View source for Dave Stieb

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1957)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Dave Stieb
|image=Dave Stieb 1980 JD McCarthy.jpeg
|caption=Stieb in 1980
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1957|7|22}}
|birth_place=[[Santa Ana, California]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=June 29
|debutyear=1979
|debutteam=Toronto Blue Jays
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 25
|finalyear=1998
|finalteam=Toronto Blue Jays
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=176–137
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=3.44
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=1,669
|teams=
* [[Toronto Blue Jays]] ({{mlby|1979}}–{{mlby|1992}})
* [[Chicago White Sox]] ({{mlby|1993}})
* [[Toronto Blue Jays]] ({{mlby|1998}})
|highlights=
* 7× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1980 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1980]], [[1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1981]], [[1983 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1983]]–[[1985 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1985]], [[1988 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1988]], [[1990 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1990]])
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders|AL ERA leader]] (1985)
* Pitched a [[no-hitter]] on September 2, 1990
* [[Toronto Blue Jays Level of Excellence]]
| hofcolor= #EC1C40
| hoflink= Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
| hoftype= Canadian 
| hofdate= 2005
}}
'''David Andrew Stieb''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|t|iː|b}}; born July 22, 1957) is an American former [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) [[starting pitcher]] who spent the majority of his career with the [[Toronto Blue Jays]].<ref name="Porter">{{cite book |last=Porter |first=David L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HXAxPvFtwqIC&pg=PA1479 |title=Biographical Dictionary of American Sports |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-29884-4 |volume=3 |page=1479 |access-date=September 5, 2009}}</ref> A seven-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]], he won ''[[The Sporting News]]''{{'}} [[Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award|Pitcher of the Year Award]] in 1982. His 56.9 career [[wins above replacement]] (according to [[Baseball-Reference.com|Baseball-Reference]]) are the highest of any Blue Jays player, and he also holds the franchise records for [[complete game]]s (103), [[strikeout]]s (1,658), and [[innings pitched]] (2,873).

A promising outfielder prospect at [[Southern Illinois University]], Stieb was converted to a starting pitcher after being [[1978 Major League Baseball draft|drafted]] by the Blue Jays, who told him that it would be the quickest way to get him to the majors. Fast-tracked through the minors, he debuted in [[1979 Toronto Blue Jays season|1979]]. Stieb led the [[American League]] (AL) in [[earned run average]] (ERA) in [[1985 Toronto Blue Jays season|1985]], finishing in the top five four other times ([[1982 Toronto Blue Jays season|1982]], [[1983 Toronto Blue Jays season|1983]], [[1984 Toronto Blue Jays season|1984]], and [[1990 Toronto Blue Jays season|1990]]). Stieb also twice led the AL in innings pitched (1982 and 1984). Injury prevented him from playing in the [[1992 Major League Baseball postseason|1992 postseason]], where the Blue Jays won their first [[1992 World Series|World Series]]. After a stint with the [[Chicago White Sox]], Stieb retired from baseball, only to make a brief return as a reliever for the Blue Jays in [[1998 Toronto Blue Jays season|1998]] before retiring for good.

Stieb won 140 games in the 1980s, the second-highest total by a pitcher in that decade, behind only his rival (and later teammate) [[Jack Morris]].<ref name="stieb"/> He was known for flirting with [[no-hitter]]s, having reached the ninth inning with no hits four times in five years before accomplishing the feat in 1990. As of 2025, Stieb's no-hitter is the only one in Blue Jays history.

== Early years ==
Born in [[Santa Ana, California]], Stieb was primarily an outfielder during his time at [[Oak Grove High School (San Jose, California)|Oak Grove High School]] and at [[San Jose City College]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blue Jays legend Dave Stieb enters the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame |url=https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-legend-dave-stieb-enters-the-san-jose-sports-hall-of-fame |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=BlueJaysNation |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-09 |title=Photos: San Jose Sports Hall of Fame 2023 inducts four South Bay legends |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/11/09/photos-san-jose-sports-hall-of-fame-2023-inducts-four-south-bay-legends/ |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=The Mercury News |language=en-US}}</ref> In his later college years, he played varsity baseball at [[Southern Illinois University]].<ref name=Porter /> At this point, Stieb played primarily as an outfielder.<ref name="Fimrite">{{cite magazine |last=Fimrite |first=Ron |date=May 16, 1983 |title=A Rare Bird: The Natural |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |publisher=[[CNN]] |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1120827/1/index.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=June 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102043228/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1120827/1/index.htm |archive-date=November 2, 2012}}</ref> In his 1978 junior season, Stieb hit .394 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs, and was named to ''[[The Sporting News]]''{{'s}} All-American team (along with [[Kirk Gibson]] and [[Bob Horner]]).<ref>{{cite news |author1=Lou Pavlovich |title=Horner and Gibson Stand Out in Selections |agency=The Sporting News |date=July 8, 1978}}</ref>

