Rollie Fingers
Encyclopedia
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics
(1968–76), San Diego Padres
(1977–80) and Milwaukee Brewers
(1981–85). He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. Fingers is also one of only a few MLB players to have his number retired by more than one club (Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers).
to George Michael Fingers and Edna Pearl (née Stafford) Fingers.
His father (who had also played minor league baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals
and roomed with Stan Musial
), worked in a Steubenville steel mill. George Fingers came home from work fed-up one day, said "That's it, we're moving to California," and sold the house for $
1500 and bought a car and took the family to Cucamonga
. They couldn't afford hotels so they slept in sleeping bags beside the highway. After getting to California George Fingers had to eventually go back to work in another steel mill.
Fingers attended Upland High School
in the city of Upland, California
, and then one semester at Chaffey Junior College
.
The Los Angeles Dodgers
offered Fingers a signing bonus of $20,000, but because they had a solid pitching staff, that included Sandy Koufax
and Don Drysdale
, were already winning pennants, and their farm system appeared to be full of talented players, he felt he would not make it the major leagues for years. He turned them down and signed for less money, $13,000 signing bonus, with the Kansas City Athletics, on Christmas Eve 1964. At first the A's didn't know whether to make him a pitcher or outfielder, but after deciding on pitcher, he was sent to Leesburg, Florida (Florida Southern League) for the 1965 season, then Modesto, California (California Athletic League) in 1966, and finally to Birmingham, Alabama (Southern League) for two seasons, 1967 and 1968.
Just nine days after he got married to his high school sweetheart and the Upland High School team statistician (Jill), on minor league opening day 1967 in Birmingham, Alabama (with the Birmingham A's), a ball hit Fingers in the face, breaking his cheekbone, jaw, and knocking out some teeth. His jaw was wired shut for five weeks and when he returned he jumped every time the ball was hit; it took him about half the remaining season to get used to being on the mound again.
gave up three runs and three walks facing eight batters, against the Minnesota Twins in Oakland, and pitch 5-1/3 allowing three hits and two runs (Twins 10 - Oakland 1). After that his earliest entrance to a game was in the sixth inning, and only three times. Mainly he came in the seventh, eighth, or ninth (he came in once in the eleventh and once in the twelfth).
By the end of May 1971 his manager with the Athletics, Dick Williams
, had made up his mind that Fingers would be the late inning closer. The following season, 1972, Fingers entered the game in the fifth four times, otherwise it was the sixth or later. He did start two games in 1973 (April 21 versus the California Angels at Oakland and May 7 against the Orioles at Baltimore; His May 7, 1973 start was the last of his career), other than that he came in to the game no earlier than the sixth on three more occasions. After that he rarely entered a game before the seventh inning for the rest of his career.
When Fingers reached the major leagues, the role of relief pitcher
s was limited, as starting pitcher
s rarely left games while holding a lead; but as team offense increased following the 1968 season, and especially with the American League's
introduction of the designated hitter
in 1973, managers became more willing to replace starters in the late innings with a lead in order to forestall any late rallies by opponents. Through the 1960s, both leagues' annual saves
leaders tended toward totals of 20–25 saves; few pitchers remained in the role more than two or three years, with significant exceptions such as Roy Face
and knuckleball
er Hoyt Wilhelm
. But in the 1970s, in an era allowing for greater opportunities for closers
than had previously been available, Fingers' excellence in relief allowed him to gradually increase his annual saves totals past 30. In 1980 he broke Wilhelm's record of 227 saves, and eventually finished with 341, a record that stood until Jeff Reardon
passed it in 1992.
