Sox 88 – Steve Ellswork

In late March of 88, a positive story seemed to be developing in Sox training camp. It involved a rookie righthander named Steve Ellsworth. A pair of articles by the Globe's Kevin Paul Dupont traces the emergence of Ellsworth as a possible starter in the team's opening week rotation. Steve was no ordinary rookie. First of all, he was 27 years old and had signed with the Sox six years before. Hampered by injuries from the beginning, he had undergone elbow surgery early in his career. Ellsworth had then slowly progressed through the system, posting an 11-8 mark at Pawtucket in 87. Secondly, he was 6'8" and weighed 220 pounds. Thirdly, he had put on his first Sox uniform at age 7, when his father Dick was a pitcher in Boston.

 

Southpaw Dick Ellsworth pitched for five major league teams between 1958 and 1971, finishing with a 115-137 record. He did, however, have a pair of fine seasons, winning 22 games for the Cubs in 63 and compiling a 16-7 mark in Boston in 68. Along with Ray Culp, another late 67 trade acquisition, he helped the Bosox to a fairly respectable third-place finish after the rotation had been fractured by some serious injuries. In April 69, however, he was traded along with Hawk Harrelson to the Indians in a controversial deal that brought the Sox only marginal players. He retired two years later.

 

Then 48 and living in California, Dick remarked in one of the articles that he had seen his son pitch only once. "My wife and I have always felt it was important to him to form his own identity…We thought that would take the pressure off and allow him to be his own person at the same time. Hopefully, it's worked."

 

Steve remarked that when he signed autographs in the spring, some people said "I used to see your father pitch….People remember you."

 

Ellsworth did make the starting rotation, but his major league career was much shorter than his father's. After posting a 1-6 record in 8 starts, he disappeared into the minors, never to return. He now lives in Clovis, California.

 

Though Steve Ellsworth is only a blip in Sox history, I'm sure his dad is proud that he did make it to the majors. Too bad he couldn't have stayed around a little longer.