# Stan Fansler

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**Stanley Robert Fansler** (born February 12, 1965) is an American former professional [baseball](/source/Baseball) [pitcher](/source/Pitcher_(baseball)).

## Early life and amateur career

Fansler was born in 1965 to [Elkins, West Virginia](/source/Elkins,_West_Virginia) to Lonnis and Carol Anne Fansler. His father served in the [United States Air Force](/source/United_States_Air_Force) and for thirty years in the [United States Forest Service](/source/United_States_Forest_Service). Fansler was one of three brothers.[1]

Fansler attended [Elkins High School](/source/Elkins_High_School_(West_Virginia)) in Elkins where he played baseball and was named to the [ABCA/Rawlings High School All-America Third Team](/source/ABCA/Rawlings_High_School_All-America_Third_Team) in 1983.[2]

## Professional career

Fansler was selected by the [Pittsburgh Pirates](/source/Pittsburgh_Pirates) in the second round of the [1983 Major League Baseball draft](/source/1983_Major_League_Baseball_draft) and became the first player selected from [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia) in the second or first round of the main phase of the draft.[3] He began his professional career in the [New York–Penn League](/source/New_York%E2%80%93Penn_League) with the [Watertown Pirates](/source/Watertown_Pirates), accumulating an [earned run average](/source/Earned_run_average) (ERA) of 8.05 in his age-18 season.[4] In the following season in Watertown, however, he lowered that number by more than three quarters; his 2.01 ERA and 78 [strikeouts](/source/Strikeout) both led the Pirates.[5] Fansler moved relatively quickly through the minors. By the time he reached [Triple-A](/source/Triple-A_(baseball)) with the [Hawaii Islanders](/source/Hawaii_Islanders) for the first time in 1985, he was 5.7 years younger than the average player in the [Pacific Coast League](/source/Pacific_Coast_League).[4]

On or about August 29, 1986, the [Pittsburgh Pirates](/source/Pittsburgh_Pirates) promoted Fansler to the [Major Leagues](/source/Major_League_Baseball) for the first time in his career alongside [Sammy Khalifa](/source/Sammy_Khalifa), [Bob Patterson](/source/Bob_Patterson_(baseball)) and [Mike Brown](/source/Mike_Brown_(1980s_outfielder)).[6] He made his Major League debut on September 6, 1986.[7] He was the [starting pitcher](/source/Starting_pitcher) that night for the Pirates against the [Atlanta Braves](/source/Atlanta_Braves) at [Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium](/source/Atlanta-Fulton_County_Stadium) and surrendered four [earned runs](/source/Earned_runs) in just four [innings pitched](/source/Innings_pitched).[8] His best start of the season according to [game score](/source/Game_score) came on September 18 against the [Expos](/source/Montreal_Expos) in [Montreal](/source/Montreal); he went six innings for the first time in his career and allowed only one run.[9] On October 4, Fansler recorded the only [hit](/source/Hit_(baseball)) in his Major League career, a third-inning single off of [Bob Ojeda](/source/Bob_Ojeda) of the eventual [World Series](/source/1986_World_Series) champion [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets).[7][10] It would turn out to be the final game of his Major League career.[7]

Fansler underwent multiple surgeries on his [rotator cuff](/source/Rotator_cuff) after his brief MLB stint, with the first coming in 1987.[11][12] In 1990, he suffered an ankle injury mid-season and also pitched through [bursitis in his shoulder](/source/Subacromial_bursitis).[12] His final season as a player came in the minors in 1994, after which he coached in the Montreal Expos and [Texas Rangers](/source/Texas_Rangers_(baseball)) [farm systems](/source/Farm_system).[11]

## Personal life

Fansler left baseball after having children with his wife, who he had married in 1991.[11]

In 2006, Fansler was living in [Beckley, West Virginia](/source/Beckley,_West_Virginia) and working making mining equipment with his father-in-law.[11] In 2020, Fansler's son, Hunter, played [college baseball](/source/College_baseball) for [Marshall University](/source/Marshall_Thundering_Herd_baseball).[13]

## References

1. ["Onie Fansler"](https://www.theintermountain.com/obituaries/2014/01/onie-fansler/). *The Intermountain*. January 27, 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2022.

1. ["1983 ABCA/Rawlings High School All-America Teams"](https://www.abca.org/ABCA/Awards/All-Americans/High_School/1983.aspx). *www.abca.org*. [American Baseball Coaches Association](/source/American_Baseball_Coaches_Association). Retrieved 11 January 2022.

1. ["MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from "WV""](https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?came_from=wv&query_type=came_from&from_type_jc=0&from_type_hs=0&from_type_4y=0&from_type_unk=0). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. [Sports Reference](/source/Sports_Reference). Retrieved 11 January 2022.

1. ["Stan Fansler Minor Leagues Statistics & History"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=fansle001sta). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. [Sports Reference](/source/Sports_Reference). Retrieved 11 January 2022.

1. ["1984 Watertown Pirates Statistics"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=922edcfe). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. [Sports Reference](/source/Sports_Reference). Retrieved 11 January 2022.

1. ["Transactions"](https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/29/sports/transactions-158786.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. 29 August 1986. Retrieved 11 January 2022.

1. ["Stan Fansler Stats"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fanslst01.shtml). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. [Sports Reference](/source/Sports_Reference). Retrieved 11 January 2022.

1. ["Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves Box Score, September 6, 1986"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL198609060.shtml). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. [Sports Reference](/source/Sports_Reference). Retrieved 11 January 2022.

1. ["Stan Fansler 1986 Pitching Game Logs"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=fanslst01&t=p&year=1986). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. [Sports Reference](/source/Sports_Reference). Retrieved 11 January 2022.

1. ["Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Mets Box Score, October 4, 1986"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN198610041.shtml). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. [Sports Reference](/source/Sports_Reference). Retrieved 11 January 2022.

1. Morrison, Dave (July 12, 2006). ["Former MLB hurler to take on BNI"](https://www.register-herald.com/sports/former-mlb-hurler-to-take-on-bni/article_ca09c948-d7c6-5eed-8260-90ad7e99f12f.html). *[Beckley Register-Herald](/source/Beckley_Register-Herald)*. Retrieved 11 January 2022.

1. Hente, Karl (25 June 1990). ["Hernandez's Homer Wins for Cannons"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1990/06/25/hernandezs-homer-wins-for-cannons/92402d75-95f4-493b-8ad8-8c23f5c78a7c/). *[Washington Post](/source/Washington_Post)*. Retrieved 11 January 2022.

1. ["Hunter Fansler - Baseball"](https://herdzone.com/sports/baseball/roster/hunter-fansler/5788). [Marshall University Athletics](/source/Marshall_Thundering_Herd). Retrieved 11 January 2022.

## External links

, or [Retrosheet](http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/F/Pfanss001.htm), or [SABR Biography Project](http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/509a78a3)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Stan Fansler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Fansler) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Fansler?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.