Sammy Ellis – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Samuel Joseph Ellis wrapped up his Major League Baseball career in 1969 after seven seasons pitching for three teams. He spent most of his time with the Cincinnati Reds, then finished out with short runs for the California Angels and Chicago White Sox.

Ellis retired from professional baseball after the 1969 season when he was just 28. His career peaked in 1965, when he won 22 games and made the All-Star team.

He was born in Youngstown, Ohio, and put together a 63-58 career record with 677 strikeouts over 229 games between 1962 and 1969.

His journey from Mississippi State University to the majors showed both promise and plenty of challenges. He earned MVP consideration and put up performances that stuck in baseball history.

Ellis’s career stats, his life after baseball, and the impact he had on his teams give us a pretty full picture of a pitcher who saw both highs and lows during the shifting baseball scene of the 1960s.

Early Life and Education

Samuel Joseph Ellis was born February 11, 1941, in Youngstown, Ohio. He spent his early years there before heading to Mississippi State University for college and baseball.

His college career didn’t last long, but he showed off the pitching talent that would eventually get him to the majors as an All-Star.

Family Background

Not much is out there about Sammy Ellis’s family background or his early home life in Youngstown. The Ellis family lived in this industrial city while Sammy grew up in the 1940s and 1950s.

His parents supported his athletic dreams right from the start. That encouragement made a difference in his development as a pitcher.

The family environment let Ellis focus on working on his pitching skills as a kid.

Childhood in Youngstown, Ohio

Ellis spent his childhood in Youngstown, Ohio, a city known for steel mills and hard work. That working-class atmosphere shaped a lot of athletes back then.

He found his love for baseball early on. Ellis put in endless hours practicing his pitching.

The baseball culture in Ohio really helped him develop. Local competition toughened him up and set him up for success later on.

By his teenage years, people started to notice his pitching abilities.

Mississippi State University and College Baseball

Ellis went to Mississippi State University and pitched for the Bulldogs. His college career was short but impressive—he lettered for just one year in 1961.

In that single season at Mississippi State, Ellis put up a 12-7 pitching record. He led the team in two big stats, racking up 73 strikeouts and pitching 57⅔ innings.

Major league scouts took notice of his performance. The Cincinnati Reds saw his potential and signed him as an amateur free agent in 1961.

He got a pretty hefty $60,000 bonus with that deal.

Mississippi State later inducted him into their Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012. That honor came more than fifty years after his short but memorable college run.

Professional Baseball Career

Sammy Ellis played seven years in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1969. He mostly pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, then had brief stops with the California Angels and Chicago White Sox.

Over 231 games, he posted a career record of 63 wins and 58 losses with 677 strikeouts.

Cincinnati Reds Years

Ellis kicked off his MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds in 1962. He stayed with the team for six seasons, from 1962 to 1967.

He really broke out in 1964 as the Reds’ top reliever. That year, Ellis went 10-3 with 14 saves and a sharp 125/28 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The Reds moved him into the starting rotation in 1965, and that’s when he had his best year. He won 22 games and lost just 10, earning a spot on the National League All-Star team.

He threw 15 complete games and logged 263⅔ innings that season. Ellis struck out 183 batters, showing he could dominate on the mound.

But his performance took a dive in 1966. He went 12-19 that year and struggled with consistency.

After the 1967 season, the Reds traded Ellis. He’d spent almost his whole career with them up to that point.

California Angels Tenure

The California Angels picked up Ellis after the Reds traded him following the 1967 season. He played just one season for the Angels in 1968.

His time with the Angels was short, but it marked a new chapter. Switching to the American League gave him a different challenge.

Ellis kept pitching at the major league level, even though arm problems started to bother him.

He only spent one season with the Angels. After 1968, he moved on to his last MLB team.

Chicago White Sox and Final Season

Ellis joined the Chicago White Sox for the 1969 season, which turned out to be his last in the majors. His time with the White Sox was brief.

He made his final appearance on June 8, 1969, ending his seven-year career. Ellis retired at just 28.

Those arm problems that started in 1966 finally caught up with him. They forced him out of the game sooner than anyone expected.

He finished his career with a 4.15 ERA across all three teams. His best days were with the Reds, especially during his All-Star season in 1965.

Even after his playing days, Ellis came back to baseball as a pitching coach. He coached for several MLB teams, including the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox.

Notable Achievements and Highlights

Sammy Ellis hit the peak of his career in 1965, making the All-Star team and winning 22 games for the Cincinnati Reds. Over seven seasons, he tallied 677 strikeouts and a 63-58 record in the majors.

1965 MLB All-Star Selection

Ellis made his only All-Star team in 1965, his best year as a big leaguer. He put up a 22-10 record with a 3.79 ERA for the Reds.

That season, he threw 15 complete games and pitched 263⅔ innings. Ellis showed real durability as a starter.

He became one of just two Reds pitchers to win 20 games that year. He and Jim Maloney were the last Cincinnati righties to hit 20 wins until Johnny Cueto did it in 2014.

Ellis picked up his 20th win in late September at Crosley Field. The Reds beat the Houston Astros 4-2 in that game.

Key Performance Metrics

Ellis struck out 677 batters over his seven-year career from 1962 to 1969. His final record was 63 wins, 58 losses, and a 4.15 ERA in 231 games.

He broke out in 1964, showing he could pitch as both a starter and a reliever. Ellis went 10-3 with a 2.57 ERA and 14 saves in 122 innings.

Things went downhill in 1966, when he finished 12-19 with a 5.29 ERA. That year, he gave up 35 home runs, which was a new Reds record at the time.

In 1964, Ellis struck out 125 batters in limited innings. That season helped him get noticed as one of the hardest throwers on the Reds’ staff.