Fingers is regarded as a pioneer of modern relief pitching, essentially defining the role of the closer for years to come. As had generally been true in baseball through the 1960s, Fingers was originally moved to the bullpen—and eventually to his role as a closer—due to struggles with starting. Before Fingers' time, a former starter's renewed success in the bullpen would have led back to a spot in the starting rotation; but since the successes of not only Fingers but also contemporaries such as Sparky Lyle
and Goose Gossage
, it has been widely accepted that an excellent pitcher might actually provide a greater benefit to his team as a closer than as a third or fourth starter. (Gossage, for example, was moved to the starting rotation after a first few seasons in relief—and he got clobbered despite pitching 17 complete games and was then moved back to the bullpen to stay.) As a result, later teams have been more willing to move successful starters—notably Dennis Eckersley
, Dave Righetti
, and John Smoltz
—to the permanent role of closer, with no plans to bring them back to the rotation (although Smoltz bucked that trend by successfully returning to the rotation in 2005
). In 2006, Bruce Sutter
became the first pitcher in baseball history elected to the Hall of Fame who never started a game in his major league career.
which he originally grew to get a $300 bonus from Athletics owner Charles O. Finley
.
On the first day of spring training
for the 1972 season, Reggie Jackson
showed up with a beard. In protest, Fingers and a few other players started going without shaving to force Jackson to shave off his beard, in the belief that management would also want Jackson to shave. Instead, Finley, ever the showman who would do anything to sell tickets, then offered prize-money to the player who could best grow and maintain their facial hair until Opening Day
(April 15 versus Minnesota). Fingers went all out for the monetary incentive offered by Finley and patterned his moustache after the images of the players of the late 19th century. Taking it even further, Finley came up with "Moustache Day" at the ballpark, where any fan with a moustache could get in free.
Catfish Hunter
and Ken Holtzman
also went for the bonus, but Fingers with his Snidely Whiplash
took the prize. He would say later: "Most of us would have grown one anywhere on our bodies for $300". The players would become known as the "Moustache Gang".
Although most former A's players shaved their handlebar moustaches off after the team traded most of their players in 1975–76, Fingers maintained his after signing with the San Diego Padres
as a free agent in 1977, and still has the moustache today.
At the end of his career, after being released by the Milwaukee Brewers
the previous season, he was offered a contract by Pete Rose
to play for the Cincinnati Reds
for , but owner Marge Schott
had a "clean cut" policy for her players (mandating that all players must be clean shaven). Fingers's reply to Reds general manager
Bill Bergesch
was: "Well, you tell Marge Schott to shave her Saint Bernard, and I'll shave my moustache".
MVP and Cy Young Award
in 1981 while with Milwaukee. In 1974 he was given the World Series MVP Award
while with Oakland, earning two saves and one win. Rollie Fingers was on the Oakland A's team that accomplished the first modern-day "three-peat," winning the World Series in '72, '73 and '74. Fingers won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award
in 1977, 1978, and 1980 with the Padres and in 1981 with the Brewers. He saved 29 games for the 1982 Brewers, but he pitched most of the season in pain and was forced to miss the Brewers' first (and to date, only) trip to the World Series—where they were beaten in seven games by the Cardinals—and any prospect of a showdown or two with Bruce Sutter, who proved vital to the Cardinals' winning effort.
In 1992 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, joining Wilhelm to become only the second reliever inducted (Eckersley, Sutter, and Gossage have since followed). In 1999, he ranked Number 96 on The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball
All-Century Team. Fingers later pitched a season in the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball League.
Fingers is one of only eight players who have had their numbers retired from more than one team.
In 2000, Fingers was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions
into the honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.
reported on January 2, 2007 that Fingers owed the State of Wisconsin (in 2007) more than $1.4 million in income taxes dating back to his time with the Brewers (including $1.1 million in interest) and was at the time the seventh biggest tax delinquent in the state. Fingers disputed the claim, saying he was shocked when he learned of it in 2005 and that taxes were properly withheld from his Brewers paychecks.
On August 15, 2007, the Associated Press reported that Fingers' name had been removed from Wisconsin's delinquent tax list the previous month. "That's all been taken care of," he told the AP. "I've had more people try to tell me, 'You know, you owe 1.4 million dollars.' I said, 'No, I don't.' We got all that squared away. I had to go all the way back to 1981 on my income taxes. That's all been taken care of, and I did pay my taxes back then, so there's no problem. The revenue department
's happy with me right now, so it's all been resolved."
The work is a non-fiction baseball book that combines elements of humor, anecdotal storytelling, odd lists and historical trivia.
