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Gene Garber
Henry Eugene Garber (born November 13, 1947) is an American former professional baseball sidearm relief pitcher who played for four Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations from to . Playing career Garber was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 1965 amateur draft. Over the course of his MLB career, he pitched for the Pirates, Kansas City Royals (on two occasions), Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves. In , Garber won his only postseason game, becoming the first Phillies pitcher to win a postseason game in 62 years. While pitching for the Braves against the Cincinnati Reds on August 1, 1978, Garber helped prevent Pete Rose from setting a new National League (NL) hitting streak record. With the Braves winning 16–4 in the top of the ninth inning, Rose was 0 for 4 when he came to bat with two outs. Rose struck out swinging, on a 2–2 change-up, ending the consecutive game streak still tied with Willie Keeler. While pitching for the 1979 Braves, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a base on balls, walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1. The pitcher is often considered the most important player on the defensive side of the game, and as such is situated at the right end of the defensive spectrum. There are many different types of pitchers, such as the starting pitcher, relief pitcher, middle reliever, left-handed specialist, lefty specialist, setup man, and the closing pitcher, closer. Traditionally, the pitcher also bats. Starting in 1973 with the American League and spreading to further leagues throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the hitting duties of the pitcher have generally been given over t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National League (baseball)
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP) of 1871–1875 (often called simply the "National Association"), the NL is sometimes called the Senior Circuit, in contrast to MLB's other league, the American League, which was founded 25 years later and is called the "Junior Circuit". Both leagues currently have 15 teams. The National League survived competition from various other professional baseball leagues during the late 19th century. Most did not last for more than a few seasons, with a handful of teams joining the NL once their leagues folded. The American League declared itself a second major league in 1901, and the AL and NL engaged in a "baseball war" durin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers (born August 25, 1946) is an American former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985. His effectiveness helped to redefine the value of relievers within baseball and to usher in the modern closer role. A seven-time All-Star, he led the major leagues in saves three times, and was named Rolaids Relief Man of the Year four times. He first gained prominence as a member of the Oakland Athletics championship teams of the early 1970s, when his flamboyant handlebar mustache made him perhaps the most identifiable member of The Mustache Gang, which led Oakland to become the only non-New York Yankees team ever to win three consecutive World Series titles. Fingers was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1974 World Series after earning a win in the opener and saves in the last three games to secure the title. Fingers joined the San Diego Padres as a free agent after the 1976 season, and led the major leag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lindy McDaniel
Lyndall Dale McDaniel (December 13, 1935 – November 14, 2020), known as Lindy McDaniel, was an American professional baseball pitcher who had a 21-year career in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1975. During his career, he witnessed approximately 3,500 major league games (not including spring training), had more than 300 teammates, and played under eight different managers. He attended the University of Oklahoma and Abilene Christian College, then played with the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and San Francisco Giants (all of the National League), and the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals (both of the American League). He stood 6 ft 3 in and was listed at 195 lb. (88kg). McDaniel was a minister for the Church of Christ. Early life McDaniel was born on December 13, 1935, in Hollis, Oklahoma. He was named after Charles Lindbergh, and had two brothers and one sister. His brother Von McDaniel would go on to pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals, and another brother Kerr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kent Tekulve
Kenton Charles Tekulve ( ; born March 5, 1947), nicknamed "Teke", is an American former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds. Pitching with an unusual submarine delivery, Tekulve was known as a workhorse relief pitcher who holds several records for number of games pitched and innings pitched. Career Tekulve is a 1969 graduate of Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. He signed that year as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates and remained with that organization until 1985. He made his major league debut against the Montreal Expos on May 20, 1974. He pitched an inning of relief and allowed one hit in the 4–2 loss. His best seasons came in and , in both of which he saved 31 games and posted ERAs of 2.33 and 2.75, respectively. He won National League Pitcher of the Month for August 1978. He saved three games in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hoyt Wilhelm
