Bill Stites
Ballplayers Wounded in Combat
| Date and Place of Birth: | June 25, 1926 Kansas City, KS |
| Date and Place of Death: | December 16, 2010 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Baseball Experience: | Minor League |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Rank: | Private |
| Military Unit: | 6th Marine Division USMC |
| Area Served: | Pacific Theater of OPerations |
William N. Stites, the son of Merle and Lorene
Stites, was born in Kansas City, Kansas on June 25, 1926. As a teenager
he enlisted in the Marine Corps in World War II and served as a private
with the 6th Marine Division, receiving combat wounds at
Saipan and Okinawa.
In March 1949, the 22-year-old southpaw pitcher
signed with the Boise Pilots of the Class C Pioneer League, making 37
appearances for a 7-13 record and 5.18 ERA. In 1950, he pitched for the
Globe-Miami Browns of the Class C Arizona-Texas League and hurled 219
innings in 52 appearances for a 10-14 record and 6.04 ERA.
Stites was with the El Paso Texans of the Class C
Southwest International League in 1951 and won a staggering 29 games,
which was surprisingly second-best in the league. Vince Gonzales - who
would make a single appearance for the Washington Senators in 1955 – won
32 that year. In 1952, Stites played for Yakima and Wenatchee in the
Class A Western International League – this time losing 20 games. He
played in Canada with the Calgary Stampeders of the same league in 1953
and 1954, and ended his playing days with the Saskatoon Gems of the
non-affiliated Western Canada League in 1955.
Bill Stites worked as a Project Manager on the
building of the Trans Alaska Pipeline in Alaska from 1975 thru the
completion of that project in 1977, and made his home in Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan, Canada with his wife, Iona.
Aged 84, Stites passed away on December 16, 2010 at
the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon. He is buried at the St.
Alphonse Roman Catholic Cemetery in Viscount, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Date Added May 21, 2020
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