Rollie Fingers was born on Sunday, August 25, 1946, in Steubenville, Ohio. Fingers was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 15, 1968, with the Oakland Athletics. 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 Rollie Fingers baseball stats page.
"A fellow has to have faith in God above and Rollie Fingers in the bullpen." - Dark, Alvin. Oakland Athletics Manager (1974-1975). The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball. Light, Jonathan Fraser. Author. McFarland Publishing. 13 July 2005. Page 334. [Rollie Fingers Quotes]
Rollie FingersRollie 'Mr. Mustache' Fingers Autograph on a 1994 Ted Williams Baseball Card (#66) |
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Rollie FingersRollie Fingers Pitching Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
1968 | 22 | Athletics | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 27.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - |
1969 | 23 | Athletics | 60 | 8 | 30 | 6 | 7 | .462 | 3.71 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 119.0 | 503 | 116 | 49 | 60 | 13 | 41 | 5 | 61 | 1 | 4 | 1 | - |
1970 | 24 | Athletics | 45 | 19 | 9 | 7 | 9 | .438 | 3.65 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 148.0 | 608 | 137 | 60 | 65 | 13 | 48 | 5 | 79 | 5 | 2 | 0 | - |
1971 | 25 | Athletics | 48 | 8 | 28 | 4 | 6 | .400 | 2.99 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 129.1 | 503 | 94 | 43 | 46 | 14 | 30 | 3 | 98 | 1 | 8 | 0 | - |
1972 | 26 | Athletics | 65 | 0 | 41 | 11 | 9 | .550 | 2.51 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 111.1 | 437 | 85 | 31 | 35 | 8 | 32 | 7 | 113 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - |
1973 | 27 | Athletics | 62 | 2 | 49 | 7 | 8 | .467 | 1.92 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 126.2 | 521 | 107 | 27 | 41 | 5 | 39 | 6 | 110 | 2 | 4 | 0 | - |
1974 | 28 | Athletics | 76 | 0 | 60 | 9 | 5 | .643 | 2.65 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 119.0 | 483 | 104 | 35 | 41 | 5 | 29 | 6 | 95 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
1975 | 29 | Athletics | 75 | 0 | 59 | 10 | 6 | .625 | 2.98 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 126.2 | 493 | 95 | 42 | 43 | 13 | 33 | 5 | 115 | 6 | 6 | 0 | - |
1976 | 30 | Athletics | 70 | 0 | 62 | 13 | 11 | .542 | 2.47 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 134.2 | 559 | 118 | 37 | 40 | 3 | 40 | 10 | 113 | 2 | 7 | 0 | - |
1977 | 31 | Padres | 78 | 0 | 69 | 8 | 9 | .471 | 2.99 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 132.1 | 543 | 123 | 44 | 47 | 12 | 36 | 12 | 113 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - |
1978 | 32 | Padres | 67 | 0 | 62 | 6 | 13 | .316 | 2.52 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 107.1 | 434 | 84 | 30 | 33 | 4 | 29 | 12 | 72 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - |
1979 | 33 | Padres | 54 | 0 | 41 | 9 | 9 | .500 | 4.52 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 83.2 | 372 | 91 | 42 | 47 | 7 | 37 | 8 | 65 | 2 | 1 | 2 | - |
1980 | 34 | Padres | 66 | 0 | 46 | 11 | 9 | .550 | 2.80 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 103.0 | 428 | 101 | 32 | 35 | 3 | 32 | 13 | 69 | 5 | 0 | 1 | - |
1981 | 35 | Brewers | 47 | 0 | 41 | 6 | 3 | .667 | 1.04 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 78.0 | 297 | 55 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 61 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - |
1982 | 36 | Brewers | 50 | 0 | 45 | 5 | 6 | .455 | 2.60 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 79.2 | 318 | 63 | 23 | 23 | 5 | 20 | 5 | 71 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - |
1984 | 38 | Brewers | 33 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 1.96 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 46.0 | 193 | 38 | 10 | 13 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - |
1985 | 39 | Brewers | 47 | 0 | 37 | 1 | 6 | .143 | 5.04 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 55.1 | 241 | 59 | 31 | 33 | 9 | 19 | 5 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - |
Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD | ||
17 Years | 944 | 37 | 709 | 114 | 118 | .491 | 2.90 | 4 | 2 | 341 | 1,701.1 | 6,942 | 1,474 | 549 | 615 | 123 | 492 | 109 | 1,299 | 40 | 39 | 7 | - |
Rollie FingersRollie Fingers Hitting Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
1968 | 22 | Athletics | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
1969 | 23 | Athletics | 60 | 25 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 | .200 | .200 |
