Books and articles about Dave Righetti

The Yankees' all-time save leader, Righetti set the major league single-season mark of 46 in 1986. He began his career as a starter and threw a no-hitter against the Red Sox on a hot day at Yankee Stadium on the Fourth of July, 1983. Acquired from the Rangers as part of the Sparky Lyle trade after the 1978 season, Righetti appeared in three games in 1979. His next trip to the majors, 1981, resulted in the AL Rookie of the Year award, based on his 8-4 record and 2.06 ERA. Righetti was effective during the postseason, winning two games over Milwaukee in divisional play and once over Oakland in the LCS. He went 11-10 in 1982 and 14-8 in 1983, including the no-hitter, the Yankees' first since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series.

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Moved to the bullpen to replace Goose Gossage as the Yankees' closer, Righetti saved 31 games in 1984 and 29 in 1985 with 12 wins. Then came record-setting 1986, when he converted on 29 of his final 30 save opportunities, including both ends of a season-ending doubleheader against the Red Sox, to break the record of 45 held by Dan Quisenberry and Bruce Sutter. Righetti finished fourth in voting for the AL Cy Young Award that season. His save totals dropped to 31 in 1987 and 25 in 1988 and 1989, prompting increased speculation that he might be returning to the starting rotation. On the Yankee all-time lists, he ranks 2nd in games and 12th in strikeouts. (EG)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 16, 1978: Tulsa's Dave Righetti strikes out 21 Midland batters in nine innings to set a Texas League record. A Tulsa reliever loses the game 4–2 in extra innings. » November 10, 1978: In a major trade, the Yankees send former Cy Young Award winner Sparky Lyle, along with pitchers Larry McCall and Dave Rajsich, C Mike Heath and infielder Domingo Ramos to the Rangers. The Rangers pack up outfielders Juan Beniquez and Greg Jamison, and pitchers Dave Righetti, Mike Griffin and Paul Mirabella. Righetti, considered the top lefty prospect in the minors, will win Rookie of the Year honors in 1981. » May 22, 1981: With Rick Waits on the mound in the 6th, the Yankees Bucky Dent hits into a triple play. But the Yankees win, 3–2, with the margin a 2-run home run by Dave Winfield. The win goes to Dave Righetti (1-0). » October 8, 1981: Dave Righetti and Davis and Gossage in relief are too much for the Brewers as they are shut out 3–0. All the Yankee scoring comes on home runs by Reggie Jackson and Lou Piniella. » October 23, 1981: Despite an uncharacteristic poor performance (9 hits, seven walks) Fernando Valenzuela goes the distance in the Dodgers' 5–4 come-from-behind win. The deciding run scores on a double play. Starter Dave Righetti lasts just two innings, walking two and allowing five hits, but reliever George Frazier takes the loss. Ron Cey has a 3-run homer for LA. Starters Valenzuela and Righetti are the first two Rookies of the Year to oppose each other in the World Series since Willie Mays and Gil McDougald in 1951. » November 30, 1981: Yankees P Dave Righetti (8-4, 2.06 in 1981) wins the American League Rookie of the Year Award. » July 4, 1983: Dave Righetti pitches the Yankees' first no-hitter since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, handcuffing the Red Sox 4–0 before a holiday crowd of 41,077 at Yankee Stadium. It's the first no-hitter by a Yankee lefty since George Mogridge in 1917. » January 5, 1984: The Yankees sign veteran free agent Phil Niekro to a 2-year contract, giving the club six starting pitchers. Dave Righetti will move to the bullpen to ease the logjam and to fill the void that will be left by the departure of Rich Gossage, who says he will not re-sign with New York. » August 27, 1984: Dave Kingman hits a double and homer to help Oakland score seven runs in the 7th inning, but that's all the A's score in losing to the Yankees, 7–6. Bobby Meacham has two homers, including the game winner in the 8th, to back Dave Righetti's relief win. Bill Caudill loses. » April 8, 1986: The Royals are the first defending champions—besides the Yankees—in 61 years to open at Yankee Stadium, and they start the season on the wrong foot by losing, 4–2. New York scores all four runs off starter Bud Black, who gives up a three-run homer to Butch Wynegar in the 2nd. Hal McRae accounts for both KC runs with a two-run homer off starter Ron Guidry, one of two hits Guidry gives up in five innings. Guidry wins his first opener with relief help from Rod Scurry and Dave Righetti. » October 4, 1986: On the next-to-last day of the season, Dave Righetti saves both ends of the Yankees doubleheader sweep of the Red Sox to give him a ML-record 46 saves. Bruce Sutter and Dan Quisenberry had shared the record with 45. » April 3, 1987: At Tiger Stadium, Jack Morris makes his 8th straight start for Detroit and is booed by the 51,315 for his attempts to leave the Tigers over the winter. The Yankees and Tigers each score one run in nine innings before New York scores in the 10th to beat Morris, 2–1. Dave Righetti, in relief of Dennis Rasmussen, is the winner. » June 29, 1987: Eight homers are hit in Toronto as the Yankees outlast the Blue Jays, 15–14. Don Mattingly leads the power outage with a pair and Dave Righetti gets the win. » 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. » September 3, 1990: The White Sox Bobby Thigpen tops Dave Righetti's major-league record with his 47th save of the season in Chicago's 4–2 win over the Royals. Thigpen will finish the season with a superlative 57 saves. » September 11, 1990: New York beats Texas 5–4 to snap pitcher Bobby Witt's personal 12-game winning streak. The Yanks score two in both the 7th and 8th innings to come from behind. Dave Righetti saves his 31st. » December 4, 1990: Reliever Dave Righetti signs as a free agent with the Giants. San Francisco now has spent $33 million for free agents Righetti, Willie McGee, and Bud Black since the end of the season. » December 26, 1993: The Athletics sign free agent P Dave Righetti. » June 12, 1995: The Royals send Bob Hamelin, the 1994 American League Rookie of the Year, to the their Triple-A Omaha team. Hamelin, hitting .175 with two home runs, is the first top rookie to be demoted in his sophomore year since 1982 when the Yankees sent Dave Righetti down.