‘Strangeglove’ Stuart Dead at Age 70

Dick Stuart, a slugger whose bad fielding earned him the nickname “Dr. Strangeglove,” has died.

Stuart died Sunday. He was 70.

An All-Star in 1961, the first baseman hit .264 with 228 home runs and 743 RBIs in a 10-year career. He played for Pittsburgh, Boston, Philadelphia, the New York Mets, the Dodgers in 1966 and the Angels in 1969.

Stuart was in the on-deck circle at Forbes Field when Bill Mazeroski hit the home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series that lifted the Pirates over the New York Yankees.

Stuart earned his place in baseball lore in 1956, hitting 66 home runs for Lincoln of the Class A Western League. From then on, he always put a “66” with his name when he signed autographs.

A poor outfielder, Stuart was moved to first base by the Pirates when he made his major league debut in 1958. Even so, he struggled, making 16 errors in only 64 games that season.