The first book inspired a sequel, released March 16, 2010 by Fingers and Ritter:
Family Feud
. After the opening theme, to honor Fingers, host Richard Dawson led the crowd in a chorus of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game
". Fingers also appeared in a commercial for Pepsi Max
, playing himself in a spoof on the movie Field of Dreams
.
Radio Show on WMVP
AM1000 in Chicago
. The idea and segment were created & performed by Jeffery C. Johnson and Jim Toth. A "Rollie TV" skit had originally aired in 1993 on Toth & Johnson's Chicago cable TV show "Color TV" and was then adapted in to segments for radio.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
(1968–76), San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
(1977–80) and Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1981–85). He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. Fingers is also one of only a few MLB players to have his number retired by more than one club (Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers).
Early life and minor league career
Fingers was born in Steubenville, OhioSteubenville, Ohio
Steubenville is a city located along the Ohio River in Jefferson County, Ohio on the Ohio-West Virginia border in the United States. It is the political county seat of Jefferson County. It is also a principal city of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area...
to George Michael Fingers and Edna Pearl (née Stafford) Fingers.
His father (who had also played minor league baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and roomed with Stan Musial
Stan Musial
Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
), worked in a Steubenville steel mill. George Fingers came home from work fed-up one day, said "That's it, we're moving to California," and sold the house for $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1500 and bought a car and took the family to Cucamonga
Cucamonga, California
Cucamonga is the southern district of Rancho Cucamonga, California.-Education:School districts in Cucamonga include Cucamonga School District and Central School District.Some schools in the CSD also serve Ontario, California.-Elementary:...
. They couldn't afford hotels so they slept in sleeping bags beside the highway. After getting to California George Fingers had to eventually go back to work in another steel mill.
Fingers attended Upland High School
Upland High School
Upland High School is a public four-year secondary school located in the city of Upland, California. The school was established in 1955 as part of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District, and since 1991 it has been a member of the Upland Unified School District.-History:Just prior to the City...
in the city of Upland, California
Upland, California
Upland is a city in San Bernardino County, California, located at an elevation of 1,242 feet . As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 73,732, up from 68,393 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated on May 15, 1906, after previously being named North Ontario.-History and culture:Upland...
, and then one semester at Chaffey Junior College
Chaffey College
Chaffey College is a public community college in the San Bernardino County city of Rancho Cucamonga, California, in the northern part of the community of Alta Loma. Chaffey provides students with different classes and programs, including business, science, the arts, history, philosophy,...
.
The Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
offered Fingers a signing bonus of $20,000, but because they had a solid pitching staff, that included Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
and Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
, were already winning pennants, and their farm system appeared to be full of talented players, he felt he would not make it the major leagues for years. He turned them down and signed for less money, $13,000 signing bonus, with the Kansas City Athletics, on Christmas Eve 1964. At first the A's didn't know whether to make him a pitcher or outfielder, but after deciding on pitcher, he was sent to Leesburg, Florida (Florida Southern League) for the 1965 season, then Modesto, California (California Athletic League) in 1966, and finally to Birmingham, Alabama (Southern League) for two seasons, 1967 and 1968.
Just nine days after he got married to his high school sweetheart and the Upland High School team statistician (Jill), on minor league opening day 1967 in Birmingham, Alabama (with the Birmingham A's), a ball hit Fingers in the face, breaking his cheekbone, jaw, and knocking out some teeth. His jaw was wired shut for five weeks and when he returned he jumped every time the ball was hit; it took him about half the remaining season to get used to being on the mound again.
Fingers and modern relief pitching
Fingers was a starter throughout his minor league career. He had started 19 games in 1970. But a May 15, 1971 start against the Royals in Kansas City would be his last in regular rotation (he gave up one run on four hits in five full innings; final score Royals 5 - A's 4). He came in on May 21, 1971 in the first inning, after Blue Moon OdomBlue Moon Odom
Johnny Lee Odom was a Major League Baseball pitcher who won three consecutive World Series championships with the Oakland Athletics in , and .-Early years:...
gave up three runs and three walks facing eight batters, against the Minnesota Twins in Oakland, and pitch 5-1/3 allowing three hits and two runs (Twins 10 - Oakland 1). After that his earliest entrance to a game was in the sixth inning, and only three times. Mainly he came in the seventh, eighth, or ninth (he came in once in the eleventh and once in the twelfth).
