Chuck Stevens

Charles Augustus Stevens, Jr. (July 10, 1918 – May 28, 2018) was an American major league baseball player. He is noted for being the first player to get a hit off of Satchel Page in the Majors, as he had seen his stuff previously in the Pacific Coast League. When he passed away on May 28, 2018, he was the oldest living former Major League Baseball player.

He spent 20 years in professional baseball, mostly in the old Pacific Coast League when it was the top west coast league before the Dodgers and the Giants left New York. He played for the St. Louis Brown in 1941, ’46, and ’48) and served in the US Army Air Corps from 1943-1945 in the South Pacific Theatre of Operations during World War II.

In 1960 Chuck assumed the role as Secretary of the Association of Professional Ball Players of America until retiring in 1998. The Association produced the Cracker Jack Old Timers Games where Chuck took the playing field with friends and legends Bob Feller, Stan Musial, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Tug McGraw and many others. He led APBPA’s mission to assist players and baseball associates who needed help and had nowhere else to turn. Over the 38 years in his position, Chuck and the Association helped thousands of baseball people, as Chuck put it, “live with dignity.”¹

Basics

• Positions
  • First Baseman
• Major League Debut
  • September 16, 1941²
  • Stevens was used as a defensive substitute in the 7th inning at Shibe Park visiting the Philadelphia Athletics, replacing 1st Baseman George McQuinn. He went 0 for 2 in his debut, but made six put outs. ³
• Last MLB Appearance
  • July 25, 1948⁴
  • Stevens started for the St. Louis Brown at Griffith Stadium visiting the Washington Senators. He went 1 for 5 on the day, with a single. He was credited for 14 put outs and 1 defensive assist.⁵

Teams Played for

• Williamston Martins – Coastal Plain League (D Level)
• Johnstown Johnnies – Middle Atlantic League (C Level)
• Springfield Browns – Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (B Level)
• San Antonio Missions – Texas League (A1)
• Toledo Mud Hens – American Association (AA)
• St. Louis Browns – American League
• Hollywood Stars – Pacific Coast League (AAA)
• San Francisco Seals – Pacific Coast League (AAA)
• Amarillo Gold Sox – Western League (A)⁶ <was player-manager>

Teams Managed

• Amarillo Gold Sox – Western League (A) <was player-manager>

Career MLB Stat Line

• At Bats: 732
• Hits: 184
• HR: 4
• BA: .251
• R: 89
• RBI: 55
• SB: 6
• OBP: .333
• SLG: .329
• OPS: .663

1. copied from https://obituaries.forestlawn.com/obituaries/chuck-stevens-jr ↩︎
2. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/Pstevc101.htm ↩︎
3. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1941/B09160PHA1941.htm ↩︎
4. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/Pstevc101.htm ↩︎
5. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1948/B07252WS11948.htm ↩︎
6. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=steven001cha#all_standard_roster ↩︎