He made a successful big league debut on June 13, 1957, at the age of 28. Facing the Washington Senators, he tossed a complete game, allowing only two runs and five hits. Although the team as a whole finished 59–94 on the year, Urban did exceptionally well compared to that, compiling a 7–4 record and a 3.34 earned run average in 1291⁄3innings pitched, he allowed only 111 hits and 45 walks.
Experiencing a sophomore slump, his 1958 season was not so impressive, however. In 30 games – 24 of which were starts – he went 8–11 with a 5.93 ERA. In 132 innings of work, he allowed 150 hits and 51 walks.
He was traded back to the Yankees on April 8, 1959 for Mark Freeman. Urban never appeared in a Yankees uniform, however; he was purchased by the Cardinals in May of that year. Appearing in only eight games for St. Louis, Urban allowed 18 hits, seven walks and 11 earned runs in 102⁄3 innings for a 9.28 ERA. He played his final game on August 6, 1959 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although he entered the majors with a bang, he left them with a bust – in only one-third of an inning, he allowed a total of five runs.
Overall, in his three-year MLB career, Urban went 15–15 with a 4.83 ERA. In 272 innings, he allowed 279 hits, 103 walks, and he also had 113 strikeouts. He threw one shutout, a four-hitter on July 14, 1958, also against Washington.[1] A respectable hitter (for a pitcher), he hit .209 in 86 career at-bats.
