Stone Gardens: Pitcher born in Ratcliff in 1908 struck out Babe Ruth as a 23-year-old St. Louis Cardinal

Rollie Stiles was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Browns in the 1930s. Born in 1906, he played three seasons, had a modest career, and lived until 2007, when he was believed to be the oldest living former major leaguer and the longest-surviving player who had played against Babe Ruth.

Rolland Mays Stiles was born on November 17, 1906, in Ratclif, Logan County,then a small town of about 150 people. He was the youngest of six kids in a farming family with Scotch-English roots.

Growing up, he hunted and played baseball. In 1927, he pitched for Southeastern State Teachers College. That summer, he caught the attention of a scout at a county fair in Ada, Oklahoma, and signed with the Tulsa Oilers, a St. Louis Browns minor league team. He left school at 21 to pursue baseball.

Stiles started with the Tulsa Oilers in 1928, winning two games in 16 innings. He debuted in the majors with the Browns on June 19, 1930.

Over three seasons (1930, 1931, 1933), he had a 9-14 record and a 5.92 ERA. The Browns struggled during this time, and his stats reflected that. On June 5, 1931, he struck out Babe Ruth in a game at Yankee Stadium, a standout moment.

He earned $2,700 in 1930 and $3,000 in 1931--decent pay during the Great Depression. After 1933, he played in the minors until the early 1940s and then retired.

Stiles married and lived in St. Louis after baseball. Little is known about his family life, as he kept it private.

People who knew him said he was humble and liked talking about baseball. In 2006, at age 99, he spoke at a St. Louis Browns Reunion dinner about his playing days. He stayed sharp, recalling details like throwing a good knuckleball.

Stiles died on July 22, 2007, at 100 years old in a nursing home in St. Louis County, Missouri.

e passed away in his sleep; no cause was given.

Stiles and his wife Margaret are both buried at the Resurrection Cemetry in Afton, Missouri

At the time of his death , he was the oldest living ex-major leaguer and the longest-surviving player to have faced Babe Ruth.

His career wasn’t big, but his Ruth strikeout and long life kept his name in baseball history.