Impact as a Pitcher

Ellis played a big role during Cincinnati’s 1964 pennant chase. He tallied one win and three saves in the last two weeks, as the Reds erased a 6½-game gap with the Phillies.

His power arm made him the second-best pitcher behind Jim Maloney. Manager Fred Hutchinson relied on Ellis as both a starter and reliever.

After hanging up his glove, Ellis found success as a pitching coach. He worked with teams like the Yankees and White Sox.

When Ellis passed away in 2016, the Yankees honored him with a moment of silence at Yankee Stadium. That gesture showed just how much of an impact he’d had as a coach.

Career Statistics and Records

Sammy Ellis finished his major league career with a 63-58 record, a 4.15 ERA, and 677 strikeouts over 1,004 innings. His best years came with the Reds from 1964 to 1967, where he built a reputation as a reliable starter.

Win–Loss Record

Ellis ended up with 63 wins and 58 losses, for a .521 winning percentage. His best year was 1965, when he won 22 games and lost 10 for the Reds, earning an All-Star nod.

That 1965 season was his high point. He started 39 games, completed 15, and threw 263.2 innings. Those 22 wins put him among the National League’s top pitchers that year.

But things changed in 1966, when he went 12-19 with a 5.29 ERA. That tough season marked the start of his decline.

After five years with Cincinnati, Ellis was traded to the California Angels in 1968, where he posted a 9-10 record.

He spent his last season with the Chicago White Sox in 1969, appearing in just 10 games. Ellis went 0-3 before being traded to Cleveland, which pretty much ended his big league career.

Strikeout Totals

Ellis racked up 677 strikeouts in his seven years, with a career-high 183 in 1965. His strikeout numbers peaked during his best years with the Reds.

In 1964, he punched out 125 batters in 122.1 innings, showing great control with a 4.46 strikeout-to-walk ratio. That year really established him as a pitcher who could get hitters out when it mattered.

After 1965, his strikeout totals dropped off. Ellis struck out just 154 in 1966, even though he threw 221 innings. The numbers kept going down with California and Chicago.

Earned Run Average

Ellis posted a 4.15 career ERA. His best season came in 1964, when he put up a 2.57 ERA over 52 appearances. That year helped him earn a reputation as a solid reliever and spot starter.

His ERA bounced around a lot over his career. After that excellent 1964, he finished 1965 with a 3.79 ERA and 22 wins. He gave up 111 earned runs that year and allowed 119 total runs.

But in 1966, Ellis struggled and posted a 5.29 ERA. He allowed 130 earned runs and 135 total runs, and served up 35 home runs, the most in any season of his career. His last year with Chicago saw him post a 5.83 ERA in limited action.

Retirement and Life After Baseball

After his playing days ended with the White Sox in 1969, Ellis moved into coaching. He made a real impact on future generations of pitchers.

His post-baseball life revolved around mentoring young talent and staying close to the game.

Coaching and Mentoring Roles

Ellis found a new calling as a pitching coach once his playing career ended. He worked with several major league teams, including the Yankees and White Sox.

People around baseball respected his coaching abilities. The Yankees even held a moment of silence for Ellis before a game against the White Sox two days after he passed away in 2016.

He played a big part in helping Dave Righetti switch from a starter to a successful reliever while with the Yankees. That move was huge for Righetti’s career.

Ellis brought his experience as a power pitcher to his coaching. He understood what young pitchers faced, especially when it came to control and handling pressure.

Throughout his coaching career, Ellis worked with a lot of pitchers. His ability to connect with players and understand their struggles made him an effective mentor for developing talent.

Personal Life and Legacy

Ellis died on May 13, 2016, at age 75. Even after his coaching days ended, he kept a strong connection to baseball.

During a 1991 interview at Comiskey Park, Ellis looked back fondly on his time with the Reds. He especially liked talking about the 1964 pennant race and his part in the team’s wild comeback attempt.

“I was looking forward to playing in the World Series in 1964,” Ellis said. “But when we didn’t make it, I honestly thought there would be other chances.”

He stayed involved in the game through different baseball activities. Ellis influenced the sport not just with his stats, but also as a coach and mentor.

People in baseball circles respected him, and you could see that in the tributes after he passed away. His move from player to coach really showed how much he understood the game.

Legacy in MLB History

Sammy Ellis made a real impact on baseball with his quick rise as a power pitcher and his later work as a pitching coach. He managed to go from player to mentor, and that shaped the careers of a lot of major league pitchers in the 1980s and 1990s.

Reputation Among Baseball Pitchers

Ellis earned a reputation as one of the hardest throwers in the National League in the mid-1960s. That 1965 season, where he won 22 games for the Cincinnati Reds, really put him up there with Jim Maloney.

He struck out 677 batters over his career, which says a lot about his power on the mound. Other players noticed his strong arm and how fired up he got in big moments.

The 1964 pennant race did a lot for his reputation too. His clutch relief outing against Johnny Callison and the Phillies became something of a legend with his teammates.

Later in his career, Ellis dealt with control problems and shoulder injuries. That made him more relatable to pitchers dealing with their own struggles, and it turned out to be a huge asset when he started coaching.

Influence on Future Generations

Ellis made his biggest mark as a pitching coach after he retired. The New York Yankees honored him with a moment of silence at Yankee Stadium after his death, which says a lot about how much his coaching meant to the team.

He helped Dave Righetti move from a starting pitcher to a top reliever for the Yankees. Honestly, that change set the standard for how other pitching coaches would handle similar situations.

Ellis coached with several MLB organizations, like the Yankees and the Chicago White Sox. He really connected with pitchers, especially those struggling, and that made him great at developing new talent.

Young pitchers learned a ton from Ellis because he’d seen both the highs and lows during his own career. He always pushed mental toughness and pitch control—stuff he’d picked up from fighting through his own challenges.