By the end of May 1971 his manager with the Athletics, Dick Williams
Dick Williams
Richard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National...
, had made up his mind that Fingers would be the late inning closer. The following season, 1972, Fingers entered the game in the fifth four times, otherwise it was the sixth or later. He did start two games in 1973 (April 21 versus the California Angels at Oakland and May 7 against the Orioles at Baltimore; His May 7, 1973 start was the last of his career), other than that he came in to the game no earlier than the sixth on three more occasions. After that he rarely entered a game before the seventh inning for the rest of his career.
When Fingers reached the major leagues, the role of relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
s was limited, as starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
s rarely left games while holding a lead; but as team offense increased following the 1968 season, and especially with the American League's
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
introduction of the designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
in 1973, managers became more willing to replace starters in the late innings with a lead in order to forestall any late rallies by opponents. Through the 1960s, both leagues' annual saves
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
leaders tended toward totals of 20–25 saves; few pitchers remained in the role more than two or three years, with significant exceptions such as Roy Face
Roy Face
Elroy Leon Face is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953–1969, pitching primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates...
and knuckleball
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
er Hoyt Wilhelm
Hoyt Wilhelm
James Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985....
. But in the 1970s, in an era allowing for greater opportunities for closers
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
than had previously been available, Fingers' excellence in relief allowed him to gradually increase his annual saves totals past 30. In 1980 he broke Wilhelm's record of 227 saves, and eventually finished with 341, a record that stood until Jeff Reardon
Jeff Reardon
Jeffrey James Reardon , nicknamed "The Terminator" for his intimidating presence on the mound and 98 mph fastball, is a former professional baseball relief pitcher from 1979-1994 who played for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati...
passed it in 1992.
Fingers is regarded as a pioneer of modern relief pitching, essentially defining the role of the closer for years to come. As had generally been true in baseball through the 1960s, Fingers was originally moved to the bullpen—and eventually to his role as a closer—due to struggles with starting. Before Fingers' time, a former starter's renewed success in the bullpen would have led back to a spot in the starting rotation; but since the successes of not only Fingers but also contemporaries such as Sparky Lyle
Sparky Lyle
Albert Walter "Sparky" Lyle is an American former left-handed relief pitcher who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball . He was a closer from 1969 to 1977, first for the Boston Red Sox and then the New York Yankees. A three-time All-Star, he won the American League Cy Young Award in 1977...
and Goose Gossage
Goose Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1994 for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The nickname "Goose" is a play on his surname...
, it has been widely accepted that an excellent pitcher might actually provide a greater benefit to his team as a closer than as a third or fourth starter. (Gossage, for example, was moved to the starting rotation after a first few seasons in relief—and he got clobbered despite pitching 17 complete games and was then moved back to the bullpen to stay.) As a result, later teams have been more willing to move successful starters—notably Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley , nicknamed "Eck", is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Eckersley had success as a starter, but gained his greatest fame as a closer, becoming the first of only two pitchers in Major League history to have both a 20-win season and a 50-save season in a career .He...
, Dave Righetti
Dave Righetti
David Allan Righetti is a former left-handed pitcher for various Major League Baseball teams, primarily the New York Yankees. He is currently the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants and was the first player in history to both pitch a no-hitter and also lead the league in saves in his career...
, and John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
—to the permanent role of closer, with no plans to bring them back to the rotation (although Smoltz bucked that trend by successfully returning to the rotation in 2005
2005 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the 2005 World Series.*2005 also marked the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals, who relocated from Montreal and were formerly known as the Expos....
). In 2006, Bruce Sutter
Bruce Sutter
Howard Bruce Sutter is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He was arguably the first pitcher to make effective use of the splitter....
became the first pitcher in baseball history elected to the Hall of Fame who never started a game in his major league career.
