Zach Monroe, a former New York Yankees pitcher has died at the age of 94. Monroe passed away on January 18 in his hometown of Peoria, Illinois.
Monroe reached baseball’s biggest stage during the Yankees’ 1958 championship run, making one appearance in the World Series against the Milwaukee Braves. New York went on to win the series in seven games, earning Monroe the only World Series ring of his career.
A right-handed pitcher, Monroe finished his major league career with a 4–2 record, a 3.38 ERA, and one save over 61.1 innings. Though his time in the majors was brief, it was marked by resilience, service, and strong performances at key moments.
Before professional baseball, Monroe was a standout three-sport athlete at Woodruff High School in Peoria. He stayed close to home for college, pitching at Bradley University, where he excelled on the mound. As a senior, Monroe posted a 9–4 record with a 1.81 ERA, striking out 113 batters in 94 innings. An annual award honoring the Braves’ best pitcher was later named after him.
Monroe signed with the Yankees organization and made his minor league debut in 1952, but his career was put on hold when he missed the 1953 and 1954 seasons while serving in the Korean War. After returning, he spent three more years in the minors before finally reaching the big leagues.
His major league debut came in June 1958 against the Kansas City A’s, when he threw 3.1 scoreless innings. That outing earned him a start in his next appearance, and Monroe delivered by holding the Baltimore Orioles to one run over seven innings to secure his first career win.
Used primarily out of the bullpen during his rookie season, Monroe went 4–2 with a 3.26 ERA for the eventual American League champions. His lone World Series appearance came in Game 2 against Milwaukee, a mop-up inning in a 13–5 loss, but the Yankees ultimately claimed the title.
Monroe appeared in just three games for New York in 1959, allowing runs in two of those outings. He was demoted to Triple-A, battled a shoulder injury, and never returned to the majors.
In October 1960, Monroe was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He spent two more seasons pitching for the Reds’ top farm team before retiring from baseball and returning to Peoria. There, he built a successful second career as a sales manager for a hydraulic manufacturing company.
Monroe was later inducted into both the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame and the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame. He is survived by four daughters, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, according to the Peoria Journal Star.