Books and articles about Dennis Eckersley

After an early career as a brash young flamethrower and a seven-year spell as a mediocre starter, The Eck was reborn in Oakland as a dominating bullpen stopper. In the process, he became the only player in major league history to record 100 complete games and 200 saves.

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Eckersley broke into the majors with the Cleveland Indians in 1975 as a somewhat brash young pitcher with longish hair and 90+ mile-per-hour fastball. It was a promising, if not wholly satisfying campaign. Maintaining a 2.60 ERA with a 13-7 won-loss record, Eck was named AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year. Over the next two seasons the offbeat wiseguy averaged 14 wins and 196 strikeouts.

On May 30, 1977 he pitched a devastating 12-strikeout no-hitter against the California Angels. True to form, Eckersley traded barbs with opposing hurler Frank Tanana throughout the game, and when the Angels' Gil Flores came to bat with two outs in the ninth, Eckersley continued to rant. "I was ready, but Gil kept on stepping out of the [batter's box]," Eckersley later told the Contra Costa Times. "I pointed at him, 'Get in there. They're not here to take your picture. You're the last out. Get in there.' I was pretty cocky back then."

In 1978 Eckersley was traded to Boston in a deal that brought Bo Diaz and Rick Wise to Cleveland. In his first year with the Red Sox, he enjoyed his best season as a starter with a 20-8 record and a 2.99 ERA. Eckersley was particularly stunning down the stretch, winning his last four starts with complete games, including a crucial three-hitter vs. New York in late September, as the Red Sox attempted to stave off the Yankees’ challenge for the AL East crown. Despite Eckersley's best efforts, the teams ended the regular season in a tie, and the Yankees went on to win the division in an intense one-game playoff at Fenway Park.

Though Eckersley won 17 games the following year, the Red Sox did not threaten in the East again and Eckersley's numbers began to sag. After four mediocre seasons in Boston (including a poor 9-13, 5.61 ERA tour in '83), Eckersley was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Bill Buckner early in the 1984 season. Being traded from one seemingly cursed loser (the Red Sox haven't won a World Series since 1918) to another (the Cubs' last trophy is circa 1908) seemed to invigorate Eckersley. His ERA improved dramatically from 5.01 to 3.03, helping the Cubs make the playoffs for the first time since 1945. Eckersley started Game Three of the 1984 NLCS with the Cubs needing only one victory in three games to reach the World Series. He faltered early and gave up five runs in 5.1 innings as Chicago went on to lose Game Three, and eventually the series, to the San Diego Padres.

The following two seasons saw Eckersley's fastball lose velocity and his personal life take a nosedive as he struggled with alcohol abuse. Ironically, the Red Sox reached the World Series in 1986, in large part due to the pitching services of Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd. As teammates in Boston, Eckersley (whom some beat writers had referred to as "Disco Denny" during his drinking years) had given Boyd the cryptic nickname because of Boyd's penchant for beer.

In 1987 Eckersley was traded to Oakland, where A’s manager Tony LaRussa planned to use him as a set-up man/long reliever. Yet after an injury to Jay Howell, Eckersley got the closer’s job. His performance surprised everyone. After the All-Star break, Eckersley recorded 13 saves and struck out 51 batters -- with just five walks -- in just 43.2 innings pitched. Abandoning his wild, fireballing style, pinpoint control became the signature of the new Eck.

The following year was a renaissance for the entire A's ballclub. Sluggers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire fueled a devastating offense, but it was Eckersley's cool and efficient confidence which defined the team. His shaggy long hair and trimmed mustache, combined with his 45 saves (one short of the ML record) and 70 strikeouts evoked memories of the flamboyant arrogance of Oakland's three-time world champions of the early seventies. Unfortunately, the team that lived by Eck, died by Eck. After Eckersley gave up a ninth-inning, pinch-hit two-run homer to Kirk Gibson to end Game One of the 1988 World Series, the A's collapsed to the seemingly out-manned Dodgers, losing the series in five games.

