Dennis Eckersley Stats

Dennis Eckersley was born on Sunday, October 3, 1954, in Oakland, California. Eckersley was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 12, 1975, with the Cleveland Indians. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Dennis Eckersley baseball stats page.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"It's hard to walk away. It's been a major part of my life since I was 8 years old. To be honest with you, somebody had to make the decision for me because I wouldn't have done it. I would much rather have left like I've done today (December 10, 1998) than to leave in the middle of the season or getting booed out of the ballpark. I didn't want to taint my career." - Eckersley, Dennis. Associated Press Wire. Eckersley Decides to Retire. 11 December 1998.

Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Eckersley Autograph on a 1991 Donruss Baseball Card (#270)

Dennis Eckersley Autograph on a 1991 Donruss Baseball Card (#270)

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Birth Name:   Dennis Lee Eckersley (Twitter: @Eck43)
Nickname:   Eck
Born On:   10-03-1954  (Libra)
Place of Birth Data Born In:   Oakland, California
Year of Death Data Died On:   Still Living (1,000 Oldest Living)
Place of Death Data Died In:   Still Living
Cemetery:   n/a
High School:   Washington High School (Fremont, CA)
College:   None Attended
Batting Stances Chart Bats:   Right   Throwing Arms Chart Throws:   Right
Player Height Chart Height:   6-02   Player Weight Chart Weight:   190
First Game:   04-12-1975 (Age 20)
Last Game:   09-26-1998
Draft:   1972 : 3rd Round (50th)

Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Eckersley Pitching Stats

1975 21 Indians 34 24 5 13 7 .650 2.60 6 2 2 186.2 794 147 54 61 16 90 8 152 4 7 2 -
1976 22 Indians 36 30 3 13 12 .520 3.43 9 3 1 199.1 821 155 76 82 13 78 2 200 6 5 1 -
1977 23 Indians 33 33 0 14 13 .519 3.53 12 3 0 247.1 1,006 214 97 100 31 54 11 191 3 7 0 0
1978 24 Red Sox 35 35 0 20 8 .714 2.99 16 3 0 268.1 1,121 258 89 99 30 71 8 162 3 7 0 0
1979 25 Red Sox 33 33 0 17 10 .630 2.99 17 2 0 246.2 1,018 234 82 89 29 59 4 150 1 6 1 0
1980 26 Red Sox 30 30 0 12 14 .462 4.28 8 0 0 197.2 818 188 94 101 25 44 7 121 0 2 0 0
1981 27 Red Sox 23 23 0 9 8 .529 4.27 8 2 0 154.0 649 160 73 82 9 35 2 79 0 3 0 0
1982 28 Red Sox 33 33 0 13 13 .500 3.73 11 3 0 224.1 926 228 93 101 31 43 3 127 1 2 0 0
1983 29 Red Sox 28 28 0 9 13 .409 5.61 2 0 0 176.1 787 223 110 119 27 39 4 77 1 6 0 0
1984 30 Red Sox 9 9 0 4 4 .500 5.01 2 0 0 64.2 270 71 36 38 10 13 2 33 2 1 0 0
1984 30 Cubs 24 24 0 10 8 .556 3.03 2 0 0 160.1 662 152 54 59 11 36 7 81 1 4 2 0
1985 31 Cubs 25 25 0 11 7 .611 3.08 6 2 0 169.1 664 145 58 61 15 19 4 117 0 3 3 0
1986 32 Cubs 33 32 0 6 11 .353 4.57 1 0 0 201.0 862 226 102 109 21 43 3 137 2 3 5 -
1987 33 Athletics 54 2 33 6 8 .429 3.03 0 0 16 115.2 460 99 39 41 11 17 3 113 1 3 0 -
1988 34 Athletics 60 0 53 4 2 .667 2.35 0 0 45 72.2 279 52 19 20 5 11 2 70 0 1 2 -
1989 35 Athletics 51 0 46 4 0 1.000 1.56 0 0 33 57.2 206 32 10 10 5 3 0 55 0 1 0 -
1990 36 Athletics 63 0 61 4 2 .667 0.61 0 0 48 73.1 262 41 5 9 2 4 1 73 0 0 0 -
1991 37 Athletics 67 0 59 5 4 .556 2.96 0 0 43 76.0 299 60 25 26 11 9 3 87 1 1 0 -
1992 38 Athletics 69 0 65 7 1 .875 1.91 0 0 51 80.0 309 62 17 17 5 11 6 93 0 1 0 -
1993 39 Athletics 64 0 52 2 4 .333 4.16 0 0 36 67.0 276 67 31 32 7 13 4 80 0 2 0 -
1994 40 Athletics 45 0 39 5 4 .556 4.26 0 0 19 44.1 193 49 21 26 5 13 2 47 0 1 0 -
1995 41 Athletics 52 0 48 4 6 .400 4.83 0 0 29 50.1 212 53 27 29 5 11 0 40 0 1 0 -
1996 42 Cardinals 63 0 53 0 6 .000 3.30 0 0 30 60.0 251 65 22 26 8 6 2 49 0 4 0 -
1997 43 Cardinals 57 0 47 1 5 .167 3.91 0 0 36 53.0 218 49 23 24 9 8 0 45 2 2 0 -
1998 44 Red Sox 50 0 13 4 1 .800 4.76 0 0 1 39.2 171 46 21 21 6 8 3 22 0 2 0 -
24 Years 1,071 361 577 197 171 .535 3.50 100 20 390 3,285.2 13,534 3,076 1,278 1,382 347 738 91 2,401 28 75 16 0

Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Eckersley Hitting Stats

1975 21 Indians 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1976 22 Indians 36 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1977 23 Indians 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1978 24 Red Sox 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1979 25 Red Sox 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1980 26 Red Sox 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1981 27 Red Sox 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1982 28 Red Sox 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1983 29 Red Sox 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1984 30 Red Sox 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1984 30 Cubs 24 55 1 6 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 25 1 0 0 1 .109 .125 .109
1985 31 Cubs 26 56 1 7 0 0 1 0 1 7 0 25 2 0 0 0 .125 .222 .179
1986 32 Cubs 33 69 7 11 3 0 2 0 10 1 0 34 2 1 0 0 .159 .169 .290
1987 33 Athletics 54 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1988 34 Athletics 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1989 35 Athletics 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1990 36 Athletics 63 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1991 37 Athletics 67 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1992 38 Athletics 69 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1993 39 Athletics 64 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1994 40 Athletics 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1995 41 Athletics 52 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1996 42 Cardinals 63 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1997 43 Cardinals 57 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1998 44 Red Sox 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
24 Years 1,072 181 9 24 3 0 3 0 12 9 0 84 5 1 0 1 .133 .173 .199

Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Eckersley Fielding Stats

1975 Indians P 34 24 560 20 0.6 19 7 12 1 0 n/a n/a n/a .950 0.92
1976 Indians P 36 30 598 30 0.8 29 9 20 1 1 n/a n/a n/a .967 1.31
1977 Indians P 33 33 742 30 0.9 28 6 22 2 1 n/a n/a n/a .933 1.02
1978 Red Sox P 35 35 805 48 1.4 48 19 29 0 1 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 1.61
1979 Red Sox P 33 33 740 60 1.8 54 12 42 6 3 n/a n/a n/a .900 1.97
1980 Red Sox P 30 30 593 37 1.2 34 10 24 3 0 n/a n/a n/a .919 1.55
1981 Red Sox P 23 23 462 32 1.4 31 12 19 1 1 n/a n/a n/a .969 1.81
1982 Red Sox P 33 33 673 43 1.3 42 21 21 1 2 n/a n/a n/a .977 1.68
1983 Red Sox P 28 28 529 38 1.4 37 19 18 1 0 n/a n/a n/a .974 1.89
1984 Red Sox P 9 9 194 23 2.6 22 11 11 1 2 n/a n/a n/a .957 3.06
1984 Cubs P 24 24 481 47 2.0 43 16 27 4 1 n/a n/a n/a .915 2.41
1985 Cubs P 25 25 508 39 1.6 36 10 26 3 1 n/a n/a n/a .923 1.91
1986 Cubs P 33 32 603 47 1.4 44 16 28 3 3 n/a n/a n/a .936 1.97
1987 Athletics P 54 2 347 18 0.3 17 4 13 1 0 n/a n/a n/a .944 1.32
1988 Athletics P 60 0 218 10 0.2 10 7 3 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 1.24
1989 Athletics P 51 0 173 8 0.2 8 4 4 0 1 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 1.25
1990 Athletics P 63 0 220 4 0.1 4 3 1 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 0.49
1991 Athletics P 67 0 228 15 0.2 15 6 9 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 1.78
1992 Athletics P 69 0 240 13 0.2 13 3 10 0 1 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 1.46
1993 Athletics P 64 0 201 5 0.1 5 0 5 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 0.67
1994 Athletics P 45 0 133 3 0.1 3 2 1 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 0.61
1995 Athletics P 52 0 151 9 0.2 8 3 5 1 2 n/a n/a n/a .889 1.43
1996 Cardinals P 63 0 180 10 0.2 9 3 6 1 0 n/a n/a n/a .900 1.35
1997 Cardinals P 57 0 159 8 0.1 8 3 5 0 0 n/a n/a n/a 1.000 1.36
1998 Red Sox P 50 0 119 7 0.1 6 2 4 1 0 n/a n/a n/a .857 1.36
P Totals 1,071 361 9,857 604 0.6 573 208 365 31 20 n/a n/a n/a .949 1.57
24 Years 1,071 361 9,857 604 0.6 573 208 365 31 20 n/a n/a n/a .949 1.57

Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Eckersley Miscellaneous Stats

1975 Indians 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.69 7.33 4.34
1976 Indians 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.56 9.03 3.52
1977 Indians 0 0 .000 0 1 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.54 6.95 1.96
1978 Red Sox 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.28 5.43 2.38
1979 Red Sox 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.54 5.47 2.15
1980 Red Sox 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.75 5.51 2.00
1981 Red Sox 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.26 4.62 2.05
1982 Red Sox 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.95 5.10 1.73
1983 Red Sox 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.97 3.93 1.99
1984 Red Sox 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.54 4.59 1.81
1984 Cubs 0 0 .000 0 0 n/a 0.0 2.2 55.0 2.25 4.55 2.02
1985 Cubs 0 0 .000 0 1 n/a 56.0 2.2 56.0 6.16 6.22 1.01
1986 Cubs 0 0 .000 0 0 n/a 34.5 2.0 6.9 3.19 6.13 1.93
1987 Athletics 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.65 8.79 1.32
1988 Athletics 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.36 8.67 1.36
1989 Athletics 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 18.33 8.58 0.47
1990 Athletics 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 18.25 8.96 0.49
1991 Athletics 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.67 10.30 1.07
1992 Athletics 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.45 10.46 1.24
1993 Athletics 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.15 10.75 1.75
1994 Athletics 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.62 9.54 2.64
1995 Athletics 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.64 7.15 1.97
1996 Cardinals 0 0 .000 0 0 n/a 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.17 7.35 0.90
1997 Cardinals 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.63 7.64 1.36
1998 Red Sox 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.75 4.99 1.82
24 Years 0 0 .000 0 2 0 60.3 2.2 15.1 3.25 6.58 2.02

Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Eckersley Miscellaneous Items of Interest

1975 Cleveland Indians 37 $25,200.00 - -
1976 Cleveland Indians 37 $39,500.00 - -
1977 Cleveland Indians 37 $152,333.00 Stats -
1978 Boston Red Sox 43 $152,333.00 - -
1979 Boston Red Sox 43 $152,333.00 - -
1980 Boston Red Sox 43 $175,000.00 - -
1981 Boston Red Sox 43 $175,000.00 - -
1982 Boston Red Sox 43 $350,000.00 Stats -
1983 Boston Red Sox 43 $350,000.00 - -
1984 Boston Red Sox 43 $620,000.00 - -
1984 Chicago Cubs 43 "     "     - -
1985 Chicago Cubs 43 $750,000.00 - -
1986 Chicago Cubs 43 $783,333.00 - -
1987 Oakland Athletics 43 $833,333.00 - -
1988 Oakland Athletics 43 $875,000.00 Stats Stats
1989 Oakland Athletics 43 $1,062,500.00 - Stats
1990 Oakland Athletics 43 $787,500.00 Stats Stats
1991 Oakland Athletics 43 $3,000,000.00 Stats -
1992 Oakland Athletics 43 $3,150,000.00 Stats -
1993 Oakland Athletics 43 $3,800,000.00 - -
1994 Oakland Athletics 43 $3,800,000.00 - n/a
1995 Oakland Athletics 43 $2,861,113.00 - -
1996 St. Louis Cardinals 43 $2,250,000.00 - -
1997 St. Louis Cardinals 43 $1,625,000.00 - -
1998 Boston Red Sox 43 $1,500,000.00 - -

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Dennis Lee Eckersley was a Major League Baseball player who pitched with the Cleveland Indians (1975–1977), Boston Red Sox (19781984), Chicago Cubs (19841986), Oakland Athletics (19871995), St. Louis Cardinals (19961997), and Boston Red Sox (1998). Did you know that Eck, his nickname, was named one of the 100 Greatest Cleveland Indians Players ever? As part of the club’s 100th Anniversary Celebration in 2001, a panel of veteran baseball writers, historians and executives selected a roster of the Top 100 Greatest Indians and Eckersley was named one of the thirty-six pitchers.

Did you know that Dennis Eckersley was the first Oakland Athletics pitcher to win the Fireman of the Year Award? The Sporting News began giving the award in 1960, Eck won it in 1988, 1991 and 1992, and since the award was discontinued in 2010, he will remain the only A's pitcher to win it more than once (Billy Koch won in 2002, Keith Foulke in 2003).

Did you know that Dennis Eckersley won both the Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award in the American League in the same year (1992)? Did you know he was the second Oakland Athletics pitcher to accomplish the feat, joining Vida Blue (1971)?

Did you know that Dennis Eckersley was only the second pitcher in Major League history to record a 50-save season (Top 500)? Though not terribly uncommon in modern history, at the time Eck saved 51 games in 1992 only Bobby Thigpen had eclipsed the mark when he had 57 in 1990.

