Stephen David Barber (February 22, 1938 – February 4, 2007) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) left-handedpitcher. He pitched for the Baltimore Orioles and six other teams from 1960 to 1974. Barber spent his first eight years with the Orioles, where he compiled an outstanding 95–75 record as a member of the 1960's Baltimore Orioles Kiddie Korps of pitchers, all 22 years old or younger (Barber, Milt Pappas, Chuck Estrada, Jack Fisher, and Jerry Walker). He was the modern Orioles first 20 game winner.[1][2][3]
Arm injuries hampered the rest of his career which saw him win only 26 and lose 31 for the rest of his 15-year career.[4] While with the Orioles, Barber was an All-Star for two seasons. From 1961 to 1967, Barber bucked baseball superstition by wearing number 13. He also wore this number with the Seattle Pilots.[4] Barber was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1988.[3]
As a rookie in 1960, he had a record of 10–7 and an earned run average of 3.22 (sixth-best in the American League) in 36 games (27 starts), but also led the American League (AL) in both walks (113) and wild pitches (ten).[4][6] In 1961, he tied for the AL lead in shutouts with eight, and had a record of 18–12 with a 3.33 ERA in 37 games (34 starts).[4][7] In 1963, he became the first modern Orioles' pitcher to win 20 games in a season when he compiled a 20–13 record, 180 strikeouts, and a 2.75 ERA in 39 games (36 starts), which led to him being selected as an American LeagueAll-Star for the first time in his career.[4] He was again named an AL All-Star one last time in 1966. However, tendinitis in his elbow prevented him from appearing in the game, and also kept him out of the 1966 World Series as the Orioles swept the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in four games for the first title in franchise history.[8]
On April 30, 1967, Barber was removed from a game against the Detroit Tigers with two outs in the ninth inning despite having not surrendered a hit. He had walked two men to start the inning, and then had two outs with runners at second and third when he threw a wild pitch, allowing the tying run to score. He then walked another batter, his tenth of the day (to go along with two hit batsmen and two wild pitches), and manager Hank Bauer took him out of the game, even though he still had the opportunity for a no hitter. Stu Miller came in to relieve Barber. The next batter hit a ground ball to hall of fame shortstop Luis Aparicio, who flipped it to Mark Belanger (playing second base) for a force out, but Belanger dropped the ball and the second run scored, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Miller got the final out to complete the no-hitter, but the Orioles lost 2–1.[9][10][11] Ironically, Belanger would go on to replace Aparicio at shortstop for the Orioles, and become one of the top fielders in baseball history.[12] When asked if he felt bad about the result, Barber said, "'no, I should have got beat 10-10-1. ... There's no problem pitching a no-hitter ... if you walk everyone who can hit you.'"[10]
Barber spent the rest of his career plagued by elbow troubles. The Orioles traded him to the New York Yankees on July 4, 1967, for players to be named later, Ray Barker and cash. Later that year, on December 15, the Yankees sent minor-leaguers Chet Trail and Daniel Brady to the Orioles to complete the trade.[4]
