NEW YORK - Mel Stottlemyre made his mark on the mound: He started Game 7 of the World Series, earned five championship rings as a pitching coach, wound up with a plaque at Monument Park.
But his most enduring impression might have come with the bat - more than a half-century later, he remains the last pitcher to hit an inside-the-park grand slam.
Stottlemyre, the ace who later oversaw stellar staffs for both the New York Yankees and Mets, has died. He was 77.
The Yankees said Stottlemyre died Sunday. A five-time All-Star and three-time 20-game winner, Stottlemyre went 164-139 with a 2.97 ERA in 11 seasons, all with the Yankees.
Stottlemyre made his major league debut in August 1964, providing a big boost in the pennant race. The 22-year-old rookie started three times against St. Louis great Bob Gibson in the World Series, eventually losing Game 7 on two days' rest.
The right-hander showed he could excel at the plate. He got five hits in a game as a rookie.
On July 20, 1965, Stottlemyre came up with the bases loaded in the fifth inning against Boston righty Bill Monbouquette. The Red Sox drew in their defense all over the diamond.
Stottlemyre hit a line drive that split outfielders Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Gosger and kept rolling, well over 450 feet away at Yankee Stadium. Stottlemyre took off, ran around third and slid home as the throw bounced past the catcher.