Scouted by [[Bobby Mattick]] and [[Al LaMacchia]] of the Blue Jays as an outfield prospect in a varsity game, Stieb's performance failed to impress until he was pressed into service as a relief pitcher. His pitching surprised and convinced the Blue Jays to draft him in the [[1978 Major League Baseball draft]].<ref name="Fimrite" /> Stieb was initially reluctant to take the mound as a starting pitcher until he was told by the Blue Jays front office that "the quickest way to make it [to the major leagues] would be pitching."<ref name="sabr">{{cite web |title=Dave Stieb |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/dave-stieb/ |website=SABR}}</ref>

== Career ==
Stieb entered the Blue Jays farm system with very little pitching experience. Over the course of his college career, he pitched a grand total of 17 innings, mostly in relief. Nevertheless, he made four starts with the Single-A [[Dunedin Blue Jays]] in 1978, working to a 2.08 ERA. In 1979, he was promoted to the Blue Jays' AAA affiliate, the [[Syracuse Chiefs]], working to a 2.12 ERA over a 5–2 record and 51 innings pitched. He made his first start for the Blue Jays on June 29, 1979, just a year after being drafted as an outfielder and with just 128 innings pitched in the minors.<ref name="sabr" />

Stieb made 18 starts in [[1979 Toronto Blue Jays season|1979]], ending with seven [[complete games]], a 4.31 ERA, and an 8–8 record (the best [[winning percentage]] on the pitching staff). Nevertheless, the Blue Jays were the worst team in the majors, struggling to a 53–109 record. The [[1980 Toronto Blue Jays season|1980 season]] was a big step for Stieb (if not for the team), who worked to a 3.71 ERA and established himself as the No. 2 starter in the rotation (behind [[Jim Clancy (baseball)|Jim Clancy]]). This was after an April where he was named [[Major League Baseball Pitcher of the Month Award|AL Pitcher of the Month]], pitching to a 1.06 ERA over four games (three complete). At the end of April, the Blue Jays were atop the AL East, but faltered as the season went on and ended with a meager 67–95 record. However, Stieb was named to his [[1980 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|first]] [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]].

With a 3.19 ERA, Stieb led the Blue Jays staff in [[1981 Toronto Blue Jays season|1981]] (ranking third among AL pitchers for [[Wins Above Replacement|WAR]]), though the season was shortened due to the [[1981 Major League Baseball strike|1981 strike]]. Friction between Stieb and management led to talk of an offseason trade (including one with the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] for [[Ryne Sandberg]]), but he was eventually considered too valuable to trade.<ref name="sabr" />

In [[1982 Toronto Blue Jays season|1982]], Stieb worked to a 3.25 ERA, good enough for fifth in the AL, and a 17-14 record. He led the league in complete games (19) and innings pitched, with 288.1 (22 more than teammate Clancy, the next closest). For the first time he received votes for the [[Cy Young Award]], finishing fourth behind winner [[Pete Vuckovich]] (who led the league in wins but had a worse ERA); he did win the [[Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award|''Sporting News'' Pitcher of the Year Award]]. At the end of the season, he signed a six-year, $5 million contract with Toronto.<ref name="sabr" /> In [[1983 Toronto Blue Jays season|1983]], he again won 17 games and finished third in AL ERA (3.04) and second in IP (278.0). However, he did not receive any Cy Young votes.<ref name="sabr" />

