Rollie Fingers had quite possibly the most famous mustache in baseball. But fans didn’t come to the ballpark to see just that. They came to see him close out games with his sinking fastball night after night.
“When he came in, you took a deep sigh of relief,” said former teammate Sal Bando. “You knew the game was in control.”
The 1981 American League MVP and Cy Young Award winner spent 17 years in the big leagues with the Athletics, Padres and Brewers. He set the record for career saves – since broken – with 341. The handlebar mustache was first grown in 1972 because a promotion dreamed up by A’s owner Charlie O. Finley.
Finley offered any of the A's players a $300 bonus as part of the promotion, but the mustache soon became Fingers' trademark.
Born on Aug. 25, 1946 in Steubenville, Ohio, Fingers signed with the Kansas City Athletics in 1964. During nine seasons with the A’s, Fingers led the league in games pitched twice and finished in the top 10 in the league in saves seven times.
Fingers won three World Series titles while with Oakland from 1972-74 and was the MVP of the 1974 Series, earning a win and two saves in four games. Fingers won or saved eight of the A’s 12 World Series victories during their three-year run atop the baseball world.
After the 1976 season, Fingers signed as a free agent with San Diego – where he led the league in saves during his first two seasons, the second of which he posted 37 saves and tied the National League record.
“With Fingers, you know exactly what you’re going to get, just about every time out,” said Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson.
Fingers led the league in saves again in 1981, but this time it was in the American League after a trade to the Brewers. Fingers finished his career with 114 wins, a record 341 saves, 1,299 strikeouts, a 2.90 ERA and 1,701.1 innings pitched in 944 games.
“He’s the master,” said fellow relief pitcher Dan Quisenberry. “Look at his durability and longevity. He always knows how to make the right pitch.”
Fingers began his career as a starter, but found limited success once he reached the big leagues. He credits manager Dick Williams for moving him to the bullpen and turning him into a closer.
“Every organization realizes the importance of relief pitching now,” Fingers said. “Whether I had anything to do with that or not, I’ll leave that up to others to determine.”
Fingers got his answer when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.