Nevertheless, Eckersley dominated the American League for the next five years. In 1989 he saved 33 games with a 1.56 ERA, giving up only three walks against 55 strikeouts. He also won his first World Series, recording the final out of the A's four-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants. Energized by the championship, Eckersley followed with his best season to date. In 73.1 innings pitched, Eckersley allowed exactly five earned runs (a 0.61 ERA) en route to saving 48 games. Perhaps more phenomenally, he managed to strike out 73 batters while walking only four.

Even that performance paled in comparison to Eckersley’s 1992 campaign. Eck started off the season with a major-league record 36 consecutive saves. By the end of the year, he had tallied 51. Even more impressive, he only walked 11 batters -- six intentionally -- while striking out 93. With his last save of the season, Eckersley broke Dan Quisenberry’s AL record of 239.

Eckersley never regained the magic he captured in ’92. In each of his next three seasons he failed to bring his ERA below four and after a disappointing 1995 season was traded to the Cardinals for Steve Montgomery. In St. Louis, he was reunited with ex-Oakland manager La Russa. Despite nagging injuries and a 42-year-old body, Eckersley returned to his old form, saving 30 games and walking only six batters in 60 innings pitched. During the Cardinals’ post-season run, Eckersley recorded four saves without allowing a run and did not appear in a Cardinals loss.

