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Copyright © 2002
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Charlie Hough
Born: 1948

RHP 1970-94 Dodgers, Rangers, White Sox, Marlins
  • All-Star in 1986

IPW-LERA
Career 3801.1216-2163.75
League CS 60-05.68
World Series 120-04.38

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Almost exclusively a reliever with the Dodgers, Charlie Hough became one of the greatest starting pitchers in Texas Rangers history. The knuckleballer led Texas in wins, complete games, and innings pitched each year from 1982 to 1987, winning a higher percentage of his club's victories than any other major league hurler those six years, and became the club's all-time leader in strikeouts, games pitched, wins, losses, innings pitched, and walks. In 1987 Charlie became the oldest pitcher in American League history to lead the league in starts and innings pitched, achieving career highs in wins, strikeouts, starts and innings at age 39. He also helped the Rangers set a major league record with 73 passed balls, contributing to 65 of them.

Originally signed as a third baseman, Hough learned the knuckler from Los Angeles scout Goldie Hold, with help from Hoyt Wilhelm, Jim Brewer, and Tom Lasorda. A middle-innings reliever with the Dodgers, Hough led the NL with 12 relief wins in 1976. He started just once from 1970 to 1978. (ME)


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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
» September 3, 1974: The Giants John Montefusco makes his ML debut, homers in his first official time at bat, off Charlie Hough, and pitches nine innings of relief to earn a 9–5 victory over the Dodgers.

» April 7, 1975: The Big Red Machine opens against the Dodgers in Cincinnati and goes 14 innings before George Foster's infield hit scores Cesar Geronimo with the winner, 2–1. Pat Darcy is the winner over Charlie Hough.

» July 11, 1980: The Dodgers sell knuckleballer Charlie Hough to the Rangers for an undisclosed sum.

» September 20, 1981: Twins rookie Gary Gaetti homers in his first ML at bat, off Charlie Hough (2–1) but Texas beats the Twins, 4–3.

» July 5, 1984: Down 4–1 with two outs in the 9th, the visiting Tigers score six runs to beat the Rangers, 7–4. Lou Whitaker's bases loaded single scores two, Alan Trammell's single scores another, and Kirk Gibson seals it with a three run shot down the RF line. Charlie Hough is the loser, while reliever Aurelio Lopez goes 7–0.

» July 22, 1984: At Detroit, Dave Bergman hits a lead off homer for the Tigers, and they score another on a wild pitch h to beat the Rangers, 2–0. Charlie Hough goes all the way for Texas, while Dan Petry (13–4) is lifted with one on, two out in the 9th. Hernandez retires Pete O'Brien for the win. Detroit (66–29) leads the East by nine games.

» April 8, 1985: At the opener in Baltimore, Texas starter Charlie Hough is lifted in the 6th despite giving up no hits. Hough walked 4 in a row -- 8 altogether -- and C Don Slaught had allowed another run to score on a passed ball. Hough's replacement Dave Rozema only allows 2 hits. Unfortunately, one of the hits is a 2-run HR in the 8th by Eddie Murray to snap a 2–2 tie. Don Aase is the winner.

» June 16, 1986: Rangers knuckleballer Charlie Hough pitches a one-hitter against the Angels but loses 2–1. With two outs to go for a no-hitter, George Wright drops Jack Howell's fly ball for an error. A single ties the score, and two passed balls by Orlando Mercado bring the 2nd runner around.

» July 4, 1988: Rangers P Charlie Hough strikes out four batters in the first inning of a 13–2 loss to the Yankees.

» June 24, 1989: Cleveland's Joe Carter hits three home runs in a game for the 3rd time in his career as the Indians beat Texas 7–3. Rangers Charlie Hough and Kenny Rogers combine to allow just six hits—all homers.

» August 15, 1989: Rangers Charlie Hough pitches his 2nd career one-hitter and gets his 2nd career one-hit loss, as he loses 2–0 to Seattle. Hough walks 5, balks, and throws a wild pitch, while the Rangers collect 13 hits but no runs, one hit shy of the major-league record while being shut out.

» May 28, 1990: At Texas, Roger Clemens (8-2) and the Red Sox beat Charlie Hough, 2–1. The Rocket and the Knuckler combine to toss over to first base 51 times. Only Hough is around to finish.

» August 17, 1990: In Chicago's 4–2 game two win over Texas, Carlton Fisk homers off Charlie Hough to become the White Sox' all-time home run leader (with 187) and the all-time leader in home runs by a catcher (328). Texas wins the opener in the bottom of the 13th inning when Gary Pettis hits a leadoff triple, and scores on Ruben Sierra's drive. Texas wastes a 10-inning effort from Nolan Ryan in which he strikes out 15. Hibbard goes eight frames for the Chisox.

» August 27, 1990: For Texas, Charlie Hough allows 10 walks in five innings before being lifted in the 6th. California can score just three runs off him but scores four off two relievers to win, 7–3.

» September 23, 1990: Gary Gaetti hits a grand slam off the Rangers Charlie Hough for his 200th career home run, as the Twins win 6–4. It comes nine years and four days after his first ML homer, also off of Hough.

» December 20, 1990: The Chicago White Sox sign veteran knuckler Charlie Hough, a free agent. Hough spent every year of the 70's with the Dodgers and every year of the 1980s with Texas.

» August 26, 1991: Bret Saberhagen of the Royals hurls a no-hitter against the White Sox, winning by a 7-0 count. He strikes out five while walking only 2. Charlie Hough takes the loss for Chicago, becoming the 7th pitcher in history to wind up on the losing side of more than one no-hitter. Saberhagen also becomes the 3rd pitcher in history to throw a no-hitter, win a Cy Young Award, and be named World Series MVP, joining Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson.

» September 6, 1991: The White Sox score 10 runs in the 4th inning of a game against the Royals, all with two outs. Chicago wins by a score of 11-2. Bo Jackson drives in three runs with his first two hits since returning from a serious hip injury. Slugger Frank Thomas receives a mauling, bruising his wrist in a 2nd inning collision with Terry Shumpert, then chipping two front teeth when his is hit in the mouth with a ball thrown by pitcher Charlie Hough. Hough gets a throwing error on the toss.

» December 8, 1992: The Marlins sign free agents Dave Magadan, Charlie Hough, and Geronimo Berroa.

» December 16, 1992: The Marlins sign free agent C Benito Santiago to a 2-year contract. Santiago, who went 272 games with the Padres without a passed ball, will have 11 this year trying to catch Charlie Hough.

» April 5, 1993: At Joe Robbie Stadium, the Florida Marlins make their National League debut with a 6-3 win over the Dodgers. Jeff Conine goes 4-for-4 while Charlie Hough gets the win.

» July 27, 1994: Florida P Charlie Hough is placed on the disabled list due to a degenerative hip condition, ending his 22-year major league career.