The red-haired star who changed the way baseball stadiums are built

History · Published 7 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Rusty Staub was far more than a prolific hitter. Beyond his 2,716 career hits, his physical sacrifice during a high-stakes postseason collision became the catalyst for a permanent safety standard in every Major League ballpark, forever changing how outfield walls are padded to protect players from injury.

Known to Montreal fans as "Le Grand Orange," Staub was a cornerstone of the Expos' inaugural 1969 season. His ability to reach base was legendary; he holds the franchise record for career on-base percentage at .402 among players with at least 2,000 plate appearances. His impact was felt immediately, earning him the Expos Player of the Year award in their first year of existence. He was a six-time All-Star who fell just 284 hits short of the 3,000 hit milestone. Additionally, the Montreal Expos chose to retire his number 10 in 1993 to honour his popularity.

Staub's career was defined by both resilience and a literal collision with history. During the 1973 National League Championship Series, while playing for the New York Mets, Staub crashed into an outfield wall while making a defensive play. The impact was so severe that it resulted in a separated shoulder, an incident that prompted Major League teams to begin adding padding to outfield walls across all ballparks to protect players. This collision occurred during Game 4 of the series. His grit was evident as he managed to return to the lineup for the following game.

Despite such injuries, Staub remained a dominant force. In 1973, he batted .423 during the World Series against the Oakland Athletics. He also made history in 1978 as the first player to play an entire 162-game season exclusively as a designated hitter, finishing that year fifth in the American League MVP voting. His legacy extends beyond the diamond through the Rusty Staub Foundation, which supports food pantries in New York, and his establishment of a fund to assist families of fallen police and firefighters. Before his time in Detroit, he was traded from the Mets in a major deal involving three other players. He also achieved a significant milestone in 1978 by finishing second in the American League for total RBIs.

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