A lefthander who both started and relieved, Schatzeder pitched for nine different clubs, but was often more effective with his bat, hitting .249 with 5 HR. In 1986, his five pinch hits were the most by a ML pitcher since Don Newcombe in 1959.
Schatzeder debuted with the Expos in 1977 after less than two full seasons in the minors, and in 1979, his 2.83 ERA was best among NL lefthanders. He was traded to Detroit for Ron LeFlore and won a career-high 11 games for the Tigers in 1980, but was only an occasional starter after 1981.
Overall, Schatzeder was traded four times, sold once, and released twice before signing with the Astros for the 1989 season. He made his only postseason appearances with the 1987 Twins, and won Game Six of the ’87 WS in relief. On September 10, 1990, he was traded for a final time, shipped to the New York Mets in exchange for Steve LaRose and Nick Davis.
