Stough, William A. “Billy”

William A. “Billy” Stough – (1994)

 

The date was Aug. 3, 1943 when a Lorain Journal sports page headline read: 12-Year-Old Pitches No-Hit, No-Run Game.

It was righthander Billy Stough’s debut in organized baseball as a pitcher. So what if this was in Class F baseball on Lorain’s sandlots as a member of the Longfellow Juniors. Two weeks later, he made Journal sports headlines again: Twirls Second No-Hit Game.

For the record, those were not his only no-hit gems. They were merely the first of many no-hitters he would hurl enroute to what was to become an illustrious career in amateur and, albeit briefly, professional baseball with the Cleveland Indians.

Stough, whose firefighter father, Elmer Stough, would one day become Lorain fire chief, went on to enjoy 16 years on the local sports scene, primarily as one of the city’s all-time outstanding pitchers, but not without accumulating added athletic laurels in basketball, softball and tennis.

Following his successful progression on the city sandlots—there was no junior high school baseball program—Stough would find his niche at Lorain High School where he lettered three years in baseball (1946-47-48), including winning team MVP honors. He also earned his varsity basketball letter at LHS in 1948.

During his high school days, Billy also was a standout in the American Legion baseball program. After graduation, he moved on to the next higher level at Bowling Green State University where he proceeded to earn four varsity letters in baseball from 1948 through 1952.

All the time Billy was making his mark as a pitcher in sandlot, high school and college baseball, his exploits had already intrigued the neighboring Cleveland Indians. After graduating from Bowling Green in 1952, Stough turned professional when he was signed by the Indians.

His play-for-pay career was interrupted after one season with the Tribe’s minor league teams at Class D Daytona Beach, Fla., and Class C Fort Smith, Ark. Uncle Sam intervened and Stough would wind up serving the next three years (1953-54-55) in the U.S. Army.

Those military years would not go to waste—baseballwise—as it turned out. Billy’s pitching prowess went with him and he would become a mound ace with the 5th Army unit team, turning in stellar performances in military tournaments, both in baseball and softball. He also plied his basketball skills while in the service.

Following the three-year interruption for Army duty, Stough rejoined the Indians who assigned him to their Class D PONY League club in Olean, N.Y. Unfortunately, that lasted only one year and Billy was released.

Upon returning to Lorain, Stough went to work for U.S. Steel’s local steel plant (then known as National Tube) and would once again become a dominant force on the city’s sandlot scene. He pitched for top teams sponsored by Thew Shovel, Lorain Glass and Lawson Lumber.

In 1957, Stough was the ace on the Class A National Tube team coached by Ed Molnar that recorded the city’s most historic amateur baseball season by traveling to Flint, Mich., where the Tubers would end four years of fruitless frustration and capture national acclaim by winning the National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF) championship.

Molnar laid full responsibility on Stough’s mighty right arm and his blazing fastball in the tournament. It was a wise move. Billy was a major factor in three of the Tubers’ four tournament victories, starting with his 8-hit first round 8-1 win over the Memphis, Tenn., Radio Centers.

When the Tubers dropped a 7-6 decision to the host Flint Pfeiffer Beers in the second round, they came back to defeat defending NABF champion Detroit Ford Bruins, 4-1, in the quarterfinals. Molnar called on Stough again in the semi-finals and Billy responded in magnificent fashion by hurling a two-hitter to oust Memphis, 5-0, putting Lorain into the championship game against Flint.

The title game was a slugfest with three NTC pitchers and four Flint hurlers going to the mound. But with the game on the line, Molnar once again called on Stough, who had barely 36 hours rest after pitching his 2-hitter the morning before, in the seventh inning and the Tubers managed to hang on for a 12-8 triumph and the national championship.