Ike Futch

Ike Jerry Futch

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 170 lbs.

• Born January 31, 1941, Spearsville, LA USA

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Ike Futch played nine professional seasons from 1959 through 1967. He got as high as Triple A in 1966 with the Houston Astros organization -- and a twist of fate denied him his chance to play in the majors that year. On June 25, Joe Morgan suffered a broken right kneecap when teammate Lee Maye smashed a line drive off Morgan's leg in batting practice. Futch, whose primary position was second base, was placed on the active roster. He never made it to the Astrodome, though. His flight wasn't scheduled to leave until after his minor-league game with Oklahoma City was played the next day -- and Futch too was injured, on a hard takeout slide by Bob Raudman. The Astros brought up Julio Gotay instead.

Futch won the batting title in the Nebraska State League in his his first year as a pro, 1959. His most notable attribute as a player was that he was extremely difficult to strike out. The available statistics show that he fanned just 59 times in 4,057 plate appearances -- just 1.4% of the time. Only two pitchers got Futch twice in one game in his whole career: Jack Tupper and Larry Danforth, both of the 1960 Visalia A's. In a recorded interview before his death, Tupper said, "I guess I cheated. I pitched 11 innings that day and got him in the seventh and the 11th."

Another pitcher, Bob Arrighi, struck Futch out five times in one season. He saved the box scores. To his everlasting frustration, Arrighi said, "I never got him twice in one game, do you believe that? I got him more than anyone else that season and probably anyone else in his career, but I couldn't get him more than once in one game on strikes."

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