The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1059287
48 ■ THE WOLFPACKER I asked him to take the ball he took it, so I can't tell you anything to get on Tim Stod- dard about because he was that tough of a competitor.' "That showed me the re- spect Coach Esposito had for Tim Stoddard." The 1975 season proved dominant for Stoddard on the baseball diamond. His 1.05 earned-run average that year still ranks third all time at NC State behind Richard Phillips (0.79) and Kent Montgomery (0.94). That success led to him being drafted in the second round by the Chicago White Sox in the 1975 MLB Draft. Stoddard played with some of the best athletes of the 1970s and 1980s, whether it was NCSU team- mates Thompson and Burle- son, or a litany of greats in Major League Baseball. His Hall of Fame base- ball teammates included Jim Palmer, Cal Ripken Jr., Ryne Sandberg, Dennis Eckersley, Rich Gossage, Tony Gwynn, Rickey Henderson and Dave Winfield, with one more re- ally proving to be a special teammate — first baseman Eddie Murray of the Orioles. "There are a lot of great players in this game and to share the field with them is a privilege," Stoddard said. "Eddie Murray was probably one of the best players I've ever seen. Jim Palmer same scenario, and Ryne Sandberg with the Cubs. "When you get to play with players like that, you get to see how special they were." The pitching guru had been an assistant coach for 22 years at Northwestern, but has moved on to North Central College in Naperville, Ill. He currently resides in Roll- ing Meadows, Ill., which is in the western suburbs of Chicago, with his wife, Jane, and enjoys spending time with his three children and five grandchildren. Stoddard half-jokes that the players on the North Central College baseball team learn about their pitching coach through Google these days. "I come in and work with all the pitchers," Stoddard said. "It has been a lot of fun. "The kids want to learn. They don't take anything for granted and work their tails off. We have a good program there for that level [Division III]. We feel for- tunate that the school backs the program as good as they do." Living in the Chicago area made sense to him after growing up in the re- gion, and then pitching on a magical 1984 Chicago Cubs squad where he went 10-6 with a 3.82 earned-run aver- age in 58 relief appearances. "I really liked the area there and my kids were start- ing school," Stoddard said. "We kind of decided to make this the home base when I was going on the second half of my career." Stoddard had some in- teresting symmetry where his Orioles team ended the dreams of the 1983 Chi- cago White Sox, and then he ended up with the Cubs the next year. The Chicago Cubs fell to the San Diego Padres in the 1984 playoffs, and sure enough he ended up pitching for the Padres the next year in 1985. With the history of the Cubs having such a champi- onship drought going from 1908 until 2016, the 1984 squad captured the heart of the city. "It was disappointing to be as close as we were be- cause I think we had the best team at the time," Stoddard said. "The ball didn't bounce the right way. We didn't get to accomplish what we wanted. "You look back at it and you tend to reminisce on it. Only one team gets to win." The towering righty retired in 1989 after playing 13 years with six different organizations. He was a relief pitcher in 485 games, accumulating 76 saves and a 41-35 record with a 3.95 ERA. He handled the closer duties with 26 saves and a 2.51 ERA in 64 games pitched for the 1980 Orioles, but was a middle reliever the rest of his career. "I consider myself lucky in all aspects," Stoddard said. "First getting there and then making a club. I was able to play with great players and great teams. It's about being in the right place at the right time." Stoddard will always look back fondly on his time at NC State. "It was great being there and a pleasure going to school there," Stoddard said. "I watch them all the time and wish them the best." ■ Stoddard played professional baseball from 1975-89 with six different major league teams and then served as the pitching coach at Northwestern University for 22 seasons. He is now an assistant at North Central College. PHOTO COURTESY NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE "The only thing I can tell you about Tim Stoddard is he's one of the toughest SOBs I ever coached and every time I asked him to take the ball he took it … because he was that tough of a competitor." ■ Baseball coach Elliott Avent on what former coach Sam Esposito told him about Stoddard