Alan Ray Olmsted (born March 18, 1957) is an American former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
. He played in 5 games in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) for the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
in 1980.
Pre-MLB baseball
The Cardinals drafted Olmsted in the June 1975 amateur draft (13th round) out of Hazelwood High School (
Florissant, Missouri
Florissant () is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, St. Louis County, Missouri, within Greater St. Louis. It is a middle-class, second-ring northern suburb of St. Louis. Based on the 2020 United States census, the city had a total population ...
). He spent the next 4 seasons (1976–1979) working his way through the Cardinals' minor league system from the
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience, a rookie is typically considered needing more tra ...
leagues through the AA level.
Olmsted began the 1980 season with the AA
Arkansas Travelers
The Arkansas Travelers, known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Travelers are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners and play in the Texas League.
Hi ...
in the
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
before being promoted to the
AAA
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Gaming
* AAA (video game industry) - a category of high budget video games
*'' TripleA'', an open source wargame
Mu ...
Springfield Redbirds
The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the winged mammal and baseball ...
of the American Association. He was promoted to the major league level in September 1980 as a
September call-up
A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...
.
September 1980
Olmsted made his MLB debut on September 12 starting the second game of a double-header against the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
at
Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street (Philadelphia), Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating ca ...
. Pitching
shutout
In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...
baseball for 9 innings, he yielded to the bullpen as the Cardinals eventually won, 5–0, in 11 innings.
Olmsted's second start came on September 20 when the Cardinals hosted the
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...
. Pitching 5 innings and giving up 4 runs, he posted another no-decision. The Expos' 9th inning run gave the visitors a 5–4 victory.
Olmsted's only victory game on September 23 when the Cardinals defeated the Phillies, 6–3. As the game's starting pitcher, he surrendered 6 hits and 3 runs over 8 innings. Although he left the game with the
bases loaded
This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries.
0–9 0
:"Oh and ..." See #count, coun ...
, the bullpen put out the next 2 batters to preserve the victory.
Olmsted gave up 2 runs on 4 hits through the first 6 innings against the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
at
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.
Post-MLB baseball
Following the 1980 season, Olmsted was involved in a multi-player trade when the Cardinals sent him along with pitchers
John Littlefield
John Andrew Littlefield (born January 5, 1954) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched two seasons in the major leagues, for the St. Louis Cardinals and for the San Diego Padres. He appeared in 94 games, all as a relief pitcher, ...
Steve Swisher
Steven Eugene Swisher (born August 9, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres from 1974 to ...
, and
utility infielder
In baseball, a utility player or utility man is a player who has the ability to play more than one position in the field and is primarily used as a substitute. The term super utility player may be used to refer to a player who can play all or mos ...
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
for pitchers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers (born August 25, 1946) is an American former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985. His effectiveness helped to redefine the value of relievers within baseball an ...
(who would be traded to the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
a few days later) and
Bob Shirley
Robert Charles Shirley (born June 25, 1954) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or parts of 11 seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1977 to 1987, for the San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yank ...
, catcher/first baseman
Gene Tenace
Fury Gene Tenace (; born Fiore Gino Tenacci; October 10, 1946) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball from through , most notably as a member of the Oaklan ...
, and minor league catcher
Bob Geren
Robert Peter Geren (born September 22, 1961) is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (–) and San Diego Padres (). Geren managed the Oakland Athletics f ...
. He spent the 1981 baseball season with the
Hawaii Islanders
The Hawaii Islanders were a minor league baseball team based in Honolulu, Hawaii, that played in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League for 27 seasons from 1961 through 1987.
Originally an affiliate of the Kansas City Athletics, the Islanders played ...
, the Padres' AAA affiliate in the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
.
In February 1982, Olmsted was again involved in a multi-player trade between the same two teams when he was the "
player to be named later
In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
" in a December 1981 trade in which the Padres sent him along with pitcher
Steve Mura
Stephen Andrew Mura (born February 12, 1955) is an American retired Major League Baseball player. A pitcher, Mura played from - with the San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, and Oakland Athletics. He was a member of the Car ...
and shortstop
Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl Smith (born December 26, 1954) is an American former professional baseball player. Nicknamed "The Wizard of Oz", Smith played shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball, winning the National ...
to the Cardinals in exchange for pitcher Luis DeLeón, right-fielder
Sixto Lezcano
Sixto Joaquin Lezcano Curras (born November 28, 1953) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 12 seasons (1974–1985). He played for five MLB teams and won a Gold Glove during ...
, and shortstop
Garry Templeton
Garry Lewis Templeton (born March 24, 1956) is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres and New York Mets from 1976 ...
. He completed his professional career in 1982 playing for the
Louisville Redbirds
Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
, the Cardinals' AAA farm team in the American Association.