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People SearchFind an individual who either played a sport or was a member of a support group. Search by last name by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name.
Mr. Harry Stelly
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Home Phone: 337-288-1069 All conference 3 yrs. All American, 1965. Drafted by Baltimore in 1965. * * * * Southpaw Stelly a Cajun gem in mid-60’s By Bruce Brown Athletic Network Harry Stelly was always a pitcher. There were other baseball positions he could play, but Stelly was most at home on the mound, where his left-handed delivery made him a valuable commodity. The Opelousas High product was one of the stalwarts of the staff for USL’s Ragin’ Cajuns from 1963-66 as he put together a miserly 1.63 career earned run average and struck out 183 batters. In a low-scoring era, a stingy ERA was paramount. “In those days, if you allowed two runs you weren’t going to win,†said Stelly, who won 7 games each in 1963 and 1964 and 6 more in 1965 before hamstring problems hampered him as a senior. “A left-handed pitcher had a big advantage in those days,†Stelly said. “I started pitching when I was 9 years old, and went from there. At first, I didn’t like it, because if you pitched it meant you didn’t play the next day. “And, I wanted to play.†Stelly credits the legendary Mel Didier, his coach at OHS, for his early development in the game and his readiness to shine for Cajun coach Sonny Roy. “Mel was so far ahead of the competition in the 1960’s,†Stelly said of Didier, who later served as then-USL’s athletic director. “That’s why I got noticed. We would have pitcher-catcher meetings at lunch to go over what we were going to do. “We would talk about two scoring on a squeeze bunt, about a pickoff throw to second base, He told me it was a mortal sin for a left-hander not to be able to hold a runner at first with a good move. “There were so many things we did to improve ourselves. We would do drills until it became second nature to us.†Didier spiced it up by getting discarded uniforms from Major League teams to use as practice uniforms. Stelly recalled wearing Atlanta Braves gear at one point. The bond between coach and player grew even stronger. “(Before) my senior year of high school, my mom and dad moved to Lafayette,†Stelly said. “I stayed with Mel that year, including the American Legion season. It was fun. I learned a lot, and got to see the business end of him, too.†When Stelly got to college, he was ready to help the Cajuns right away. “I had power, but I was probably a finesse pitcher. I think that made my fastball quicker,†said Stelly, who acknowledged a stiffer challenge as he moved up in the game. “In high school, the first four batters you face can hit. In college, all nine can hit the ball. You have to be in the right frame of mind to face all nine.†Still, it didn’t take long to excel. “My freshman year, we were playing Nicholls one weekend and Sonny sent me out there for either the first or second game. He told me they wanted 5 or 6 innings from me. I went 10 innings, and we lost 2-1 in extra innings. “He kept asking if I was all right, and I said, ‘Yeah.’ That game told me I was better than I thought I was. “Every time I went out there, I felt I could get the ball over when I wanted. Mel used to say if you think you can get it over in a certain situation, throw it in batting practice. Do it until it becomes second nature to you.†Rivals recalled In general, for Gulf States Conference weekend series, Stelly would throw Friday, Leslie O’Neal took the first game Saturday and the two often combined on Saturday’s wrapup. Northeast Louisiana (now UL Monroe) was a fierce league rival, providing a rueful memory for Stelly. “We were in Monroe, and they had this big hitter named Red Ball,†Stelly said. “(Catcher) Eddie Mouton called for a curve, but I shook him off. I wanted to challenge the hitter with a fastball. “It was a home run. I think they’re still waiting for that ball to come down.†Other highlights came against Loyola of New Orleans and Tulane. “Loyola had a good team, and we beat them twice,†Stelly said. “I pitched against them here in a midweek game at Clark Field and won. But what I remember is looking at the back of (centerfielder) Lionel Kleinpeter’s jersey as he kept chasing fly balls. “One time at Tulane, Leslie went four innings and I went five, and we no-hit them 6-0. I thought to myself ‘we must have a good team.’ †The Cajuns were 16-11 in Stelly’s first year, followed by14-12, 14-14 and 15-14-1 – short seasons compared to today’s 60-game campaigns. “If you lose a couple of games early in a 30-game season, you’re in trouble,†Stelly said. “And, it was strictly a spring sport. We’d get out there a month and a half before the season. Now they have fall ball, and they play more games in the fall than we did in a season. “Athletes are so much bigger and stronger now, and there’s so much speed. You also have aluminum bats, instead of wood bats. “When I played, pitchers weren’t allowed in the weight room. That was fine with me. I said, ‘Y’all can handle that.’ †Moving on Stelly had his finest season as a junior, striking out 44 in 62 2/3 innings and compiling a career-best 0.72 ERA. “That was my best year.†Stelly said. “I had five walks all year, and two of them were intentional.†That led to 10th round selection in the supplemental draft by the Baltimore Orioles, a chance that didn’t evolve. “I felt I was roster filler,†Stelly said. “I blew it off, and it’s one of the few regrets I’ve had.†Although he fanned 51 batters as a senior, hamstring woes marred a final campaign on the mound for Stelly, who turned his attention to golf as an adult and shoots in the 70’s and low 80’s when he has time to stay sharp. Heavy travel has marked a long career in the oil industry, with Stelly showing much the same praise for mentors like Tommy Rodgers. Bill Dore’ and Mike Maraist as he had for Mel Didier years earlier. His son Kip played baseball and basketball at Lafayette High, mirroring Stelly’s OHS years in which he was the district MVP in basketball. However, Kip focused on shortstop and second base and saw junior college playing time in the game. “Kip could throw hard, but he wasn’t interested in pitching,†Stelly said. Once his schedule eases, Stelly might even attend more Cajun games, possibly looking for a southpaw who approaches the game with the same grit he showed 50 years ago.
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