Stanton hit 77 home runs over the course of nine years in the major leagues. He came up with the New York Mets in 1970 but only played in nine games for New York over the subsequent two seasons. He joined the California Angels in 1972 and got the chance to be a regular. He responded by hitting .295 with 12 home runs in 127 games that season. He remained part of California’s lineup until 1977 when he was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the expansion draft. Stanton had the best year of his career for Seattle that season. He hit .275 with 27 home runs and 90 RBIs. He saw his playing time drop the following year which would be his last in the majors.
Stanton’s three home run outburst came on July 10, 1973. We featured Ed Watt last summer.
Leroy Stanton – career stats
Letters From Home Plate 