After another 30+ save year for St. Louis in 1997, Eck signed with the Boston Red Sox. He failed to beat out Tom Gordon for the closer’s job in spring training and spent a large part of the first half on the DL. After recording just one save in fifty innings of work Eckersley finally called it quits. (DM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 25, 1975: Cleveland's Dennis Eckersley, in his first ML start, hurls a 3-hit shutout in beating Oakland 6–0. » May 24, 1976: Dennis Eckersley and Stan Thomas combine on a one-hitter as Cleveland stops the Orioles, 4–0. » May 30, 1977: Twenty-two-year-old Dennis Eckersley (5–3) fires a no-hitter as the Indians top the Angels, 1–0. Eck walks one and strikes out 12. Frank Tanana (8–2) with three shutouts in his last four games, takes the loss. The only run comes in the 1st inning when Duane Kuiper lines a ball to CF Gil Flores that skips under his glove for a triple. Jim Norris ten squeezes Kuiper home. » March 30, 1978: The Red Sox trade C Bo Diaz, 3B Ted Cox, and pitchers Rick Wise and Mike Paxton to the Indians for C Fred Kendall and P Dennis Eckersley. Eckersley will win 20 for Boston this year. » April 14, 1978: In the Red Sox home opener, starter Dennis Eckersley pitches into the 10th inning before giving way to Dick Drago, Jim Rice's 395 foot single scores Butch Hobson with the winner in the bottom of the 10th, and Boston wins 5–4. » July 3, 1978: At Fenway, Carl Yastrzemski strokes a run-scoring double in the 3rd, his 2,800th career hit, as the Sox pummel the Yankees, 9–5. Yaz adds two singles in Boston's 12-hit attack, as Dennis Eckersley (9-2) tops Ed Figueroa. The win moves Boston ahead of 2nd place Milwaukee by seven 1/2 games with New York now trailing by eight games. » July 31, 1978: After scoring just five runs in their last six games, the Red Sox break out with a 9–2 win over the visiting White Sox. It is just the 3rd win for Boston in its last 13 games. Dennis Eckersley (12-4) earns the win, scattering six hits, while Rick Burleson has three hits including a bases loaded double. » August 25, 1978: Dennis Eckersley (15–5) shuts out the Angels, 6–0, on four hits to run his Fenway record to 8–0. Jim Rice belts his 32nd homer, off former teammate Don Aase, one of three hits he garners. » September 9, 1978: Ron Guidry (21–2) gives up two singles in the 1st inning and that's it. New York sends 12 runners to the plate and scores seven runs in the 4th inning to win 7–0 against Dennis Eckersley and cut the Boston lead to a single game. For Guidry, it is his 7th shutout of the year, and the first lefty shutout in Fenway since 1974 (Ken Holtzman, August 5th). With the Brewers' victory over the Twins, Milwaukee trails by just four 1/2 games. » September 17, 1978: Boston finally wins against the Yankees, taking a 7–3 victory in Yankee Stadium as Dennis Eckersley and Andy Hassler combine to stop the Yankees on four hits. The Yanks score two unearned runs in 8th on Butch Hobson's 2nd error of the game (and his 42nd of the year). Carl Yastrzemski, playing CF in place of the inured Fred Lynn, collects his 14th homer of the year in the 9th inning. » September 26, 1978: In a duel of aces, Dennis Eckersley tops Dave Rozema, scattering seven Tiger hits to win, 4–1. Eck's record at Fenway is now 10–1. The Sox have 14 hits, led by Jim Rice's 44th homer of the year. The Yankees top the Blue Jays, 4–1, to keep a one-game lead over Boston. » September 30, 1978: At Fenway, Dennis Eckersley notches his 20th win of the year as the Red Sox defeat the Blue Jays, 5–1. Eck allows just four hits, including Roy Howell's 8th homer, in completing his 16th start. » July 1, 1979: New York hits five homers off Red Sox starter Dennis Eckersley to win, 6–5. Boston also loses speedster Jerry Remy, batting .304 on the season, when he injures a knee sliding home. Remy will appear in only seven more games all year. Remy will never swipe more than 16 bases, after averaging 35 steals his first four seasons. » July 28, 1979: At Texas, the Boston Red Sox pull off a first-inning triple play—9-4-3—against the Rangers. It's Boston's 3rd TP of the year (July 23 and May 10) tying a major-league record and it's needed as the Sox win, 1–0. Dennis Eckersley beats Fergie Jenkins. » April 10, 1980: In front of a crowd of 53,313, Sixto Lezcano hits two homers — a 2-run shot in the 4th off Dennis Eckersley — and a grand slam with two outs in the 9th inning, to give Milwaukee a 9–5 win over Boston and Dick Drago. Lezcano also opened the 1978 season with a grand slam, the only player to do it twice in Openers. The game features seven homers, including Carl Yastrzemski and Butch Hobson going deep in the 9th off Jim Slaton. » May 25, 1984: The Red Sox trade P Dennis Eckersley and minor leaguer Mike Brumley to the Cubs for veteran Bill Buckner, who had been benched in Chicago in favor of Leon Durham. Buckner will immediately become Boston's starting 1B. » May 21, 1985: Brian Dayett's pinch grand slam in the 6th