Dean Stone – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Dean Stone made his mark in baseball history during his eight-year Major League career from 1953 to 1963. This left-handed pitcher from Moline, Illinois, bounced around six different teams and earned a reputation for one of the strangest achievements in All-Star Game history.

Stone hung up his glove in 1963 after his final appearance with the Baltimore Orioles on June 21. By then, he’d put together a 29-39 record and a 4.47 ERA over 166 games.

His time in the majors took him from the Washington Senators, where he started out, to the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Colt .45s, Chicago White Sox, and finally Baltimore. That’s quite a journey.

Stone’s career stands out mostly for his wild 1954 All-Star Game performance, where he won the game without retiring a single batter. That quirky feat, plus his status as one of the original Houston Colt .45s and his frequent moves from team to team, really sum up the highs and lows he experienced in baseball during the 1950s and early ’60s.

Dean Stone’s Baseball Career Overview

Dean Stone pitched for eight seasons, suiting up for six major league teams from 1953 to 1963. He changed teams often and built a reputation as a reliable lefty, though he struggled to find consistency.

Major League Debut and Early Years

Stone made his major league debut on September 13, 1953, for the Washington Senators at age 23. He came in as a reliever against the Detroit Tigers with runners on, and gave up three earned runs in his first outing.

He broke through in 1954, posting a 12-10 record and a 3.32 ERA. Stone won his first four decisions that year and sat at 6-1 by the end of June.

He picked up his first big league win on May 23 against the Philadelphia Athletics, tossing five innings and allowing just two hits.

Stone’s most famous moment came in the 1954 All-Star Game at Cleveland Stadium. He became the only pitcher in All-Star history to earn a win without retiring a batter. Stone faced Duke Snider but caught Red Schoendienst trying to steal home before he even threw an official pitch.

The 1954 season stayed his best. He threw back-to-back shutouts in September and went 32⅔ innings without giving up an earned run. At that point, Washington considered him “untouchable” in trade talks.

Transition Between Teams

After his early run with Washington, Stone’s career became a whirlwind of team changes. Control problems that had bothered him in the minors came back in 1955, when he walked 114 batters and threw nine wild pitches.

On April 29, 1957, the Washington Senators dealt Stone and Bob Chakales to the Boston Red Sox for Milt Bolling, Russ Kemmerer, and Faye Throneberry. Stone had only pitched in three games for Washington that year, and his ERA ballooned to 8.12.

His stint with the Red Sox didn’t go smoothly. Stone dropped his first two starts and got little run support from his new teammates. Boston brought him in as a spot starter to help their rotation, but things just didn’t click.

Stone kept moving. He went on to pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, Houston Colt .45s, and Baltimore Orioles in his last seasons. None of these stops lasted long—he played the journeyman role to the end.

Retirement in 1963 and Final Season

Stone wrapped up his big league career in 1963 with the Baltimore Orioles. His last game came on June 21, closing out an eight-year run.

By the end, Stone had a 29-39 record. His ERA stood at 4.47 over 166 games and 686 innings. He struck out 380 batters during his time in the majors.

At the plate, Stone didn’t do much—he finished with a .088 batting average and 12 RBIs. Nine of those RBIs came in his standout 1954 season. He hit his only major league homer that same year, just months after his All-Star Game win.

Stone’s career always seemed to be haunted by control issues. He walked 324 batters in his first 321 minor league innings, and those struggles popped up throughout his time in the majors.

Team History and Transactions

Dean Stone’s eight seasons took him across six different big league teams from 1953 to 1963. His path included some notable trades and moves that shaped his career—and the teams he joined.

Time with the Washington Senators

Stone started his major league journey with the Washington Senators in 1953. He got his first taste of the big leagues on September 13, 1953, at age 23.

He spent the most time with Washington, from 1953 to 1957. During those years, he became a steady part of their pitching staff.

His best year came in 1954, when he made his only All-Star team. That season really cemented his value to the Senators in the mid-1950s.

Washington gave Stone his most stable stretch in baseball. He learned the ropes and grew as a pitcher during these early years.

Boston Red Sox and Notable Trades

Stone landed with the Boston Red Sox in 1957. This trade kicked off a more unsettled phase of his career.

His time in Boston was short, just part of the 1957 season. The Red Sox wanted him to bolster their pitching staff, but things didn’t pan out.

After a brief stint, Boston moved on. The trade marked Stone’s first big move after his long run with Washington. It’s a reminder of how quickly players could be shuffled around back then.

