Mike Stanton (stantmi02)

William Michael Stanton

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.
• School Alvin Community College, Southwestern University
• High School Midland (TX) High School
• Debut August 24, 1989
• Final Game September 30, 2007
• Born June 2, 1967 in Houston, TX USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Reliever Mike Stanton played nineteen seasons in the majors, most notably as a member of the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees. He appeared in 1,178 career games (second all-time to Jesse Orosco).

A 13th round pick by the Atlanta Braves in the 1987 amateur draft, Stanton was signed by scout Red Murff and made his pro debut that summer with the Pulaski Braves, going 4-8 with a 3.24 ERA in 15 games. He reached the majors with Atlanta in August 1989 and went on to record 7 saves in 20 appearances for the team, while posting a 1.50 ERA. He played in 74 games for the Braves in 1991 to go along with a 2.88 ERA, and the next year, he picked up the save in Game 5 of the 1992 World Series, which the Braves lost to the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1993, he recorded a career-high 27 saves.

On July 31st, 1995, Stanton was traded to the Boston Red Sox, and one year to the day later, he was dealt to the Texas Rangers. Following the 1996 season, he became a free agent and signed with the New York Yankees. Over the next six years, he was a mainstay in the Mariano Rivera-led bullpen, appearing in at least 64 games each year and appearing in the postseason every season. He was 9-4 with a 2.58 ERA in 2001 and appeared in the All-Star Game that summer. After the 2002 season, he moved across town to the New York Mets as a free agent, and after two years, he was traded back to the Yankees for Felix Heredia. He spent the final three years of his career bouncing from the Yankees to the Washington Nationals to the Boston Red Sox, back to the Nationals, then to the San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds. He tried to return to the majors with the Chicago Cubs in 2009 but was released before the season began.

Overall, Stanton went 68-63 with a 3.92 ERA and 84 saves over his career. He made 552 relief appearances before making his first career start in 1999. He pitched in every postseason from 1991 through 2002, except for the 1994 strike season, and pitched in 53 postseason games, fourth on the all-time list.

Stanton became eligible for election to the Hall of Fame in 2013 but did not receive any votes and was dropped from the ballot.

Following his playing days, Stanton was head baseball coach at Don Bosco Prep in 2010. Since 2013, he has been a studio analyst for Houston Astros television broadcasts.

Notable Achievements

• AL All-Star (2001)
• Won three World Series with the New York Yankees (1998, 1999 & 2000)

Related Sites

• Mike Stanton at the SABR Bio Project