[[File:Dave Stieb in 1985.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Stieb pitching for the Blue Jays in 1985]]
Stieb finished with a 16-8 record in [[1984 Toronto Blue Jays season|1984]], as Toronto finished second in the [[American League East|AL East]] to the [[Detroit Tigers]], headlined by Stieb's rival [[Jack Morris]], who eventually won the [[1984 World Series]]. Stieb worked to a 2.83 ERA, started the [[1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]], and led the majors in IP (267.0) and in WAR (7.9), but finished seventh in Cy Young voting. The [[1985 Toronto Blue Jays season|1985 season]] saw Stieb led the AL with a 2.48 ERA, as well as the Blue Jays' first postseason appearance; Stieb started three games (1, 4, and 7) in the [[1985 American League Championship Series|ALCS]], but the Blue Jays fell to the eventual [[1985 World Series|World Series champion]] [[Kansas City Royals]].<ref name="sabr" /> Despite his strong campaign, he again finished seventh in Cy Young balloting, losing out to [[Bret Saberhagen]] of the Royals.

In 1985, Stieb signed with the Blue Jays what was then one of the most lucrative [[contracts]] in baseball.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 9, 1985 |title=Struggle Ends for Dave Stieb |page=5C |work=[[Star–Banner]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g5oTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UAYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6683,6399533 |access-date=March 16, 2010}}</ref>  The contract, including options exercisable by the team, was for a term of eleven years and specified a salary that increased to $1.9 million in 1993, $2 million in 1994, and $2.1 million in 1995.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 9, 1985 |title=Jays sign Stieb to 11-year deal for $25 million |page=D-13 |work=[[Montreal Gazette]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nhgiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3KUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=786,3304378 |access-date=March 16, 2010}}</ref>  While this was seen to be generous at the time the contract was signed, by the time the later years of the contract came around this was a bargain, considering that several players were receiving several times the amount per year. The Blue Jays voluntarily renegotiated the last three years of his contract to pay him a higher amount in recognition of his years of service.

Stieb finished the [[1986 Toronto Blue Jays season|1986 season]] 7-12, struggling to a 4.74 ERA. He improved in [[1987 Toronto Blue Jays season|1987]], finishing with a 4.09 ERA in 185 IP, and in [[1988 Toronto Blue Jays season|1988]], with a 3.04 ERA. However, Toronto struggled to repeat the success it found in 1985.

Stieb was known for flirting with, and struggling to close out, [[no-hitter]]s. He took a no-hitter into the ninth inning in a 1985 game; this bid was broken up by back-to-back home runs and Stieb was replaced in the game before he recorded an out in the ninth.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 24, 1985 |title=Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox Box Score, August 24, 1985 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA198508240.shtml |access-date=January 29, 2013 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> In 1988, he was a single strike away from a no-hitter in two successive starts, on September 24 against [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland]] and September 30 against [[Baltimore Orioles|Baltimore]]; both attempts were broken up on 2-2 counts by the 27th batter ([[Julio Franco]] and [[Jim Traber]], respectively).<ref name="sabr" /> On August 4, 1989, he nearly had a [[Perfect game (baseball)|perfect game]], but it too was broken up with two outs in the ninth.<ref>{{cite book |last=Porter |first=David L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HXAxPvFtwqIC&pg=PA1480 |title=Biographical Dictionary of American Sports |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-313-29884-4 |volume=3 |page=1480 |access-date=September 5, 2009}}</ref> On September 2, 1990, he pitched the first (and, {{as of|2025|lc=y}}, only) [[no-hitter]] in Blue Jays history, defeating the [[Cleveland Indians]] 3–0.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Most recent no-hitters, by team |url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1137746/21/26/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019224633/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1137746/21/26/index.htm |archive-date=October 19, 2008 |access-date=October 19, 2008 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

Going into the [[1989 Toronto Blue Jays season|1989 season]], Stieb brought a scoreless streak to 34 straight innings, the longest such streak in franchise history, before giving up one run to the Royals on April 5, 1989.<ref>{{cite news |title=Former All-Star pitchers face off in Yankees-Jays finale |url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/baseball/former-all-star-pitchers-face-off-yankees-jays-finale-2023-05-18/ |work=Reuters |date=May 17, 2023}}</ref> He finished the season at 17-8 with a 3.35 ERA, but lost both of his starts in the [[1989 American League Championship Series|ALCS]], as Toronto fell to the eventual-[[1989 World Series|world champion]] [[Oakland Athletics]]. In [[1990 Toronto Blue Jays season|1990]], Stieb finished with a 2.93 ERA, fifth in the AL, and earned his seventh and last All-Star nomination. He also finally pitched his no-hitter against the Indians in September.<ref name="sabr" />