St. Louis Cardinals and Later Moves

Stone joined the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959 after missing the 1958 season. That gap makes you wonder if he spent time in the minors.

The Cardinals gave Stone another shot at the majors. He tried to get his career back on track after the layoff.

His time with St. Louis didn’t last long. The Cardinals used Stone as they looked over their pitching options.

That stint gave Stone a chance to bounce back. The team let him show what he could do as he tried to regain his form.

Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles Transitions

Stone’s career wrapped up with moves to the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles. In 1962, he split time between the White Sox and Houston Colt .45s.

The Baltimore Orioles bought Stone from the White Sox in 1963. That move brought him to his last big league team.

Stone’s 1963 season in Baltimore was his swan song. The Orioles let him take one more shot at the majors.

These final moves show how teams often picked up veteran pitchers for depth. Stone brought experience and a steady presence, even if only for a short time.

Key Achievements and Awards

Dean Stone pulled off one of baseball’s oddest feats: he won the 1954 All-Star Game without retiring a batter. His best season came that same year, when he went 12-10 with a 3.32 ERA for the Washington Senators.

1954 All-Star Game Appearance

Stone wrote his name in the record books during the 1954 All-Star Game at Cleveland Stadium. He became the winning pitcher without officially retiring a batter—still the only time that’s happened in All-Star history.

The score was tied 9-9 when Stone came in during the eighth to face Duke Snider. Before he even finished the at-bat, Red Schoendienst tried to steal home and got tagged out by Yogi Berra.

The American League pushed across two runs in the bottom of the eighth after Stone got pinch-hit for. Stone ended up with credit for the 11-9 victory, making him one of just two Washington Senators pitchers to win an All-Star Game.

Career Highlights

Stone’s top season happened in 1954 with the Senators. He went 12-10 with a 3.32 ERA and was one of four lefties in the starting rotation.

He started that year hot, going 6-1 through June. He got his first big league win on May 23, tossing five innings of two-hit ball against the Philadelphia Athletics.

Stone spun back-to-back shutouts in September 1954. He blanked the Orioles 5-0 on September 11, then shut out the Red Sox three days later.

He played eight seasons from 1953 to 1963. Stone finished with a 29-39 record and a 4.47 ERA in 166 games for six teams.

Notable Game Performances

Stone’s minor league days included two no-hitters in 1952 with the Charlotte Hornets. He struck out 14 against Gastonia on May 28, and only one ball left the infield.

His second no-hitter came September 7 in the playoffs against Anderson. Stone helped Charlotte win the Tri-State League championship that year.

He strung together 32⅔ consecutive innings without giving up an earned run late in 1954. That run included his two September shutouts and capped off a strong finish.

Stone hit his only big league homer in 1954, four months after his All-Star win. He also knocked in two runs with a triple during his first major league victory.

Statistical Performance and Legacy

Dean Stone’s eight years in the majors produced a 29-39 win-loss record and a 4.47 ERA over 686 innings. Offensively, he didn’t offer much—his career batting average was .088, though he did have a few clutch moments in 1954.

Career ERA and Win-Loss Record

Stone’s 4.47 career ERA shows the challenges he faced in the big leagues. His best year was 1954, when he posted a 12-10 record and a 3.32 ERA for the Senators.

That 29-39 win-loss mark tells you he often didn’t get much run support. In 1955, he lost seven games where the Senators didn’t score at all.

His 1956 season was rough—he ended up with a 6.27 ERA in 132 innings. Stone appeared in 41 games that year, starting 21, but rarely pitched deep into games.

Over his career, Stone struck out 380 batters. He also battled control issues, walking more than he’d like. His best stretch came in September 1954, when he fired 32⅔ straight innings without an earned run.

WAR and Advanced Metrics

There isn’t much comprehensive WAR data for Stone’s era, but his stats point to modest overall value. That 4.47 ERA was above league average most years, so he wasn’t exactly dominating his peers.

Control problems hurt his advanced metrics. Back in the minors, he led the Middle Atlantic League with 158 walks in 1951.

His 1954 season stands out as his peak. He gave the Senators solid innings and kept them in games, with a 3.32 ERA that year.

Stone couldn’t sustain that level, though. His ERA jumped from 3.32 in 1954 to 4.15 in 1955, then shot up to 6.27 in 1956.

Batting Statistics and RBI

Stone’s bat didn’t do him many favors. He finished with a .088 batting average and 12 RBIs in eight seasons.

