Dennis Eckersley
From BR Bullpen
Dennis Lee Eckersley
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 190 lb.
- High School Washington High School (Fremont)
- Debut April 12, 1975
- Final Game September 26, 1998
- Born October 3, 1954 in Oakland, CA USA
- Inducted into Hall of Fame in 2004
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[edit] Biographical Information
Dennis Eckersley is one of only a few pitchers to excel as both a starter and a closer. His 390 saves put him in the top 5 of all time, while his 197 victories put him close to the top 100 of all time.
He made his major league debut with the Cleveland Indians in 1975. On May 30, 1977, he pitched a no-hitter against the California Angels.
After three solid seasons with the Indians, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1978. That year he won 20 games for the Sox. He remained a mainstay in the Boston rotation until 1984, when he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Bill Buckner.
He won 10 games for the Cubs that year and helped them to win their division. He remained in the Cubs rotation for the next two seasons, and was traded to the Oakland Athletics for three minor leaguers just before the start of the 1987 season.
Oakland manager Tony LaRussa decided to convert Eckersley into a closer, and he went on to become one of the most dominating firemen for the next decade. He notched over 30 saves every year from 1988 to 1993, and Oakland reached the World Series in 1988, 1989, and 1990. Yet the most remembered moment of Eckersley's career in those years was when he gave up a game-winning home run to a hobbled Kirk Gibson in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. In 1990, he had a minuscule 0.61 ERA, and in 1992 he recorded 51 saves and won the American League Cy Young Award. He also was named MVP; it would be 19 years until another pitcher, Justin Verlander, won a MVP in the majors.
Before the 1996 season, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. He returned to the Boston Red Sox to finish his career in 1998.
Eckersley saved 57 Bob Welch wins in his career, a record for a pitcher combo until Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte broke it in 2009.
Eckersley was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 6, 2004 by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
He is currently a post-game TV broadcaster for the Red Sox on NESN.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 6-time AL All-Star (1977, 1982, 1988 & 1990-1992)
- AL MVP (1992)
- AL Cy Young Award Winner (1992)
- 3-time AL Reliever of the Year Award Winner (1988, 1991 & 1992)
- 2-time AL Rolaids Relief Award Winner (1988 & 1992)
- 1988 ALCS MVP
- 2-time AL Saves Leader (1988 & 1992)
- 15 Wins Seasons: 2 (1978 & 1979)
- 20 Wins Seasons: 1 (1978)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 6 (1977-1979, 1982, 1984 & 1986)
- 200 Strikeouts Seasons: 1 (1976)
- 30 Saves Seasons: 8 (1988-1993, 1996 & 1997)
- 40 Saves Seasons: 4 (1988 & 1990-1992)
- 50 Saves Seasons: 1 (1992)
- Won a World Series with the Oakland Athletics in 1989
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 2004
| AL MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1992 | 1993 |
| Cal Ripken, Jr | Dennis Eckersley | Frank Thomas |
| AL Cy Young Award | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1992 | 1993 |
| Roger Clemens | Dennis Eckersley | Jack McDowell |
[edit] Records Held
- Games pitched, right-hander, career, 1071
[edit] Further Reading
- Dennis Eckersley (as told to George Vass): "The Game I'll Never Forget," Baseball Digest, February 1992, pp. 79-81
- Rick Sorci: "Baseball Profile: Pitcher Dennis Eckersley"[1], Baseball Digest, July 1992, p. 65