After an excellent 1990 season, a series of shoulder and back injuries early in the [[1991 Toronto Blue Jays season|1991 season]] ended his effective pitching years, culminating in a 4–6 season in 1992 that resulted in his release after the season ended.<ref name="Freese">{{cite book |last=Freese |first=Mel R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RP6pvrO2aPEC&pg=PA264 |title=Charmed Circle: Twenty-Game-Winning Pitchers in Baseball's 20th Century |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-7864-0297-7 |page=264}}</ref> He was awarded a [[World Series ring]] after the Blue Jays won their first championship later that year, despite not pitching in the postseason due to injuries. In 1993, he played four games with the [[Chicago White Sox]], before finally retiring due to lingering back problems.<ref name="Freese" />

In 1998, Stieb returned to the Blue Jays as a spring training coach. Despite a five-year hiatus from [[baseball]], Stieb noticed that his old injuries did not bother him while throwing, and he eventually asked manager [[Tim Johnson (baseball)|Tim Johnson]] for the opportunity to pitch.<ref name="sabr" /> At 40 years old, he worked his way through the minors and eventually pitched in 19 games (three starts) for the major league club, going 1–2 with a 4.83 ERA.<ref name="Porter" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Dave Stieb Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stiebda01.shtml |access-date=September 14, 2022 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Pitching style ==
Stieb entered the league primarily as a [[power pitcher]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Goodman |first=Michael E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=68YMz5j31eAC&pg=PT12 |title=The History of the Toronto Blue Jays |publisher=The Creative Company |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-58341-227-5 |page=PT12 |access-date=March 17, 2010}}</ref> relying on a high, inside [[fastball]] to strike batters out.  The [[brushback pitch]] was an integral part of his repertoire to back batters off the plate,<ref>{{cite book |last=Shofner |first=Shawndra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JR7wkxO3xU8C&pg=PA10 |title=The Story of the Toronto Blue Jays |publisher=The Creative Company |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-58341-503-0 |page=10 |access-date=March 17, 2010}}</ref> and was especially tough on right-handed hitters in this respect. As a result, he was the leader in [[Hit by pitch|hit batsmen]] in the American League in 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1989, and he was in the top three in 1985, 1988, and 1990.<ref name=":1" /> But arguably his best pitch was his [[Slider (baseball)|slider]] that had a late and very sharp break, especially difficult for right-handed batters to handle; modern commentators have characterized this pitch as a "[[sweeper (baseball)|sweeper]]," though the term was not in use during Stieb's career.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Laurila |first1=David |title=AD AD Pablo López Added a Sweeper (If That's What You Care To Call It) |url=https://blogs.fangraphs.com/pablo-lopez-added-a-sweeper-if-thats-what-you-care-to-call-it/ |website=Fangraphs |date=21 April 2023 |access-date=4 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Foolish Baseball|title=Why the SWEEPER Is Taking Over MLB 1 Baseball Bits |date=2023-05-27|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwMot7JOjCI |access-date=2023-06-04}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Later on in his career he developed his breaking ball repertoire, and he became very effective with a "dead fish" [[curveball]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Shofner |first=Shawndra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JR7wkxO3xU8C&pg=PA12 |title=The Story of the Toronto Blue Jays |publisher=The Creative Company |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-58341-503-0 |page=12 |access-date=March 17, 2010}}</ref> that would break into the dirt as the batter swung.

