Pitcher, Milwaukee
Brewers
Age: 35 (Aug. 25)
1st season
with Brewers
Bats – Right,
Throws – Right
Height: 6’4” Weight: 190
Prior to 1981:
A native of
Ohio whose family moved to California, Fingers played American Legion baseball
as well as for his high school team, where he pitched and played left field.
After his American Legion team won the 1964 national championship Fingers
received offers from several major league teams and signed with the Kansas City
Athletics for $13,000. The A’s were initially more interested in him as an
outfielder but determined to use him as a pitcher during his first spring
training in 1965. That year he was assigned to Leesburg of the Class A Florida
State League where he went 8-15 with a 2.98 ERA. He moved on to Modesto of the
Class A California League in 1966 and compiled an 11-6 record with a 2.77 ERA.
His next step up the minor league ladder brought him to Birmingham of the Class
AA Southern League in 1967. In the season-opening game he took a line drive to
the face and suffered both a broken cheekbone and jawbone which kept him out of
action for two months. Upon his return he went 6-5 with a 2.21 ERA. He put in
further work in the Arizona Instructional League. Fingers returned to
Birmingham in 1968 and was 10-4 with a 3.00 ERA, earning a September call-up to
the A’s, newly relocated to Oakland, where he appeared in one game. Following
an offseason playing in the Venezuelan Winter League Fingers was utilized as a
reliever and spot starter with the A’s in 1969. He appeared in 60 games and
produced a 6-7 record with a 3.71 ERA and 12 saves. Fingers appeared in 45
games in 1970, 19 as a starter, and went 7-9 with a 3.65 ERA and just two
saves. Under new manager Dick Williams in 1971, Fingers began the season as
part of the starting rotation before becoming the closer in the bullpen in May.
With the team on the way to winning the AL West, he contributed 17 saves. In
1972, with owner Charlie Finley encouraging the players to grow facial hair as
a publicity stunt, Fingers grew the handlebar mustache that became his
trademark. Fingers appeared in 65 games that year and produced an 11-9 record
with 21 saves and a 2.51 ERA as Oakland won its first of three straight World
Series titles. Utilizing a sinking fastball and slider to consistently good
effect, Fingers saved 22 games in 1973 and 18 in a league-leading 76
appearances in ’74, after which he was named World Series MVP after saving two
games and winning one other in the victory over the Dodgers. The fiercely competitive
Fingers, who was an intimidating mound presence, continued to be a top reliever
in 1975 and ’76 while, like many of his teammates, he was dissatisfied with his
contract. In June of 1976, with the prospect of losing top players in free
agency, owner Finley sold Fingers and outfielder Joe Rudi to the Red Sox in a
deal that was voided by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. After the season Fingers
departed the A’s for the San Diego Padres as a free agent. He led the NL in
saves with 35 in 1977 and 37 in ’78. Fingers had a lesser year with the
mediocre Padres in 1979 and in 1980 he compiled 23 saves with a 2.80 ERA. In
the offseason he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a ten-player
deal, and then was dealt by the Cards to the Brewers along with catcher Ted
Simmons and RHP Pete Vuckovich, where he filled a pressing need for a reliable
closer in the bullpen.
1981 Season Summary
Appeared in 47 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]
Pitching
Games – 47 [3]
Games Started –
0
Complete Games
– 0
Wins – 6
Losses – 3
PCT - .667
[Non-qualifying]
Saves – 28 [1]
Shutouts – 0
Innings Pitched
– 78
Hits – 55
Runs – 9
Earned Runs – 9
Home Runs – 3
Bases on Balls
– 13
Strikeouts – 61
ERA – 1.04
[Non-qualifying]
Hit Batters – 1
Balks – 0
Wild Pitches – 1
League-leading saves
were +8 ahead of runner-up Rich Gossage
Midseason
Snapshot: 1-2, ERA - 1.34, G – 23, SV – 12, SO - 36 in 40.1 IP
---
Most
strikeouts, game – 4 (in 3.2 IP) at Toronto 4/20, (in 2 IP) vs. Oakland 5/16,
(in 4 IP) vs. Boston 5/24
10+ strikeout
games – 0
Fielding
Chances – 16
Put Outs – 2
Assists – 13
Errors – 1
DP – 1
Pct. - .938
Postseason
Pitching:
G – 3 (ALDS vs.
NY Yankees)
GS – 0, CG – 0,
record – 1-0, PCT – 1.000, SV – 1, ShO – 0, IP – 4.2, H – 7, R – 3, ER – 2, HR
– 0, BB – 1, SO – 5, ERA – 3.86, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0
Awards & Honors:
AL MVP:BBWAA
AL Cy Young
Award: BBWAA
All-Star
Top 5 in AL MVP
Voting:
Rollie Fingers,
Mil. 319 pts. – 15 of 28 first place votes, 81% share
Rickey
Henderson, Oak.: 308 pts. – 12 first place votes, 79% share
Dwight Evans,
Bos.: 140 pts. – 36% share
Tony Armas,
Oak.: 139 pts. – 1 first place vote, 35% share
Eddie Murray,
Balt.: 137 pts. – 35% share
AL Cy Young
voting (Top 5):
Rollie Fingers,
Mil.: 126 pts. – 22 of 28 first place votes, 90% share
Steve McCatty,
Oak.: 84 pts. – 6 first place votes, 60% share
Jack Morris,
Det.: 21 pts. – 15% share
Pete Vuckovich,
Mil.: 8 pts. – 6% share
Rich Gossage,
NYY: 3 pts. – 2% share
Dennis
Martinez, Balt.: 3 pts. – 2% share
---
In a season in
which was interrupted by a players’ strike for nearly two months, the Brewers went
31-25 in the first half, placing third in the AL Eastern Division. In the
second season that followed the strike, they were 31-22 to finish first in the
division by 1.5 games over the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers while leading
the league in saves (35). Lost ALDS to the New York Yankees, 3 games to 2.
Aftermath of ‘81:
Fingers
performed well again in 1982 up until he suffered a muscle tear in his right
arm that prevented him from appearing in the postseason for the Brewers, who
won the AL pennant. He finished up with 29 saves and a 2.60 ERA. He missed the
entire 1983 season due to tendinitis but returned in 1984 to save 23 games with
a 1.96 ERA before being sidelined by a back injury. His performance
deteriorated significantly in 1985 and the Brewers released him. He retired
rather than accept an offer from the Cincinnati Reds for 1986 that, due to
their policy against facial hair, would have forced him to shave his mustache.
Overall in the major leagues Fingers appeared in 944 games and compiled a
114-118 record with 341 saves, a 2.90 ERA, and 1299 strikeouts. With the
Brewers he was 13-17 with 97 saves in 177 games and a 2.54 ERA. He was a
seven-time All-Star and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. The
Brewers and A’s both retired his #34.
--
MVP Profiles feature players in the National or
American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award
(1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present)
as Most Valuable Player.
Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of
the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to
present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its
inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major
league.
No comments:
Post a Comment