Keith Comstock

Keith Martin Comstock (born December 23, 1955) is an American baseball coach and former relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of six seasons, spending time with the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Mariners. He also played for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and several Minor League Baseball teams in various countries, and is currently the rehab pitching coordinator for the Texas Rangers. He is known for appearing on a memorable 1989 baseball card pretending to be hit in the crotch by a ball.

Keith Comstock
Pitcher
Born: (1955-12-23) December 23, 1955
San Francisco, California
Batted: Left Threw: Left
Professional debut
MLB: April 3, 1984, for the Minnesota Twins
NPB: 1985, for the Yomiuri Giants
Last appearance
NPB: 1986, for the Yomiuri Giants
MLB: August 5, 1991, for the Seattle Mariners
MLB statistics
Win-loss record10-7
Earned run average4.06
Strikeouts142
NPB statistics
Win-loss record8-10
Earned run average4.47
Strikeouts94
Teams

Life

Comstock was born in San Francisco and went to high school in San Carlos, California. He was drafted by the California Angels in 1976 and played for their minor league affiliate, the Idaho Falls Angels. He spent the next eight years in the minor leagues. According to a 1990 article in Sports Illustrated, in 1983 the Oakland Athletics organization sold him to the Detroit Tigers for $100 and a bag of balls, which he had to deliver himself.[1] In 1984 he was called up to the majors by the Minnesota Twins. From 1985–1986 he played in Japan for Nippon Professional Baseball's Yomiuri Giants, and from 1987–1991 he played for the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners as well as minor league teams.[1][2]

In 1989, while playing for the Las Vegas Stars Triple-A team, Comstock appeared on a memorable baseball card pretending to be hit in the crotch by a ball. ESPN called it "the funniest baseball card ever made."[2] From 1989–1991 he played for the Seattle Mariners. By the end of his career, he had played in teams across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Japan, and Puerto Rico.[1] He subsequently went into coaching, and is currently the rehab pitching coordinator for the Texas Rangers.[2]

Comstock is the great-grandson of the former United States Postal Inspector and politician Anthony Comstock. He lives in Arizona with his wife, Kathleen Comstock. He has three children, Christine Fox, Daniel Comstock and Alexandria, two granddaughters, and three grandsons.

References
  1. Lidz, Franz (June 4, 1990). "Waiting to Pop His Cork". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 72 no. 23. p. 74. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  2. Sanchez, Robert (August 21, 2019). "'You're the guy with the ball to the crotch': The inside story behind the funniest baseball card ever made". ESPN. Retrieved August 21, 2019.


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