off Tom Browning lifts the Cubs to a 7–4 win over the Reds. It is Dayett's only round tripper of the year and makes a winner of Dennis Eckersley. » April 3, 1987: The Cubs trade veteran pitcher Dennis Eckersley (6-11) and minor leaguer Dan Rohn to the A's for three minor leaguers. Eckersley made his only relief appearance of the year on June 24th, and his first out of the bullpen after 301 starts. For the A's, Eckersley will perform brilliantly as a full-time reliever. » September 3, 1988: Dennis Eckersley sets an A's record with his 37th save of the season in Oakland's 5–4 win over New York. Eckersley will save 45 games this season, one shy of Dave Righetti's ML record. » October 9, 1988: Oakland beats Boston 4–1 to complete a 4-game sweep of the ALCS. Dennis Eckersley saves all four games and is named series MVP. » October 15, 1988: In one of the most improbable finishes in World Series history, pinch hitter Kirk Gibson hits a 2-run home run off Dennis Eckersley with two out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Dodgers a 5–4 win in game one. The injured Gibson was not expected to play in the NLCS, and will not play again in the Series. It is the first World Series game to end on a home run since game six in 1975. » August 31, 1990: Dennis Eckersley saves his 40th game of the season in Oakland's 4–2 win over Texas to join Dan Quisenberry and Jeff Reardon as the only pitchers to save 40 games twice. » May 22, 1991: Oakland reliever Dennis Eckersley picks off Toronto pinch runner Kenny Williams in the 9th of a 2–1 A's victory. Eck's last pickoff occurred four years ago when, on June 29, 1987, he picked off a White Sox runner. Kenny Williams! » September 3, 1991: Milwaukee's Jim Gantner has a double and hits his 1st homer since 1987, a streak of 1762 at bats without a dinger. In two days he'll hit another. With two outs in the 9th, Robin Yount bangs a 3-run home run off Oakland's Dennis Eckersley for a 5–3 win. » September 28, 1991: The 10th inning proves deadly for pitchers: Detroit's Lou Whitaker hits a 3-run double off Greg Olson to give the Tigers a 5–4 win over the Orioles; Dean Palmer cracks a 3-run homer off Dennis Eckersley to give Texas a 6–3 victory over the Athletics. » September 21, 1992: Oakland P Dennis Eckersley becomes the 2nd pitcher in history to record 50 saves in a season as he preserves the Athletics' 6–5 win over Chicago. The White Sox' Bobby Thigpen had 57 saves in 1990. » September 16, 1993: Dave Winfield of the Twins singles for the 3,000th hit of his career, making him the 19th player to reach that mark. Dennis Eckersley serves up a single in the 9th as Minnesota tops the Athletics by a score of 5–4. » February 13, 1996: The Cardinals complete a long-rumored swap, acquiring Dennis Eckersley, 42, from the A's in exchange for minor leaguer Steve Montgomery. Eck replaces Tom Henke, who announced last month he was retiring. » April 12, 1996: Tom Urbanski pitches 5+ strong innings to win his 1st game of the year as the Cards top the Phils, 6–1. Dennis Eckersley, with his appearance in the 9th inning, ties Cy Young (8th place) with 906 appearances. The Cards offense is paced by Ray Lankford with two homers. » October 13, 1996: The Cardinals take a 3-games-to-1 lead over the Braves with a 4-3 victory. Brian Jordan homers for St. Louis and Dennis Eckersley gets the win in relief. » September 16, 1997: Mark McGwire hits his 52nd home run hours after signing a three-year contract with the Cards for $28.5 million. But Cardinals' closer Dennis Eckersley collapses in the 9th and the Dodgers come back to win, 7–6. McGwire's 517-foot first-inning blast, the longest ever measured at Busch Stadium, ties him for the ML lead with Ken Griffey Jr. » December 9, 1997: The Red Sox sign free agent P Dennis Eckersley. Eck pitched for Boston from 1978-84. » September 26, 1998: Dennis Eckersley gets a standing ovation from the Fenway crowd as he appears in his 1,071st game, breaking Hoyt Wilhelm's record for most appearances. It will be the Eck's final game, When the Red Sox refuse arbitration after the season, Eckersley retires on December 10. » December 10, 1998: In an emotional press conference, pitcher Dennis Eckersley of the Red Sox announces his retirement. » May 12, 2000: The Rangers defeat the Angels, 13-11, as P John Wetteland becomes the 12th reliever in history to reach 300 saves. Only Dennis Eckersley has reached the mark in fewer appearances (499) than Wetteland (553). » May 1, 2002: The Padres defeat the Cubs, 4–3, with Trevor Hoffman saving the game for Bobby Jones. It is Hoffman's 321st save for SD, a major-league record for most with one team. Oakland's Dennis Eckersley held the old mark. » September 14, 2002: P Derek Lowe wins his 20th game as the Red Sox beat the Orioles, 6–4. Lowe becomes the 1st pitcher in history to win 20 games the season after saving 20. He is also the 1st to record at least 40 saves and later win 20. Dennis Eckersley and John Smoltz did it the other way around.