Claude Osteen
| Claude Osteen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | |||
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Born: August 9, 1939 Caney Spring, Tennessee |
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| MLB debut | |||
| July 6, 1957, for the Cincinnati Redlegs | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 27, 1975, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 196–195 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.30 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,612 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
Claude Wilson Osteen (born August 9, 1939 in Caney Spring, Tennessee, near Chapel Hill), nicknamed "Gomer" because of his resemblance to Gomer Pyle, is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched for six different teams: the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds (1957–61), Washington Senators (1961–64), Los Angeles Dodgers (1965–73), Houston Astros (1974), St. Louis Cardinals (1974), and Chicago White Sox (1975).
The most significant portion of his career was with the Dodgers. After 6 years in the majors, he was traded from the Senators to the Dodgers in a 7-player deal, with four players (two of whom were Frank Howard and Pete Richert) going to the Senators. As a Dodger, Osteen was finally made into a full-time starter. In his time with Cincinnati, he went 0-1; in his time with the Senators, he went 33-28. As a Dodger, his career finally took off.
After two years with an earned run average under 3.00, Osteen was considered a top starter and a workhorse. In those two years, Osteen and the Dodgers reached two straight World Series, the last two Osteen would reach in his career. In the 1965 World Series, the Dodgers would beat the Minnesota Twins in seven games, and Osteen pitched brilliantly. He had a 0.64 ERA in the Series with a 1-1 record including a shutout, which came after teammates Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax lost their respective games, the first two games of the Series. In the 1966 World Series, the Dodgers would lose to the Baltimore Orioles in four games. Osteen lost a 1-0 pitcher's duel with Wally Bunker in Game Three despite giving up only three hits in seven innings; a home run by Paul Blair accounted for the game's only run. Osteen's final postseason statistics include a 0.86 ERA with seven strikeouts in 21 innings pitched.
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