Jay Dahl

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#FF4500
bgcolor2=#000080
textcolor1=#000080
textcolor2=#FF4500
name=Jay Dahl


caption=
birthdate=December 6, 1945
deathdate=death date and age|1965|6|20|1945|12|6
position=Pitcher
bats=
throws=Left
debutdate=September 27
debutyear=by|1963
debutteam=Houston Colt .45s
finaldate=September 27
finalyear=by|1963
finalteam=Houston Colt .45s
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=0-1
stat2label=Innings pitched
stat2value=2.2
stat3label=ERA
stat3value=16.88
teams=
*Houston Colt .45s (by|1963)
highlights=

Jay Steven Dahl (December 6, 1945 - June 20, 1965) was an American baseball player who debuted in Major League Baseball at age 17 in 1963, then died just two years later in an automobile accident.

Signed by the Houston Colt .45s directly out of high school in San Bernadino, California in June 1963, Dahl was sent to the Moultrie, Georgia Colt .22s of the Georgia-Florida League. Dahl dominated the league, with a 5-1 record and a 1.42 ERA -- his only loss was a one-hitter, in his pro debut. [http://www.astroland.net/dahlnonnohitter.html] After making one start for the San Antonio Bullets of the AA Texas League (pitching four innings and allowing only three hits and an unearned run), he made his big-league debut on September 27, 1963 at Colt Stadium against the New York Mets. Dahl wasn't the only rookie in the lineup for Houston that night -- in fact, the entire Colts starting nine were first-year players, the only time in MLB history this has been attempted:

Houston Colt .45s starting lineup, September 27, 1963

Sonny Jackson, ss (also making his MLB debut)

Joe Morgan, 2b (future Hall of Famer)

Jim Wynn, cf ("The Toy Cannon"; 290 career home runs)

Rusty Staub, 1b (2716 career hits)

Aaron Pointer, rf

Brock Davis, lf

Glenn Vaughn, 3b

Jerry Grote, c (played for 1969 "Miracle Mets")

Jay Dahl, p

Dahl got New York out in the first inning, but allowed three runs in the second and four more in the third before being removed by manager Harry Craft. The Mets went on to win, 10-3. [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1963/B09270HOU1963.htm] It was to be Dahl's only major league appearance; as of 2007, Dahl is the last MLB player under the age of eighteen.

In 1964, Dahl developed back problems and did not pitch at all, appearing in eleven games as an outfielder for Statesville, North Carolina in the Western Carolinas League. In 1965, Dahl was back on the mound, starting seven games with Carolina League's Durham Bulls, then moving over to Salisbury, North Carolina of the WCL, where he had a 5-0 record. [http://minors.sabrwebs.com/cgi-bin/person.php?milbID=dahl--001jay]

Death

At 11:24 p.m. on June 20, 1965, Dahl's teammate Gary Allen Marshall was driving a GTO with two passengers: Dahl and 20-year-old Patricia Ann Troutman. Apparently traveling at a high rate of speed, the car hit a patch of sand on Lincolntown Road in Salisbury, skidded out of control for about 185 feet and slammed broadside into a tree. Troutman was killed instantly, and Dahl died of extensive internal injuries about three hours later in Salisbury's Rowan Memorial Hospital. Marshall survived the wreck but was blinded, also suffering a broken right arm and a broken right leg; he was later charged with manslaughter, but the charges were dismissed and he was allowed to return home to Hutchinson, Kansas. [http://www.paperofrecord.com/paper_view.asp?PaperId=834&iDateSearchId=&iZyNetId={7E933595-223E-4B2B-BCAB-30167110393F}&RecordId=7&Show=GetResult&iOrder=2&iOrderDir=0&iCurrentBlock=1] Earlier that day, Dahl had pitched the Astros into first place; in celebration of his 7-3 victory over Gastonia, North Carolina, the players were the guests that evening at a steak dinner at the home of G.M. Hamilton, Salisbury's club president. Dahl and Marshall left after dinner and attended a movie with Troutman; they were returning her to her home when the crash occurred. [http://www.astroland.net/in%20memory%20of%20jay%20dahl.html]

At the age of 19, Dahl is the youngest at death of any player in major league history.

External links

Career stats at Baseball-Reference.com: [http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/dahlja01.shtml]