1970 | 24 | Athletics | 45 | 39 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .103 | .146 | .179 |
1971 | 25 | Athletics | 48 | 33 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .212 | .235 | .212 |
1972 | 26 | Athletics | 65 | 19 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .316 | .316 | .474 |
1973 | 27 | Athletics | 62 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
1974 | 28 | Athletics | 76 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
1975 | 29 | Athletics | 76 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
1976 | 30 | Athletics | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
1977 | 31 | Padres | 78 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .050 | .050 | .050 |
1978 | 32 | Padres | 67 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 | .167 | .167 |
1979 | 33 | Padres | 54 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .083 | .083 | .083 |
1980 | 34 | Padres | 66 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .278 | .278 | .444 |
1981 | 35 | Brewers | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
1982 | 36 | Brewers | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
1984 | 38 | Brewers | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
1985 | 39 | Brewers | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
17 Years | 945 | 180 | 10 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .172 | .186 | .222 |
Rollie FingersRollie Fingers Fielding Stats |
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Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
1968 Athletics | P | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
1969 Athletics | P | 60 | 8 | 357 | 42 | 0.7 | 39 | 9 | 30 | 3 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .929 | 2.95 |
1970 Athletics | P | 45 | 19 | 444 | 35 | 0.8 | 33 | 7 | 26 | 2 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .943 | 2.01 |
1971 Athletics | P | 48 | 8 | 388 | 38 | 0.8 | 38 | 14 | 24 | 0 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.64 |
1972 Athletics | P | 65 | 0 | 334 | 18 | 0.3 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.46 |
1973 Athletics | P | 62 | 2 | 380 | 18 | 0.3 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .944 | 1.21 |
1974 Athletics | P | 76 | 0 | 357 | 30 | 0.4 | 30 | 9 | 21 | 0 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.27 |
1975 Athletics | P | 75 | 0 | 380 | 22 | 0.3 | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.56 |
1976 Athletics | P | 70 | 0 | 404 | 31 | 0.4 | 30 | 4 | 26 | 1 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .968 | 2.00 |
1977 Padres | P | 78 | 0 | 397 | 27 | 0.3 | 24 | 5 | 19 | 3 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .889 | 1.63 |
1978 Padres | P | 67 | 0 | 322 | 27 | 0.4 | 26 | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .963 | 2.18 |
1979 Padres | P | 54 | 0 | 251 | 13 | 0.2 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .923 | 1.29 |
1980 Padres | P | 66 | 0 | 309 | 21 | 0.3 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .952 | 1.75 |
1981 Brewers | P | 47 | 0 | 234 | 16 | 0.3 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .938 | 1.73 |
1982 Brewers | P | 50 | 0 | 239 | 14 | 0.3 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.58 |
1984 Brewers | P | 33 | 0 | 138 | 6 | 0.2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.17 |
1985 Brewers | P | 47 | 0 | 166 | 17 | 0.4 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.77 |
Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
P Totals | 944 | 37 | 5,104 | 375 | 0.4 | 361 | 108 | 253 | 14 | 23 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .963 | 1.91 | |
17 Years | 944 | 37 | 5,104 | 375 | 0.4 | 361 | 108 | 253 | 14 | 23 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .963 | 1.91 |
Rollie FingersRollie Fingers Miscellaneous Stats |
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Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
1968 Athletics | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.75 |
1969 Athletics | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 6.3 | 0.0 | 1.49 | 4.61 | 3.10 |
1970 Athletics | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 39.0 | 3.5 | 39.0 | 1.65 | 4.80 | 2.92 |
1971 Athletics | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 4.7 | 0.0 | 3.27 | 6.82 | 2.09 |
1972 Athletics | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 19.0 | 6.3 | 9.5 | 3.53 | 9.13 | 2.59 |
1973 Athletics | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2.82 | 7.82 | 2.77 |