Stieb had a high-strung personality and was known as a fierce competitor on the mound; he was regularly seen having animated conversations with himself between pitches when in difficult situations. Whereas with other pitchers this would be seen as a sign of weakness, with Stieb it was perceived as the best way to motivate himself to get out of a jam.  Early in his career, Stieb would also frequently yell at his teammates after errors, for plays that he thought they should have made.<ref name="Fimrite" /> His personality also did not endear him to baseball writers, according to columnist [[Stephen Brunt]]:

{{blockquote|He was angry. Eventually, you figured out that he was almost always angry. Some teammate had let him down by not making a play, some writer had written something that had struck him as unfair or, more likely, he was beating himself up for a pitch not made, for some minor imperfection. A shrink might have found him a sympathetic figure, but among a bunch of sports writers feeling a deadline approach and waiting forever for Stieb to deign to speak to them, there were few warm thoughts.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brunt |first1=Stephen |title=Brunt: Catching up with Stieb no easy feat |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/brunt-catching-up-with-stieb-no-easy-feat/ |agency=[[Sportsnet]] |date=Aug 29, 2015}}</ref>}}

In later years, Stieb mellowed somewhat, although a fierce glare after a botched play was still not uncommon.

== Personal life ==

He was inducted into the [[Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame]], located in [[St. Marys, Ontario]], with the Class of 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 24, 2005 |title=Canada honors Dave Stieb, Steve Rogers |url=https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2005/02/24/Canada-honors-Dave-Stieb-Steve-Rogers/79761109280585/ |access-date=September 14, 2022 |website=[[United Press International|UPI]] |language=en}}</ref>

As of 2016, Stieb resided in [[Reno, Nevada]], where he worked as a building contractor.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Lott |first=John |date=September 8, 2016 |title=Catching up with Blue Jays legend Dave Stieb about his new life and improbable comeback |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/catching-up-with-blue-jays-legend-dave-stieb-about-his-new-life-and-improbable-comeback/ |access-date=August 9, 2020 |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |language=en}}</ref>

Stieb's older brother, Steve, was a catcher and pitcher in the [[Atlanta Braves]] minor league system from 1979 to 1981.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Steven Stieb Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=stieb-001ste |access-date=September 14, 2022 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Legacy ==

During his career, Stieb won 176 games while losing 137. Only [[Jack Morris]] won more games in the 1980s.<ref name="stieb">{{cite journal |date=May 1990 |title=1980s Top Ten Pitchers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jC4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA40 |journal=[[Baseball Digest]] |publisher=Lakeside Publishing |volume=49 |issue=5 |page=40 |issn=0005-609X |access-date=June 9, 2009}} {{Dead link|date=September 2022}}</ref> Stieb holds career records for Toronto pitchers in wins, games started, shutouts, strikeouts, complete games and a variety of other categories. Stieb appeared in seven All-Star games, also a Blue Jays team record.

{{multiple image
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Baseball writer and statistician [[Bill James]] called Dave Stieb, in his prime, the best pitcher of his era. He compared Stieb to [[Jim Bunning]], arguing that both pitchers deserved "more than one" [[Cy Young Award]], but never won one, thanks to poor run support.<ref>{{cite web |last1=James |first1=Bill |title=The Dave Stieb Era |url=https://www.billjamesonline.com/the_dave_stieb_era/ |website=billjamesonline.com |access-date=24 May 2023 |date=Feb 27, 2019}}</ref> In 2009, a panel of [[Baseball-Reference]] historians listed him as the fourth best pitcher of the 1980s, behind [[Tommy John]] and Hall-of-Famers [[Nolan Ryan]] and [[Bert Blyleven]] (and ahead of Jack Morris).<ref name="historians">{{cite web |title=Three BR Historians Give Voted Consensus: 10 Best Starting Pitchers of the 1980s |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/312520-3-br-historians-give-voted-consensus-10-best-starting-pitchers-1980s |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=19 May 2023 |date=Dec 21, 2009}}</ref>

On August 29, 2010, Stieb threw the ceremonial first pitch at the [[Rogers Centre]], celebrating the 20th anniversary of his no-hitter game, with the anniversary coming four days after the celebration.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 29, 2010 |title=Ryan Raburn hits pair of home runs to power Tigers in Toronto |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/300829114 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220914135705/https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/300829114 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 14, 2022 |access-date=September 14, 2022 |website=[[ESPN]] |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |language=en}}</ref> Stieb's number 37 was written on the pitcher's mound for that game and 10,000 [[bobbleheads]] of Stieb were handed out to fans upon entrance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bluejayhunter.com/2010/08/dave-stieb-bobblehead-day-review.html|title=Dave Stieb Bobblehead Day Review|work=Blue Jay Hunter |last=Hunter|first=Ian|date=August 30, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet|user=bluejays |number=21846907794 | date=August 22, 2010 |title=FedEx Dave Stieb Bobblehead Day is Sun Aug 29 vs. Tigers. The first 10,000 fans will receive a Stieb Bobblehead }}</ref>

Stieb's autobiography, ''Tomorrow I'll Be Perfect'', was co-written with Kevin Boland and released in [[1986 in literature|1986]].