James Hoyt Wilhelm (July 26, 1922 – August 23, 2002), nicknamed "Old Sarge", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, California Angels, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers between 1952 and 1972. Wilhelm was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985. Wilhelm grew up in North Carolina, fought in World War II, and then spent several years in the minor leagues before starting his major league career at the age of 29. He was best known for his knuckleball, which enabled him to have great longevity. He appeared occasionally as a starting pitcher, but pitched mainly as a reliever. Wilhelm won 124 games in relief, which is still the major league record as of 2025. He was the first pitcher to reach 200 saves, and the first to appear in 1,000 games. Wilhelm was nearly 30 years old when he entered the major leagues, and pitched until he was nearly 50. He r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967), nicknamed "Smoltzie" and "Marmaduke", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 2009, all but the last year with the Atlanta Braves. An eight-time Major League Baseball All-Star Game, All-Star, Smoltz was part of a Big Three (Atlanta Braves), celebrated trio of starting pitchers, along with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who propelled Atlanta to perennial pennant contention in the 1990s, highlighted by a championship in the 1995 World Series. He won the National League (baseball), National League (NL) Cy Young Award in 1996 after posting a win–loss record (pitching), record of 24–8, equaling the most victories by an NL pitcher since 1972. He also played for the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. Though predominantly known as a starter, Smoltz was converted to a relief pitcher, reliever in 2001 after his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and spent four years as the team's clo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Craig Kimbrel
Craig Michael Kimbrel (born May 28, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Texas Rangers organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Baltimore Orioles. He is a nine-time All-Star, four-time Reliever of the Year, and a 2018 World Series champion. Internationally, Kimbrel represented the United States. As a rookie with the Braves in 2011, Kimbrel was named their closer and set an MLB record for saves by a rookie, with 46. He was awarded the National League's (NL) 2011 Rookie of the Year Award. He led the NL in saves for four consecutive seasons (2011– 2014). He recorded his 200th save in June 2015 with the Padres, and his 300th save in May 2018 with the Red Sox, making him the youngest pitcher in MLB history to reach the milestone. On May 26, 2023, Kimbrel became the eighth major-league pit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball (MLB), Baseball Commissioner Ford C. Frick in honor of Baseball Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955. The award was originally given to the single best pitcher in the major leagues, but in 1967, after the retirement of Frick, the award was given to one pitcher in each league. Each league's award is voted on by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). Local BBWAA chapter chairmen in each MLB city recommend two writers to vote for each award. Final approval comes from the BBWAA national secretary-treasurer. Writers vote for either the American League or National League (baseball), National League awards, depending on the league in which their local team plays. A total of 30 writers vote for eac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1982 Atlanta Braves Season
The 1982 Atlanta Braves season was the club's 17th in Atlanta and its 112th overall. They began the season with a modern Major League Baseball record 13-game winning streak and finished with a record of (the best record in the Torre era). The Braves won the National League West for the first time since 1969 but were swept in three games by the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS. Offseason * October 5, 1981: Gaylord Perry was released by the Braves. * March 23, 1982: Brian Asselstine was released by the Braves. Managerial turnover In , Bobby Cox and Joe Torre were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as two of the most successful managers of the late-20th and early-21st centuries. Cox had won 2,564 regular-season games, five pennants and one World Series over 29 seasons; Torre had won 2,326 games, six pennants and four World Series over his 29-year career. But when the 1981 season ended, those success stories seemed far-fetched, at best. And both men ended up unemployed, if o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer (abbreviated CL), is a relief pitcher who specializes in getting the final out (baseball), outs in a close game when his team is leading. The role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. Before the 1990s, pitchers in similar roles were referred to as a fireman and stopper. A small number of closers have won the Cy Young Award. Nine closers have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame: Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Mariano Rivera, Lee Smith (baseball), Lee Smith, Bruce Sutter, Billy Wagner, and Hoyt Wilhelm. Usage A closer is generally a team's best reliever and designated to pitch the last few outs of games when his team is leading by a margin of three runs or fewer. Rarely does a closer enter with his team losing or in a tie game, however in the playoffs they are often brought on if it is a close game. A closer's effectiveness has traditionally been measured by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1979 Atlanta Braves Season
Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ''Chiquitita'' to commemorate the event. ** In 1979, the United States officially severed diplomatic ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan). This decision marked a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, turning to view the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China. ** The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations. ** Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France. * January 6 – Geylang Bahru family murders: Four children, aged five to ten, are brutally killed i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
