Charles Walter Terrell (born May 11, 1958 in Jeffersonville, Indiana) is a former starting pitcher with an eleven year career from 1982 to 1992. He played for the New York Mets (1982–1984), Detroit Tigers (1985–1988), San Diego Padres (1989), New York Yankees (1989), Pittsburgh Pirates (1990), and once again the Detroit Tigers (1990–1992). Terrell attended Morehead State University, where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He batted left-handed, but threw righty.
In an interesting trade, on April 1, 1982, the Mets shipped outfielder Lee Mazzilli to the Texas Rangers for minor league pitchers Ron Darling and Terrell.
On 1983-08-06, pitcher Terrell shocked opposing pitcher Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins of the Chicago Cubs by hitting a two-run home run off him in the third inning and then hitting another two-run home run the very next inning. Jenkins shut down the rest of the offense, besides Terrell, but lost the game 4-1. Later that same month, Terrell had another three hits, including a three-run home run. In five years as a hitter, Terrell logged only three home runs and ten runs batted in but all three home runs and seven of the ten RBI came in a seventeen-day span.
Against the California Angels at Tiger Stadium on August 20, 1986, Terrell had a no-hitter broken up with two out in the ninth by a Wally Joyner double. It was the only hit he would allow in a 3-0 Tiger victory.
He also surrendered the first of Mark McGwire's 583 home runs on August 25, 1986.
He was 111-124 in 321 games, with a 4.22 all-time ERA. He struck out 929 in 1986.2 innings pitched.
Famous quotes containing the words walt and/or terrell:
“I always knew in my heart Walt Whitman’s mind to be more like my own than any other man’s living. As he is a very great scoundrel this is not a pleasant confession.”
—Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889)
“I cannot help wondering sometimes what I might have become and might have done if I had lived in a country which had not circumscribed and handicapped me on account of my race, but had allowed me to reach any height I was able to attain.”
—Mary Church Terrell (1863–1954)