange also had two stepchildren, former Sox infielder Jody Reed and Paul Reed.
RIP Lee Stange and thank you for all the wonderful memories. Stange is the 25th member of the 1961 Minnesota Twins team to pass away. There were 42 players that played for the Minnesota Twins in 1961.
The SABR Baseball Biography Project write-up on Lee can be found here.
Back in November 2009 I did an interview with Lee Stange that is 58 minutes in length.
So sorry for your loss. Lee had a great life and will be forever remembered thanks to his baseball playing. RIP ???