Page 109 - 1975 BoSox

102 ’75—THE RED SOX TEAM THAT SAVED BASEBALL
tennis, and golf. ere was another baseball player in the family, however — Ryan Madson, who pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies from 2003 to 2011. Madson is Barr’s nephew (Steve’s sister is Madson’s mother).2
Barr was back in 1975, but not at rst. He opened the year in the minors, and was called up from Pawtucket on July 1 after Red Sox right-hander Dick Pole was hit hard in the face the day before by a line drive o the bat of Tony Muser. Pole’s cheekbone was fractured and no one knew how long it might be before he could return to the rotation. On his rst day back, Barr threw the ninth inning in a loss to Baltimore. Flirting with danger, he gave up a single and walked three batters; he was very lucky to escape without giving up a run, thanks to a runner caught stealing, a popup to right, and Bobby Grich’s grounder to short.
On July 5 in Cleveland, Barr had his next shot, but was bombed. He got through the rst inning OK, but with one out in the bottom of the second, he sur- rendered a single to Charlie Spikes. He tried to hold the runner at rst but his wild picko throw allowed Spikes to advance all the way to third. A sacri ce y almost resulted in a double play at the plate, but Spikes was ruled safe. A single, an error by third baseman Denny Doyle, and a walk set up a grand slam to center eld by Buddy Bell, and Jim Burton was brought in to relieve Barr. One and two-thirds innings resulted in six runs, only one of which was earned.
ere was one more start in Steve Barr’s Red Sox future. On July 10 Texas was in the Hub. Barr’s start lasted 41⁄3 innings, in which he was touched up for three runs (one earned) on seven hits and two walks. He struck out two batters. After a double, a single, and a double in the fth inning, Reggie Cleveland was called in to take Barr’s place and protect the Red Sox’ 7-3 lead. Cleveland just barely held on, giving up one run in the eighth and three more runs in the ninth, which tied the game, 7-7. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and nobody on, Doyle singled and ad- vanced to second on a passed ball. Cecil Cooper, who’d come in to take over for Carl Yastrzemski at rst base in the seventh, singled home Doyle with the winning run. Despite a 2.57 ERA for the season, Barr was sent
south for more seasoning – south to Pawtucket, where he nished out the year.
After the 1975 season, the Red Sox sent Barr and Juan Beniquez (and a player to be named later, who was named 25 days later and proved to be Craig Skok) to the Texas Rangers for Ferguson Jenkins. With the Rangers in 1976, Barr had a chance to stretch out a little more, getting into 20 games. His rst of 10 starts came on April 13, a complete game 3-1 win over the Oakland Athletics at Arlington Stadium. Barr was used intermittently throughout the season, ending up with a 2-6 record. ere were a couple of tough-luck losses like the 3-2 defeat on May 16 at the hands of the same Athletics, but Barr’s 5.59 ERA betrayed a failure to perform as hoped for. Barr threw 672⁄3 innings and surrendered 10 homers and 44 walks in that time. After the season he was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the expansion draft (54th pick overall), but 1976 proved to be his last season in major- league ball.
At the end of spring training with the Mariners in 1977, Barr was assigned to Omaha (American Association) and went 4-8 with a 6.17 ERA in 17 games beforetheIndians’Triple-Aa liateToledo,“obtained pitcher Steve Barr on loan from Seattle organization.”3 Researcher Wayne McElreavy pointed out that the story might be more unusual yet, in that Omaha was a Royals farm club. At the time, the nascent Mariners organization shared a number of minor-league clubs. Barr’s record with Toledo was 3-1 in eight games, with an even 4.00 ERA.
e Los Angeles Times of October 29, 1977, noted that Seattle had traded Barr to Cleveland for a player to be named later. Barr was invited to spring training in 1978 by the Indians, but spent the year with Portland, Cleveland’s team in the Triple-A Paci c Coast League, going 11-7 in 28 games, with a 5.77 ERA.
After baseball Barr pursued electrical contracting and ran his own business in Florida for 18 years, Barr Electric. In the early 1990s, he pitched in a senior league organized at Baseball and Boardwalk near Orlando, and was throwing in the upper 80s, the best