Larry Bearnarth

Lawrence Donald Bearnarth (September 11, 1941 – December 31, 1999) was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets (1963–66) and Milwaukee Brewers (1971). Bearnarth batted and threw right-handed.

Personal

Larry was born in a hospital in Manhattan, but lived as a child in Brooklyn and later in Staten Island, New York. He grew up and went to St. Peter's High School on Staten Island and played Varsity basketball and baseball. He attended St. John's University and graduated with a degree in English Literature. He died of a heart attack at the age of 58 on New Year's Eve 1999, the day before the new millennium at his home in Florida.

Playing career

In a five-season career, Bearnarth posted a 13–21 record with a 4.13 ERA and eight saves in 173 games pitched.

Bearnarth was signed by the New York Mets in 1962 after he graduated from St. John's University with a degree in English literature. He went directly to Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs of the International League. A year later, he started his major league career for the horrible Mets, a team coming off a disappointing 40–120 record in his inaugural season. Despite his 3–8 record in his rookie year Bearnarth maintained a 3.46 ERA in a career-high 126.1 innings pitched. The next three seasons he divided his playing time between the Mets and Triple-A Buffalo and Jacksonville.

From 1967 to 1970 Bearnarth pitched in Triple-A with the Jacksonville Suns (1967–68) and Tidewater Tides. In 1971 he was signed as a free agent by the Milwaukee Brewers, retiring at the end of the season. He was able to get the required pension time as an active player (5 years then). Following his playing career, he became a pitching coach.

Bearnarth coached for the Montreal Expos in 1976 and between 1985 and 1991. Under his guidance, the team's ERA never was higher than 3.92 (in 1986), including the best ERA in Expos' history, at 3.08 (1988), and a 3.37 National League lead (1990). He also was a minor league pitching instructor in the Montreal farm system between those terms.

In 1993 Bearnarth became the first pitching coach in Colorado Rockies history, continuing in the charge until 1995. After that, he scouted during four seasons for the Detroit Tigers (1996–99).

Bearnarth died in Seminole, Florida, following a heart attack at age 58.

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Baseball Library
• Historic Baseball
• Retrosheet
• Venezuelan Professional Baseball League