Almost from the time he was in grade school, people (especially coaches) noticed something special about Steve Barber. “He played a lot of sports, just like most kids in the neighborhood,” said his brother, Rich. “But the one thing you always heard people talk about was how fast he could throw a baseball.”
By the time he got to Blair, almost everyone knew how talented Steve was and what a great future
he could have as a professional baseball player. He signed with the Baltimore Orioles after a stel- lar career at Blair, and in a few years was an Oriole mainstay. Playing for a franchise noted for its pitching, Steve was the first Oriole pitcher to win 20 games in a season; he was a two-time All Star; he was a member of the 1966 World Series Champions; and he was enshrined more than 30 years ago in the Orioles Hall of Fame.
After leaving the Orioles, Steve went on to complete a 15-year career in the Major Leagues while pitching for 7 teams. He was the most success- ful Blair graduate to pitch in the majors, winning a career total of 121 games, including 59 complete games and 21 shutouts, impressive statistics, especially by today’s standards. He also struck out over 1,300 batters, and teamed with Stu Miller to pitch a no-hitter in 1967 in a game against the Detroit Tigers.