Steve Dillard

From BR Bullpen

Stephen Bradley Dillard

BR page

Biographical Information[edit]

Steve Dillard was criticized for lacking the defensive skills of a major league second baseman, although his statistics do not really bear that out. His best years were 1976 with the Boston Red Sox when as a rookie he shared the second base chores with Denny Doyle and hit .275, and 1979 with the Chicago Cubs when he shared that job with Ted Sizemore and hit .283. In 1980, the Cubs tried him at third base but he lacked the arm and slipped to .225 offensively. He ended his career with a September call-up for the Chicago White Sox in 1982. The Sporting News reported at the time that the White Sox had only brought him up because he needed a few more weeks on a major league roster to qualify for a pension; he only hit .171 in 16 games.

In 1989, Dillard played for the Bradenton Explorers of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. He batted .226 in 53 games for the club.

Steve's son Tim Dillard pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers. His other sons, Andy Dillard and Jeff Dillard, played professionally as well.

Year-by-Year Managerial Record[edit]

Year Team League Record Finish Organization Playoffs Notes
1983 GCL White Sox Gulf Coast League 38-24 3rd Chicago White Sox
1984 GCL White Sox Gulf Coast League 41-22 1st Chicago White Sox Lost League Finals
1985 Glens Falls White Sox Eastern League 68-71 5th Chicago White Sox
1986 GCL White Sox Gulf Coast League 31-32 7th Chicago White Sox
1987 GCL White Sox Gulf Coast League 39-24 3rd Chicago White Sox
1988 South Bend White Sox Midwest League 59-81 12th Chicago White Sox
1991 Auburn Astros New York-Penn League 38-39 6th Houston Astros
1992 Auburn Astros New York-Penn League 32-41 12th Houston Astros
1993 Quad City River Bandits Midwest League 56-74 11th Houston Astros
1994 Quad City River Bandits Midwest League 57-81 12th Houston Astros
1997 Tupelo Tornado Big South League 40-18 1st Independent Leagues
1998 Tupelo Tornado Big South League 4-10 -- Independent Leagues team disbanded
Bayou Bullfrogs Texas-Louisiana League 23-28 Independent Leagues replaced Andy Skeels (13-20)
2000 Jackson DiamondKats Texas-Louisiana League 38-74 8th Independent Leagues
2008 Quad Cities River Bandits Midwest League 68-66 9th St. Louis Cardinals
2009 Quad Cities River Bandits Midwest League 61-78 9th St. Louis Cardinals

Further Reading[edit]

  • Bill Nowlin: "Steve Dillard", in Bill Nowlin and Cecilia Tan, ed.: '75:The Red Sox Team that Saved Baseball, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2015, pp. 158-160. ISBN 978-1-933599-97-7

Related Sites[edit]