February 21

Rollie Fingers and the Mustache Gang February 19

February 21, 2025

February 21, 1986, Rollie Fingers passes up an opportunity to return to the majors. Fingers is invited to spring training by the Cincinnati Reds, who ask him to shave off his handlebar mustache to comply with team rules. Fingers refuse to do so and decides to retire.

Rollie Fingers was the quintessential reliever of his time, used when the situation demanded. He would often enter the game as early as the fifth inning, throwing as many as 120-130 innings in relief for a season. He was known for his handlebar mustache, which he first grew as a member of the Oakland A's "Mustache Gang" in response to owner Charlie Finley's cash incentive.

Facing the Cincinnati Reds on June 7, 1980, he recorded his 228th career save to break Hoyt Wilhelm's lifetime record. He would tally 341 over his career and hold the all-time mark for 11 years. ( Jeff Reardon would pass him in 1992, and it is currently held by Mariano Rivera.)

Rollie was a 7-time AS, WS MVP, AL MVP & Cy Young Award winner, and 4-time relief pitcher of the year. He is also a 3 Time World Champion, and in his team's 12 WS wins, he had a save or win in 8 of them in the close-out game; he pitched in all three, hurling 7 total innings and giving up one unearned run, and just four hits. He was elected into the HOF in 1992 his second year of eligibility. He is a member of the Milwaukee Brewers/Miller Park Walk of Fame and the Oakland A's Hall of Fame, with each team also retiring his #34. He is the only Hall of Fame pitcher with a losing record (114-118). He is considered one of the ten best relievers of all time and for being the most dominant reliever of his era.

With the A's, he pitched in 16 of the 19 World Series games from 1972-1974. His team played 44 post-season games, and Fingers pitched in 30 of those games. His Oakland A's were the only team other than the Yankees to ever win three consecutive World Series.

Fingers struck out Johnny Bench in the 1972 World Series after duping the Reds' slugger into thinking he was intentionally walking him. This trick had been used before in baseball history, but never in such a pivotal game. His Oakland A's are the only team other than the Yankees to win three consecutive World Series.

Strange Deals

Rollie Fingers was part of a few historic deals and non-deals during his career. On June 18, 1976, A's owner Charlie Finley announced he had swapped Fingers and Joe Rudi to the Boston Red Sox and had sold Vida Blue to the New York Yankees. However, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the deals, citing that they were "not in the best interest of baseball." At the same time, an enraged Finley sued MLB, the A's sat Fingers, Rudi, and Blue on the bench until the issue was resolved in Kuhn's favor in June.

Fingers was briefly a St. Louis Cardinal. On December 8, 1980, the San Diego Padres dealt their star reliever to St. Louis in an 11-player trade that brought Terry Kennedy to San Diego. Just four days later, Whitey Herzog, having already acquired Bruce Sutter to be his closer from the Chicago Cubs, sent Fingers packing again. The Cards' mastermind sent Fingers, Ted Simmons, and Pete Vuckovich to the Milwaukee Brewers for Lary Sorensen, Sixto Lezcano, and minor leaguers David Green and Dave LaPoint. In so doing, Herzog traded the next two winners of the AL Cy Young award to Milwaukee. But he got the last laugh, defeating Milwaukee in the 1982 World Series in seven games.

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Trivia:

Rollie Fingers saved 341 over his career, he was the all time leader when he retired passing Hoyt Wilhelm. Who passed Fingers?

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February 21, 1931 — The Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants become the first major league teams to meet in a night game. They collect 23 hits in a 10-inning exhibition game played at Buffs Stadium in Houston, TX.

February 21, 1951 --- The South Carolina House of Representatives introduces a resolution urging that Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was banished from baseball because of his part in the Black Sox Scandal of 1919, be reinstated.

February 21, 1969, Hall of Famer Ted Williams makes a return to baseball by signing a five-year contract to manage the Washington Senators. Williams will lead the Senators to their best record ever, a mark of 86-76, and is named American League Manager of the Year. Williams will manage for 4 of the 5 years and he ended with a 54 - 100 record in 1972. He will never manage again.

February 21, 1985, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner gives manager Yogi Berra the dreaded vote of confidence. Steinbrenner says that Berra will remain Yankee skipper for the entire season, regardless of how badly the team might struggle. Berra will last only 16 games before being fired.

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February 21, 1986, Rollie Fingers passes up an opportunity to return to the majors. Fingers is invited to spring training by the Cincinnati Reds, who ask him to shave off his handlebar mustache to comply with team rules. Fingers refuse to do so and decides to retire. The future Hall of Fame reliever, who leaves the game with 341 saves, had been offered a contract by Cincinnati’s skipper Pete Rose after being released by the Brewers at the end of last season

February 21, 1989 — Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose meets with Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and Commissioner-elect Bart Giamatti to explain the allegations concerning his gambling habits.Major League Baseball will launch a full investigation into the matter next month, which will lead to his permanent ban from the game in August. thus creating the single hottest debate among fans in baseball history should Pete Rose be in Cooperstown.

February 21, 2006 — Gene Elston is selected by the Hall of Fame to receive the Ford C. Frick Award. During his 47 years in the broadcast booth, the former Houston Astros announcer brought a no-nonsense approach to reporting the happenings on the diamond. Elston’s career with Houston spanned from 1961 to 1986. He joins Harry Kalas (1965-1970), Bob Prince (1976) and Milo Hamilton (1985-present) as Astro play-by-play men to receive the honor.

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Quote of the day:

That's all baseball is, is numbers; it's run by numbers, averages, percentage and odds. Managers make their decisions based on the numbers.

Rollie Fingers