His best year at the plate was 1954, when he drove in nine of those 12 RBIs. That included a big two-run triple in his first major league win on May 23.

He hit his only career home run in 1954, a few months after his memorable triple. In 1955, he managed just two hits in 60 plate appearances.

Stone was known as a good fielder for a pitcher. He made no errors in his first three seasons and only seven in his whole career, showing he could handle his position defensively.

OPS and Overall Impact

Stone didn’t have enough offensive stats to generate meaningful OPS numbers. That was pretty normal for pitchers in his era.

He drove in 12 runs over his career, and almost all of those came during his breakout 1954 season.

People mostly remember him for his 1954 All-Star Game win. He became the only pitcher in All-Star history to pick up the victory without officially retiring a batter.

That quirky moment really stands out as the peak of his professional legacy.

Stone played for six different teams, which says a lot about his value as a serviceable left-handed pitcher even if he had his limits.

Teams kept trading for him, so he clearly offered something useful—probably depth and flexibility.

He pitched in 166 games over eight seasons. That shows his durability and that teams kept needing his services.

Stone could both start and relieve, which made him a handy roster piece even if his stats weren’t eye-popping.

Trades, Transactions, and Notable Figures

Stone spent eight seasons bouncing between teams through trades and transactions. His journey across six teams really highlights the strategic roster moves that shaped his career from 1953 to 1963.

Relationship with Russ Kemmerer

Stone’s career crossed paths with Russ Kemmerer quite a bit. Both lefties, they kept landing on similar teams in the late ’50s and early ’60s.

They shared time with the Washington Senators organization. Their parallel paths show how teams managed pitching staffs back then.

Managers saw both Kemmerer and Stone as reliable options when building their pitching rotations.

Their careers overlapped multiple times through trades and transactions. That kind of movement just shows how interconnected player careers could get in Major League Baseball during that era.

Notable Trades and Transactions

The Chicago Cubs signed Stone as an amateur free agent before the 1949 season. He made his debut with the Washington Senators on September 13, 1953.

He didn’t stay put for long. Stone went on to play for the Senators, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Colt .45s, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles.

His career really reflected how much teams shuffled pitchers around to patch up their rotations or fill roster holes.

Stone made his final big league appearance on June 21, 1963. His decade in the majors was full of trades and new uniforms.

Influence on Team Rosters

Stone gave teams extra pitching depth wherever he landed. At 6’4″ and 205 pounds, he offered a solid left-handed option for rotations.

His frequent moves between six teams showed how much clubs valued a serviceable pitcher. Teams kept seeking his skills through trades and pickups.

He appeared in 166 games across eight seasons. That kind of experience made him a solid choice for teams needing pitching depth.

Stone’s ability to fit right in and help out wherever he went proved his adaptability and value during the 1950s and early 1960s.

Post-Retirement Life and Honors

After baseball, Dean Stone shifted his focus to business. He set himself up as a successful entrepreneur in the Quad Cities area.

His unusual All-Star Game win in 1954 stayed with him as a notable achievement long after he hung up his glove.

Life After Baseball

Stone went back to the Quad Cities region once his playing days ended. He started a landscaping company in Silvis, Illinois, showing a bit of entrepreneurial grit and a strong connection to his hometown.

The former pitcher stuck around the area for decades after retiring. Running his business gave him stability and let him stay close to family and old friends.

Stone lived quietly, far from the spotlight of pro sports. He settled in East Moline, Illinois, the same area where he’d gone to United Township High School before his pro career kicked off in 1949.

He passed away on August 21, 2018, at age 87 in East Moline. Stone lived nearly 55 years after his last big league game with the Orioles on June 21, 1963.

Legacy within Major League Baseball

Stone’s most unforgettable moment in baseball history happened at the 1954 All-Star Game in Cleveland Stadium. He actually became the winning pitcher without retiring a single batter—which is just wild, honestly, and it’s the kind of quirky thing fans love to bring up.

On July 13, 1954, he stepped in with two outs in the eighth inning. Stone threw out Red Schoendienst when he tried to steal home, and then the American League put up three runs in the bottom half to take the game 11-9.

That odd All-Star win set Stone apart from so many other players who’ve made midsummer appearances. People still talk about the weirdness of that victory, and it’s stuck around in baseball lore for decades.

Stone played eight seasons, picking up 29 wins and 39 losses with a 4.47 ERA over 215 games. His stats might not blow anyone away, but that All-Star Game moment really carved out his place in baseball history, and honestly, that’s pretty special.