Dennis Eckersley

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Eckersley grew up in Fremont, California, rooting for both the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. Two of his boyhood heroes were Willie Mays and Juan Marichal, and he later adopted Marichal's high leg kick pitching delivery. He attended Washington High School in Fremont, playing quarterback for the football team until his senior year, when he gave up football to protect his throwing arm. He won 29 games as a pitcher at Washington, throwing a 90-mile-per-hour fastball and a screwball. The Cleveland Indians selected him in the third round of the 1972 MLB draft. He made his major league debut on April 12, 1975, and was The Sporting News American League Rookie Pitcher of the Year in 1975. On May 30, 1977, he threw a no-hitter against the California Angels. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1978, where he won a career-high 20 games in 1978. After a trade to the Chicago Cubs in 1984, he helped the Cubs to their first postseason appearance since 1945. Following the 1986 season, he checked into a rehabilitation clinic to treat alcoholism. He was traded to the Oakland Athletics in 1987, where manager Tony La Russa used him as a closer. Eckersley recorded a league-leading 45 saves in 1988, and in the 1989 World Series he secured the victory in Game Two and earned the save in the final game as the A's swept the San Francisco Giants. He was the American League's Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award winner in 1992, a season in which he posted 51 saves. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996, and after the 1997 season he signed with the Red Sox for a final season in 1998. He retired with a career 197–171 record, a 3.50 ERA, and 390 saves.

In Their Own Story

The lights of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum hummed overhead as the crowd held its breath. It was the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, two outs. Eckersley stepped onto the rubber, wiping the dirt from his glove with a practiced rhythm. He locked eyes with the batter, wound up, and unleashed a slider that dipped sharply into the catcher's mitt. The stadium erupted as the final out was recorded, sealing another victory for the Green and Gold.

Reader's Guide

Eckersley's unusual delivery utilized a high leg kick along with a long, pronounced sidearm throwing motion. He had pinpoint accuracy. As a starter, he threw four pitches, but as a reliever he narrowed his repertoire to two pitches: a sinker and a backdoor slider. He was aggressive and animated on the mound, known for his intimidating stare and pumping his fist after a strikeout.

Did You Know?

• Eckersley first coined the phrase 'walk-off home run' to describe Kirk Gibson's 1988 World Series home run.
• Between August 7, 1989, and June 10, 1990, Eckersley appeared in 41 games without walking a single batter, setting a record that still stands as of 2020.
• In his 1990 season, Eckersley became the first relief pitcher in baseball history to have more saves than baserunners allowed (48 saves, 41 hits, 4 walks, 0 hit by pitch).