{{short description|American baseball player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Steve Stroughter |image=Steve Stroughter.jpg |position=Designated hitter/Left fielder |bats=Left |throws=Right<!-- baseball-reference indicates right; mlb.com indicates right --> |birth_date={{Birth date|1952|3|15}} |birth_place=Visalia, California, U.S. |death_date={{Death date and age|2018|3|6|1952|3|15}} |death_place=Fresno, California, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=April 7 |debutyear=1982 |debutteam=Seattle Mariners |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=July 24 |finalyear=1982 |finalteam=Seattle Mariners |debut2league = NPB |debut2date=April 9 |debut2year=1983 |debut2team=Hanshin Tigers |final2league = NPB |final2date=June 18 |final2year=1983 |final2team=Hanshin Tigers |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.170 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=1 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=3 |stat2league = NPB |stat21label=Batting average |stat21value=.276 |stat22label=Home runs |stat22value=5 |stat23label=Runs batted in |stat23value=12 |teams= *Seattle Mariners ({{mlby|1982}}) *Hanshin Tigers ({{npby|1983}}) }} '''Stephen Lewis Stroughter''' (March 15, 1952 – March 6, 2018) was an American Major League Baseball designated hitter/left fielder who played for the Seattle Mariners in 1982. He attended College of the Sequoias.
==Career== Stroughter was originally drafted by the California Angels in the 15th round of the 1970 amateur draft, but he chose not to sign. He was drafted in the 1971 secondary phase amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs, but he again did not sign. He was the sixth overall pick in the 1971 secondary phase (active) amateur draft (drafted by the San Francisco Giants), and signed. On October 24, 1975, he was purchased by the Angels from the Giants. On April 5, 1979, he was released by the Angels and on June 5, 1979, he was signed by the Mariners. On December 19, 1980, he was traded to the Twins for Mike Bacsik. On May 28, 1981, he was purchased by the Mariners.
Stroughter spent over a decade in the minors before making his big league debut on April 7, at the age of 30. Pinch-hitting for Jim Essian, Stroughter grounded out in his first big league at-bat, which was against Doug Corbett of the Minnesota Twins.
A solid minor league player who hit for average and some power, Stroughter hit only .170 in 26 big league games (47 at-bats). Perhaps the best game of his career occurred on May 4. He went 2–4 with a home run off of Dennis Martínez.
He played his final big league game on July 24, 1982. Following his big league career, he returned to the minors and also played baseball in Japan, appearing in 28 games for the Hanshin Tigers in 1983.
Stroughter died March 6, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salseranddillard.com/obituaries/Stephen-Stroughter/#!/Obituary|title=Stephen Lewis Stroughter Obituary|website=salseranddillard.com|access-date=March 17, 2018}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Baseballstats |mlb=122889 |espn= |br=s/stroust01 |fangraphs= |cube= |brm=stroug001ste }} *[https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/Pstros101.htm Retrosheet]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stroughter, Steve}} Category:1952 births Category:2018 deaths Category:African-American baseball players Category:Amarillo Giants players Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:American expatriate baseball players in Japan Category:American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Category:Baseball players from Visalia, California Category:College of the Sequoias Giants baseball players Category:Decatur Commodores players Category:El Paso Diablos players Category:Fresno Giants players Category:Great Falls Giants players Category:Hanshin Tigers players Category:Leones del Caracas players Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Category:Major League Baseball designated hitters Category:Major League Baseball outfielders Category:Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders Category:Rieleros de Aguascalientes players Category:Salt Lake City Gulls players Category:Seattle Mariners players Category:Spokane Indians players Category:Syracuse Chiefs players Category:Toledo Mud Hens players Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:21st-century American sportsmen