Stieb was the subject of a 2022 four-part miniseries by [[Secret Base|Secret Base's]] [[Jon Bois]] and Alex Rubenstein, entitled ''Captain Ahab: The Story of Dave Stieb''; in addition to discussing his career, the series advocated for his induction into the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]] based on his accomplishments.<ref name="Ahab">{{cite web |title=Captain Ahab: The Story of Dave Stieb - Dorktown |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlviajJlctQ&list=PLUXSZMIiUfFTxGgtC_DSPolFqD7KlcZ17 |website=youtube.com |publisher=[[Secret Base]] |language=en |format=video |date=April 12, 2022}}</ref> It was an effort to invoke empathy for him due to his six no-hitters lost past the sixth inning (especially the three lost after 26 outs) and his lack of representation because of his lower win totals compared to other dominant pitchers since the Blue Jays' less-than-optimal run support for him prevented him from achieving ones higher. ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised ''Captain Ahab'' as "not a standard, staid hagiography — it’s a whimsical and discursive look at statistics, passion, fandom, culture in general and baseball culture in particular".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lyons |first1=Margaret |title=How Much Watching Time Do You Have This Weekend? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/07/arts/television/black-lady-sketch-show.html |website=The New York Times |date=7 April 2022}}</ref> ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' magazine and [[Polygon (website)|''Polygon'']] included the series in their lists of the best documentaries and video essays (respectively) of 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 20 Best Documentaries of 2022 |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/best-of-2022/best-documentaries-2022 |publisher=Paste Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schindel |first=Daniel |date=2022-12-29 |title=The best video essays of 2022 |url=https://www.polygon.com/what-to-watch/23500291/best-video-essays-2022-youtube |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Hall of Fame consideration ===
Stieb became eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in {{bhofy|2004}}, but received only seven votes (1.4%) and fell off the ballot in his first year.<ref name=":1" /> He was omitted from the [[Veterans Committee|Modern Baseball]] ballots in {{bhofy|2018}} and {{bhofy|2020}} and the Contemporary Baseball ballot in {{bhofy|2023}}.

Since falling off the ballot, Stieb's candidacy has attracted renewed interest.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stoeten |first1=Andrew |title=How Dave Stieb was robbed of the 1982 AL Cy Young award, and what it's still costing him today |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1317127/2019/11/07/how-dave-stieb-was-robbed-of-the-1982-al-cy-young-award-and-what-its-still-costing-him-today/ |agency=The Athletic |date=Nov 7, 2019}}</ref><ref name="g123">{{cite web | last=Matheson | first=Keegan | title=Blue Jays' best players not in the Hall of Fame | website=MLB.com | date=2022-01-30 | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/blue-jays-best-players-not-in-the-hall-of-fame | access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> Part of the reason has been the emergence of advanced [[sabermetrics]]; among starting pitchers in the 1980s, Stieb leads the decade in [[wins above replacement]] (WAR) and [[adjusted ERA+]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Jack Morris, Dave Stieb and Most Wins/WAR of the 1980s |url=https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2010/8/27/1653657/jack-morris-dave-stieb-and-most |publisher=SB Nation |date=Aug 27, 2010}}</ref><ref name="historians" /> Writing for ''[[The Athletic]]'' in 2020, [[Joe Posnanski]] listed Stieb as one of the 100 best players not in the Hall of Fame. Posnanski called Stieb "a master at being underrated and underappreciated," noting that Stieb has a higher [[Jaffe Wins Above Replacement Score|JAWS]] score (measuring a player's merit for induction into the Hall) than [[Dennis Eckersley]], who was also on his first ballot in 2004 and inducted with 414 votes.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Joe |first1=Posnanski |title=The Outsiders: The best baseball players not in the Hall of Fame, 40-31 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2250196/2020/12/10/the-outsiders-the-best-baseball-players-not-in-the-hall-of-fame-40-31/ |website=The Athletic |access-date=19 May 2023 |date=Dec 10, 2020}}</ref> Jay Jaffe of [[Baseball Prospectus]] (the creator of JAWS) wrote that Stieb, along with [[Orel Hershiser]], was the best pitcher from "[a] very underrepresented era of pitchers" in the Hall of Fame, adding that his career "[fits] well within the range of many Hall of Fame starters whose places in Cooperstown don’t keep us lying awake at night."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jaffe |first1=Jay |url=https://blogs.fangraphs.com/cooperstown-notebook-born-in-the-fifties/ |date=March 3, 2022 |title=Cooperstown Notebook: Born in the Fifties |website=Fangraphs}}</ref>

