David Earl Stapleton (born October 16, 1961) is a retired professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned six seasons, two of which were spent in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Milwaukee Brewers (1987–88). The majority of Stapleton's career was spent in the minor leagues. His career began in 1984 with the Class-A Beloit Brewers of the Midwest League. During his minor league career, Stapleton compiled a 30–26 record with a 3.43 earned run average (ERA) in 444 innings pitched. Over his two years in the majors, he compiled a 2–0 record with a 3.81 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched. Stapleton batted and threw left-handed. During his professional career, he was listed at a height of and a weight of . Early life Stapleton was born in Miami, Arizona on October 16, 1961. He attended Grand Canyon University from 1982 to 1983. He posted a 16–5 record with a 3.28 earned run average (ERA) in his two years on the school's baseball team, who won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championship in 1982. As a member of the school's 1982 baseball team, Stapleton is enshrined in Grand Canyon University's athletic hall of fame. Playing career In 1983, Stapleton was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers as an amateur free agent. He began his professional career in 1984 in Milwaukee's minor league organization. With the Class-A Beloit Brewers that season, he went 9–6 with a 2.33 ERA in 48 games, all in relief. Milwaukee assigned Stapleton to the Stockton Ports of the Class-A California League in 1985. A few months into the 1985 season, after losing his closer job to Jeff Parrett, he and his wife, Patty, told manager Tom Gamboa he wanted to quit baseball and become a chimney sweep. Gamboa encouraged him to keep pitching and he finished the season with a 2.54 ERA in 52 relief appearances. Stapleton was promoted to the Double-A level in 1986. With the El Paso Diablos of the Texas League that year, he compiled a 6–2 record with a 3.15 ERA in 38 relief appearances. Stapleton started the 1987 season with the Double-A El Paso Diablos, where in four games he compiled a 1.74 ERA. He was soon promoted to the Triple-A Denver Bears. Stapleton went 11–3 with a 4.05 ERA, five saves and 74 strikeouts in 44 games, nine of which were starts. Of his nine starts, Stapleton went for