Did you know that Dennis Eckersley was ranked ninety-eighth by The Sporting News when they released their list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players in the history of baseball?

Did you know that Dennis Eckersley finished his career with 390 saves, top 3 in Major League history upon his retirement and still in the top ten (Top 1,000) through today?

Did you know that Dennis Eckersley was the 13th pitcher (1. Firpo Marberry, 2. Ellis Kinder, 3. Stu Miller, 4. Roy Face, 5. Ron Kline, 6. Hoyt Wilhelm, 7. Lindy McDaniel, 8. Dave Giusti, 9. Ron Reed, 10. Rollie Fingers, 11. Bob Stanley, 12. Goose Gossage) in the 100+ Wins / 100+ Saves "club" and through today, he has the most saves of every pitcher in that set?

Did you know that Dennis Eckersley walked out onto the mound 1,071 times, the most games pitched in Major League history when he retired (since passed) and exactly one more appearance than Hoyt Wilhelm had, who finished with 1,070 (Top 1,000).

Dennis Eckersley is one of the single most dominant closers in Major League history and in 2004, the National Baseball Hall of Fame enshrined him during his first year of eligibility. However, from 1975 through 1986, Eck was a starting pitcher amassing 151 wins across 376 starts including the following no hitter:

Dennis Eckersley No Hitter | Photo from The Cleveland Plain Dealer | May 31, 1977 | Photoshop by Baseball Almanac, Inc.

Dennis Eckersley No Hitter (Box Score: May 30, 1977)

When he took the mound Monday May 30 to face Frank Tanana and the AL West's fourth place California Angels before 13,400 at Cleveland Stadium, Dennis Eckersley carried a string of seven and two-thirds scoreless innings into the game for the fifth place Indians of the AL East. Two games later, against the Seattle Mariners, that streak would be extended to 22.1 consecutive scoreless innings, the second longest in big league history.

In the middle of the streak, the 22-year-old Eckersley, owner of a 4-3 record at the time, whitewashed the Angels with a 12-strikeout no-hitter. Only two Angels reached base, one on a walk and one on a wild pitch.

Tanana, who had an 8-1 record and had twirled three shutouts in his last four outings, was almost as good, yielding just five hits. The only run he allowed came in the first inning when Gil Flores misplayed Duane Kuiper's one-out sinking liner into a triple, and Jim Norris dropped a perfect bunt to score the runner.

Eckersley, who had worked 12 innings in his previous outing in a 2-1 victory over Seattle, got Flores on a ground out to the mound and struck out Jerry Remy, but then walked Tony Solaita on a 3-2 pitcher in the first inning. He retired Joe Rudi on a fly to center to end the inning.

With his fastball and curve working superbly, Eckersley breezed through the ensuing innings, averaging better than one strikeout an inning over the first seven frames. He struck out Bobby Bonds in the second, Terry Humphrey in the third, Jerry Remy in the fourth, and Don Baylor in the fifth. In the sixth, Eckersley fanned both Bobby Grich and Humphrey on called third strikes before getting Flores on a fly to right, the fifth of eight fly balls to the outfield.

Another Angel didn't reach base until the eighth. That happened when, leading off the inning, Bonds made it to first after striking out on a wild pitch. Baylor was the next batter, and he grounded sharply to Frank Duffy at shortstop. Duffy flipped to Kuiper at second where umpire Dale Ford called Bonds out on a controversial play in which both sides agreed that the runner was safe. Kuiper's return throw to first nabbed Baylor for a double play after which Dave Chalk struck out to end the inning.

Eckersley struck out Grich on a 2-2 pitch to open the ninth inning. Willie Aikens then hit an easy fly on another 2-2 pitch to Paul Dade in left field. The final out came on a 1-2 count with Flores swinging and missing a knee-high fastball.

Eckersley went on to post a 14-13 record in what would be his last season with the Indians. The following spring, he was traded to the Red Sox, and pitched in Boston until being dealt to the Cubs in 1984. He joined the A's in 1987, and became a reliever. Eckersley moved to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1998; to Boston in 1998.

Source: Researched and written by author Rich Westcott. Original text from No-Hitters. McFarland Publishing. Dennis Eckersley. 15 February 2000. Page 298-299.

Dennis Eckersley Hall of Fame Plaque

Dennis Eckersley | National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque | Class of 2004 (HOF)

In 1978, Dennis Eckersley went 20-8 with the 1978 Boston Red Sox, joining the 20 Wins Club. In 1992, Eck had a 50-save season, his second time leading the league in saves, and he became the first pitcher in Major League history to record both a 20-win season and a 50-save season - a feat unmatched since 1876 (the birth of MLB) and it remained unduplicated until John Smoltz joined the unique (and über rare) fraternity.