{{Short description|American baseball player (1944–2009)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{more footnotes|date=March 2015}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Barry Lersch |position=Pitcher |image=Barry Lersch.jpg |caption= |bats=Switch |throws=Right |birth_date={{Birth date|1944|9|7}} |birth_place=Denver, Colorado, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|2009|10|4|1944|9|7}} |death_place=Aurora, Colorado, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=April 8 |debutyear=1969 |debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=September 21 |finalyear=1974 |finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Win–loss record |stat1value=18–32 |stat2label=Earned run average |stat2value=3.82 |stat3label=Strikeouts |stat3value=317 |teams= *Philadelphia Phillies ({{mlby|1969}}–{{mlby|1973}}) *St. Louis Cardinals ({{mlby|1974}}) }} '''Barry Lee Lersch''' (September 7, 1944 – October 4, 2009) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies ({{by|1969}}–{{by|1973}}) and St. Louis Cardinals in ({{by|1974}}). A right-hander, he was born in Denver, Colorado and was listed as {{convert|6|ft}} tall and {{convert|175|lb}} and attended East High School in Denver, Colorado.
One of Lersch's great baseball moments was a pitching victory in 1964's annual Midnight Sun Game. He defeated the host Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks by a score of 10–5; 2,500 people were on hand to witness his win. The game ended at 2:34 a.m. local time and is in the record books as one of the latest-finishing games in amateur baseball history.
Lersch became a professional later that year when, in December 1964, he signed with the Phillies' organization. He made his MLB debut on April 8, 1969 when he surrendered a one-out two-run walk-off homer to Willie Smith in an eleven-inning Opening Day 7–6 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.<ref>[https://sports.yahoo.com/april-8-1969-willie-smith-051400956.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall Langford, George. "Willie Smith clobbers a home run in the 11th inning to give the Chicago Cubs a home opener win," ''Chicago Tribune'', Wednesday, April 9, 1969.] Retrieved September 10, 2024.</ref> He spent four full years ({{mlby|1970}} through {{mlby|1973}}) in the big leagues. Lersch was primarily a relief pitcher in the majors; of his 169 career games pitched, 53 were starts. He posted an 18–32 won–lost record and a 3.82 career earned run average. All of his decisions (and all but one of his games played) came with struggling Phillies teams. In 570<small>{{fraction|1|3}}</small> innings pitched, he allowed 536 hits and 172 bases on balls, and struck out 317. He was credited with nine complete games, six saves and one shutout, a two-hitter against the Montreal Expos on September 30, 1972, at Jarry Park.<ref>Retrosheet [https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1972/B09301MON1972.htm box score: 1972-09-30]</ref> He was traded along with Craig Robinson from the Phillies to the Braves for Ron Schueler at the Winter Meetings on December 3, 1973.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/04/archives/4-trades-made-at-mee-tings-4-trades-made-at-baseball-meetings.html Durso, Joseph. "4 Trades Made at Meetings," ''The New York Times'', Tuesday, December 4, 1973.] Retrieved January 26, 2023.</ref>
Lersch died of a heart attack on October 4, 2009, in Aurora, Colorado. He was 65; his body was donated to medical science.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{baseballstats|mlb=117707|espn=24226|br=l/lerscba01|fangraphs=1007555|brm=lersch001bar|retro=L/Plersb101}} *[https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=lerscba01 Barry Lersch] at Baseball Almanac
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lersch, Barry}} Category:1944 births Category:2009 deaths Category:American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Category:Baseball players from Colorado Category:Colorado Mesa Mavericks baseball players Category:Eugene Emeralds players Category:Florida Instructional League Phillies players Category:Indios de Ciudad Juárez (minor league) players Category:Leones del Caracas players Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Mesa Thunderbirds baseball players Category:Mexican Baseball League pitchers Category:Oklahoma City 89ers players Category:Philadelphia Phillies players Category:Richmond Braves players Category:St. Louis Cardinals players Category:San Diego Padres (minor league) players Category:Spartanburg Phillies players Category:Tidewater Tides players Category:East High School (Denver, Colorado) alumni Category:20th-century American sportsmen
{{US-baseball-pitcher-1940s-stub}}