Jay Dahl

Jay Steven Dahl

• Bats Both, Throws Left
• Height 5' 10", Weight 183 lb.
• High School Bloomington (CA) High School
• Debut September 27, 1963
• Final Game September 27, 1963
• Born December 6, 1945 in San Bernardino, CA USA
• Died June 21, 1965 in Salisbury, NC USA

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Biographical Information

Pitcher Jay Dahl made his major league debut as the Houston Colt .45's starter against the New York Mets on September 27, 1963, part of an all-rookie starting lineup the Colts fielded that day with much fanfare. The rookies taking the field included future stars Joe Morgan, Rusty Staub and Jim Wynn. His pairing with 20-year-old catcher Jerry Grote, marked the youngest battery in Colt .45 history. Dahl took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. He was penciled in to the all-rookie lineup as a replacement for fellow rookie Larry Yellen, who did not play in observance of Yom Kippur and instead made his major league debut the previous day.

Dahl immediately returned to the Colt .45s minor league organization and never appeared in another big league game. He was involved in a car accident on June 20, 1965 while a member of the Western Carolina League's Salisbury Astros and died a few hours later.

Dahl is the last 17-year-old to appear in a major league game. In 1964, Larry Dierker was on the Colt .45's roster as a 17-year-old, but debuted on his 18th birthday. Dahl's untimely death at age 19 makes him the shortest-lived major leaguer in history.

Jay's career minor league record was 11-2. He was a good hitter (for a pitcher) in the minors, with a .236 batting average and a .375 SLG.

Related Sites

• Jay Dahl at the SABR Bio Project
• Astrosdaily obit
• Astroland - obit and memories from a teammate