Stein's first ML hit was a home run off the Phillies' Ken Reynolds. He was a regular
in only one of his 14 ML seasons, as the
Mariners' third baseman in 1977, their first
season. He hit .259 with 13 homers and 67 RBI. A back injury hampered him the next
season, and he returned to his utility role. In 1981 with the Rangers, he set an
AL record with seven straight pinch hits and led the league with nine.
(NLM)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»May 25, 1981: Texas utility man Bill Stein drives in the winning run with a pinch single in the bottom of the 9th inning of a 4–3 win over Minnesota. It is Stein's 7th consecutive pinch hit, a new American League record.