In their ''Captain Ahab'' documentary series, Alex Rubenstein and [[Jon Bois]] suggested that Stieb's brief comeback in 1998 hurt his candidacy; by "restarting the clock" on the five-year retirement period necessary before consideration, Rubenstein and Bois argued, Stieb guaranteed that the [[Baseball Writers' Association of America|BBWAA]] members voting in 2004 would barely remember his dominant seasons of the early 1980s.<ref name="Ahab" />

In 2017, Stieb told ''The Sporting News'' that, based on the traditional metric of wins-and-losses, he knew that he didn't belong in the Hall of Fame. However, he added that he felt he did not deserve to be "just wiped off the map" after one year on the ballot. "It's like an insult," he said. "What it told me was in [the voters'] minds, I didn't even do anything worth recognizing."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Womack |first1=Graham |title=Dave Stieb on Hall of Fame: 'I surely did not deserve to be just wiped off the map' |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/dave-stieb-stats-hall-of-fame-case-interview-toronto-blue-jays-jmlb/15lhsyein7hj116xw137h58urx |access-date=19 May 2023 |agency=The Sporting News |date=Feb 21, 2017}}</ref>

==Awards and accomplishments==
* Seven-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|MLB All-Star]] 
* [[World Series]] champion ({{wsy|1992}})
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders|AL ERA leader]] (1985)
* Pitched a [[no-hitter]] on September 2, 1990
* 1982 [[Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award|''Sporting News'' Pitcher of the Year Award]]
* [[Toronto Blue Jays Level of Excellence]]
* [[Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame]] (inducted 2005)
* [[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]] (inducted 2014)<ref>{{cite web |title=Dave Stieb |url=http://oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/104-dave-stieb |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228125625/http://www.oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/104-dave-stieb |archive-date=December 28, 2014 |access-date=September 23, 2014 |website=[[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]]}}</ref>
* San Jose Sports Hall of Fame (inducted 2023)<ref>{{cite web |title=Meet the Class of 2023 |url=https://sjsa.org/hof/class-of-2023/ |website=San Jose Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=3 July 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball no-hitters]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats |mlb=122791 |espn=1005 |br=s/stiebda01 |fangraphs=1012532 |brm=stieb-001dav |retro=S/Pstied001}}　
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B09020CLE1990.htm Boxscore from Stieb's no-hitter at Retrosheet]

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{{succession box | before = [[Mark Bomback (baseball)|Mark Bomback]] | title = [[Toronto Blue Jays]] [[Opening Day]] <br> [[Starting pitcher]]| years = 1983 | after = [[Jim Clancy (baseball)|Jim Clancy]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Jim Clancy (baseball)|Jim Clancy]] | title = [[Toronto Blue Jays]] [[Opening Day]] <br> [[Starting pitcher]]| years = 1985 & 1986 | after = [[Jimmy Key]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Todd Stottlemyre]] | title = [[Toronto Blue Jays]] [[Opening Day]] <br> [[Starting pitcher]]| years = 1991 | after = [[Jack Morris]]}}
{{Succession box|title=[[No-hitter]] pitcher |before=[[Terry Mulholland]]| years= September 2, {{baseball year|1990}} |after=[[Nolan Ryan]]}}
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{{AL ERA champions}}
{{Sporting News AL Pitcher of the Year Award}}
{{Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Toronto Blue Jays Level of Excellence}}
{{Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame}}

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