Moustache
In addition to his pitching ability, he was noted for his waxed handlebar moustacheHandlebar moustache
A handlebar moustache is a moustache with particularly lengthy, upward curved, extremities. It is named for its resemblance to the handlebars of a bicycle. It is also known as a "spaghetti moustache", because of its stereotypical association with Italian men...
which he originally grew to get a $300 bonus from Athletics owner Charles O. Finley
Charles O. Finley
Charles Oscar Finley , nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American businessman who is best remembered for his tenure as the owner of the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas City, moving it to Oakland in 1968...
.
On the first day of spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
for the 1972 season, Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
showed up with a beard. In protest, Fingers and a few other players started going without shaving to force Jackson to shave off his beard, in the belief that management would also want Jackson to shave. Instead, Finley, ever the showman who would do anything to sell tickets, then offered prize-money to the player who could best grow and maintain their facial hair until Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
(April 15 versus Minnesota). Fingers went all out for the monetary incentive offered by Finley and patterned his moustache after the images of the players of the late 19th century. Taking it even further, Finley came up with "Moustache Day" at the ballpark, where any fan with a moustache could get in free.
Catfish Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
and Ken Holtzman
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
also went for the bonus, but Fingers with his Snidely Whiplash
Snidely Whiplash
Snidely Whiplash is the cartoon arch-villain to Dudley Do-Right in the tongue-in-cheek Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties segments of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show by American animation pioneer Jay Ward....
took the prize. He would say later: "Most of us would have grown one anywhere on our bodies for $300". The players would become known as the "Moustache Gang".
Although most former A's players shaved their handlebar moustaches off after the team traded most of their players in 1975–76, Fingers maintained his after signing with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
as a free agent in 1977, and still has the moustache today.
At the end of his career, after being released by the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
the previous season, he was offered a contract by Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
to play for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for , but owner Marge Schott
Marge Schott
Margaret Unnewehr Schott was the managing general partner, president and CEO of the National League's Cincinnati Reds franchise from 1984 to 1999...
had a "clean cut" policy for her players (mandating that all players must be clean shaven). Fingers's reply to Reds general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
Bill Bergesch
Bill Bergesch
Louis William Bergesch was an American Major League Baseball executive. He is a former front office executive for several teams. He began with the Omaha Cardinals farm team in the 1950s. He was then Assistant GM of the Kansas City Athletics in 1961 and organized the New York Mets farm system in...
was: "Well, you tell Marge Schott to shave her Saint Bernard, and I'll shave my moustache".
Awards
Fingers won both the American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
MVP and Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
in 1981 while with Milwaukee. In 1974 he was given the World Series MVP Award
World Series MVP Award
The World Series Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the Major League Baseball postseason...
while with Oakland, earning two saves and one win. Rollie Fingers was on the Oakland A's team that accomplished the first modern-day "three-peat," winning the World Series in '72, '73 and '74. Fingers won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award
Rolaids Relief Man Award
The Rolaids Relief Man Award is an annual Major League Baseball award given since the 1976 MLB season to the top relief pitchers of the regular season, one in the American League and one in the National League . Relief pitchers are the pitchers who enter the game after the starting pitcher is...
in 1977, 1978, and 1980 with the Padres and in 1981 with the Brewers. He saved 29 games for the 1982 Brewers, but he pitched most of the season in pain and was forced to miss the Brewers' first (and to date, only) trip to the World Series—where they were beaten in seven games by the Cardinals—and any prospect of a showdown or two with Bruce Sutter, who proved vital to the Cardinals' winning effort.
In 1992 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, joining Wilhelm to become only the second reliever inducted (Eckersley, Sutter, and Gossage have since followed). In 1999, he ranked Number 96 on The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
All-Century Team. Fingers later pitched a season in the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball League.
Fingers is one of only eight players who have had their numbers retired from more than one team.
In 2000, Fingers was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions
San Diego Hall of Champions
The San Diego Hall of Champions is an American multi-sport museum in San Diego, California. Located in the Federal Building in Balboa Park, the facility recognizes outstanding athletic accomplishments and traditions involving more than forty-two sports...
into the honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.
