Rusty Staub
Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame
Baseball, 1960-85
Jesuit High School/Major League Baseball
Inducted: 1989
Recognized as one of the top New Orleans’ baseball players in the city’s distinguished diamond history, Daniel “Rusty” Staub starred in the New Orleans Recreation Department at Bunny Friend Playground, at Jesuit High School, in American Legion play, and in the Major Leagues.
One of the most memorable moments of his career came in the 1961 Louisiana Class AAA baseball finals. In the final game of a best-of-three playoff series against Istrouma of Baton Rouge, Staub belted a 400-foot home run to list Jesuit to a 3-2 victory. For the year, he hit .474 to share “Outstanding Player” honors with
Istrouma’s Dalton Jones on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-State team.
Staub also lettered in basketball at Jesuit, helping the Blue Jays deep into the playoffs in 1960 and 1961.
Along with his brother, Chuck, Staub led the Tulane Shirts to the American Legion World Series championship in the summer of 1960. The following year, he hit .553 in Legion play.
After his standout athletic career at Jesuit High School, he was signed by the Houston Colts and went on to a 23-year Major League Baseball career. Staub made his major-league debut at the age of 19 for the Houston Colts in 1963 after just two years in the minors. He emerged as a star outfielder by his fifth season and was named to the All-Star team in 1967 after posting a .333 batting average, and remained an All-Star the following four seasons.
Traded to the Montreal Expos in 1969, Staub would have his best two seasons in Canada. In 1969, he hit .302 with 29 home runs and 74 runs batted in. In 1970, he hit .274 with 30 home runs and 94 runs batted in. Being the only true star in Montreal, he emerged as the fan favorite, leading him to be dubbed “Le Grande Orange.”
After being traded again in 1972, he was instrumental in securing the Mets’ 1973 National League Championship by robbing the Cincinnati Reds’ Dan Driessen of an extra base hit in the 12th inning in Game Four of the league championship series – a game in which he also belted three home runs.
In the World Series, Staub hit .423 (11-for-26) with one home run and six runs batted in. However, the Mets would lose a seven-game series to the Oakland A’s.
After being traded to the Detroit Tigers in 1975, Staub was named to his sixth All-Star team in 1976. Two years later, he became the first player to appear in all 162 games as a designated hitter.
He returned to the Expos in 1979 before moving to the Texas Rangers in 1980 and then re-joining the Mets in 1981.
At one time, Staub held MLB records for consecutive pinch-hits (8) and pinch-hit runs batted in for a season (25).
He wrapped up his 23-yard career in 1985, having played in 2,951 games with a .279 batting average (2,716 hits in 9,720 at bats) with 292 home runs, 1,189 runs scored and 1,466 RBI.
After his retirement, he spent his post-playing career bringing New Orleans to New York. In 1979, he opened “Rusty’s Restaurant” on 3rd Avenue in Manhattan. Ten years later, Staub opened “Rusty Staub’s on 5th,” an upscale diner on 5th Avenue. Additionally, Staub joined the Mets broadcasting team, enabling him to stay close to the sport of baseball.
He established the “Rusty Staub Foundation” to do charitable works and in 1986 founded the “New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund.” During its first 15 years of existence, the Fund raised and distributed $11 million for families of
policemen and firefighters killed in the line of duty. After September 11, 2001, Staub’s organization played a vital role in helping many families affected by the tragedy.
Staub was born April 4, 1944, in New Orleans and he passed away on March 29, 2018, at the age of 73. He is also a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (1989), the New Orleans Professional Baseball Hall of Fame (2006), the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (2012) and the Irish-American Baseball Hall of Fame (2013).
