Oakland Athletics Top Ten Pitchers in Franchise History
#9:RHP Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers was a stellar reliever for the 1970s championship teams. He was a seven-time All-Star and three-time World Series winner, and he played an integral role in the A’s success at the time.
He finished his career with an ERA of 2.90 and 1,200 strikeouts, to go with 341 saves. After nine seasons with the A’s, Fingers pitched for the Padres for four years before spending the final four years of his career in Milwaukee.
Rollie Fingers was the AL MVP in 1981, when he saved 28 games for the Brewers and also nabbed the AL Cy Young Award after posting a 1.04 ERA in 78 innings. He only struck out 61 batters during that time, but he was virtually unhittable – giving up just 55 hits and 13 walks all year.
Fingers is one of only a few players to have his numbers retired by multiple teams: both the Brewers and the Athletics have retired his number 34, demonstrating just how much he contributed to both franchises. He led the league in saves three times in his career, and was named Relief Man of the Year four times.
In 1992, Fingers was inducted into the Hall of Fame after being selected on his second ballot.
Next: Top Ten Pitchers: #8