Income tax controversy
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
reported on January 2, 2007 that Fingers owed the State of Wisconsin (in 2007) more than $1.4 million in income taxes dating back to his time with the Brewers (including $1.1 million in interest) and was at the time the seventh biggest tax delinquent in the state. Fingers disputed the claim, saying he was shocked when he learned of it in 2005 and that taxes were properly withheld from his Brewers paychecks.
On August 15, 2007, the Associated Press reported that Fingers' name had been removed from Wisconsin's delinquent tax list the previous month. "That's all been taken care of," he told the AP. "I've had more people try to tell me, 'You know, you owe 1.4 million dollars.' I said, 'No, I don't.' We got all that squared away. I had to go all the way back to 1981 on my income taxes. That's all been taken care of, and I did pay my taxes back then, so there's no problem. The revenue department
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
The Department of Revenue is a department of the Wisconsin state government responsible for the collection of taxes as well as valuing property and the wholesale distribution of alcoholic beverages and enforcement of liquor laws....
's happy with me right now, so it's all been resolved."
In media
Books
On April 1, 2009 Rollie Fingers and co-author Christopher "Yellowstone" Ritter released:- Rollie's FolliesRollie's FolliesRollie's Follies: Hall of Fame Revue of Baseball Lists and Lore, Stories And Stats was first published in 2009 by Clerisy Press. Baseball Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers enlists backstage humorist Yellowstone Ritter to develop an inventive look at baseball...
: A Hall of Fame Revue of Baseball Lists and Lore, Stats and Stories
- - Cincinnati, Ohio: Clerisy Press. - ISBN 978-1-57860-335-0.
The work is a non-fiction baseball book that combines elements of humor, anecdotal storytelling, odd lists and historical trivia.
The first book inspired a sequel, released March 16, 2010 by Fingers and Ritter:
- The Rollie Fingers Baseball Bible: Lists and Lore, Stories and Stats
- - Cincinnati, Ohio: Clerisy Press. - ISBN 978-1-57860-342-8.
Television appearances
Rollie Fingers and 4 other members of his family appeared on a 1983 episode of the game showGame show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
. After the opening theme, to honor Fingers, host Richard Dawson led the crowd in a chorus of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song. The song is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch of...
". Fingers also appeared in a commercial for Pepsi Max
Pepsi Max
Pepsi Max is a low-calorie, sugar-free cola, marketed by PepsiCo as an alternative to Pepsi and Diet Pepsi.It differs from Pepsi in that it contains aspartame, potassium benzoate, acesulfame potassium, calcium disodium EDTA and panax ginseng extract while it does not contain high fructose corn...
, playing himself in a spoof on the movie Field of Dreams
Field of Dreams
Field of Dreams is a 1989 American fantasy-drama film directed by Phil Alden Robinson and is from the novel Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella...
.
Radio
In 1994/1995 a comedy segment entitled "Rollie TV", concerning a fictitious cable television channel devoted solely to the life of Rollie Fingers and helmed by a Rollie Fingers obsessed host named Greg Shuttlecock, aired once a week on The Steve DahlSteve Dahl
Steven Robert Dahl has been an American radio personality and humorist for more than thirty years. He is currently podcasting, and releases the podcasts for download daily from his own website as well as the iTunes store...
Radio Show on WMVP
WMVP
WMVP is the callsign of a commercial radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is owned by ABC. Its transmitter is located in Downers Grove. The station broadcasts live sports talk, both locally and nationally. Daily programming consists of talk shows that are both national and local...
AM1000 in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The idea and segment were created & performed by Jeffery C. Johnson and Jim Toth. A "Rollie TV" skit had originally aired in 1993 on Toth & Johnson's Chicago cable TV show "Color TV" and was then adapted in to segments for radio.
See also
- Bay Area Sports Hall of FameBay Area Sports Hall of FameThe Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame honors sports figures who have made a significant impact in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organization is a section 501 non-profit, that was created by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce in 1979.-Inductees:...
- List of Major League Baseball saves champions
- List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- Games finishedGames finishedIn baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...
External links
- Rollie Fingers Official Website
- Rollie's Baseball Follies
Accomplishments