1974 Athletics | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.28 | 7.18 | 2.19 |
1975 Athletics | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.48 | 8.17 | 2.34 |
1976 Athletics | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.83 | 7.55 | 2.67 |
1977 Padres | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 2.2 | 10.0 | 3.14 | 7.69 | 2.45 |
1978 Padres | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 2.48 | 6.04 | 2.43 |
1979 Padres | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 1.76 | 6.99 | 3.98 |
1980 Padres | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 3.6 | 0.0 | 2.16 | 6.03 | 2.80 |
1981 Brewers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.69 | 7.04 | 1.50 |
1982 Brewers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.55 | 8.02 | 2.26 |
1984 Brewers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.08 | 7.83 | 2.54 |
1985 Brewers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.26 | 3.90 | 3.09 |
Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
17 Years | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90.0 | 4.0 | 20.0 | 2.64 | 6.87 | 2.60 |
Rollie FingersRollie Fingers Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
1968 Oakland Athletics | 32 | $5,100.00 | - | - |
1969 Oakland Athletics | 34 | $7,200.00 | - | - |
1970 Oakland Athletics | 34 | $9,300.00 | - | - |
1971 Oakland Athletics | 34 | $35,000.00 | - | - |
1972 Oakland Athletics | 34 | $41,000.00 | - | Stats |
1973 Oakland Athletics | 34 | $48,000.00 | Stats | Stats |
1974 Oakland Athletics | 34 | $65,000.00 | Stats | Stats |
1975 Oakland Athletics | 34 | $89,000.00 | Stats | - |
1976 Oakland Athletics | 34 | $71,200.00 | Stats | - |
1977 San Diego Padres | 34 | $266,667.00 | - | - |
1978 San Diego Padres | 34 | $266,667.00 | Stats | - |
1979 San Diego Padres | 34 | $266,667.00 | - | - |
1980 San Diego Padres | 34 | $266,667.00 | - | - |
1981 Milwaukee Brewers | 34 | $266,667.00 | Stats | - |
1982 Milwaukee Brewers | 34 | $266,667.00 | Stats | - |
1984 Milwaukee Brewers | 34 | $266,667.00 | - | - |
1985 Milwaukee Brewers | 34 | $1,065,000.00 | - | - |
Rollie Fingers Stats by Baseball Almanac |
On June 7, 1980, Rollie Fingers recorded the 228th save of his career, the most games saved in Major League Baseball history, passing future hall of famer Hoyt Wilhelm (227 career saves). Fingers had the most saves in baseball history until he was passed by Jeff Reardon (in 1992), Lee Smith (in 1993), Trevor Hoffman (in 2006), then Mariano Rivera (in 2011). [Top 1,000 Career Saves]
Rollie Fingers (Save #228) | The Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL) | June 8, 1980 | Page B-3Baseball Almanac Research Library
Did you know that when Rollie Fingers was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, he became only the second reliever in baseball history at Cooperstown, joining Hoyt Wilhelm (Class of 1985)? Dennis Eckersley (Class of 2004), Bruce Sutter (Class of 2006), Goose Gossage (Class of 2008), Trevor Hoffman (Class of 2018), Mariano Rivera (Class of 2019), and Lee Smith (Class of 2019) have since followed the pioneering pair of closers and we hope you'll enjoy a few more numbers of interest as they relate to the greatest handlebar mustache in baseball history:
1 - Rollie Fingers won one Cy Young Award (in 1981) and one Most Valuable Player Award (in 1981 also), the first Milwaukee Brewer in team history to win either one of those baseball awards.
3 - Rollie Fingers led the league in saves three times during his career, once in 1981, with the Milwaukee Brewers (AL), and in back-to-back seasons (1977-1978) with San Diego (NL), the first Padre pitcher to ever lead the league in saves.
4 - Rollie Fingers won four Rolaids Relief Man Awards during his career. His first two, 1977 and 1978, were the first won consecutively in the American League and he was the first pitcher from the junior circuit to win more than once. In 1980, he became the first relief pitcher to win it three times, receiving the honor a third time in the AL. When he won it in 1981, it was in the National League making him the first four time receipient and the first pitcher to receive the honor in both leagues.
34 - Rollie Fingers's number #34 was retired by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1992, and one year later, his number #34 was retired by the Oakland Athletics — one of only a few Major League players to have his number retired by more than one club.
7000 - The Los Angeles Dodgers offered Rollie Fingers, when he was 18-years-old, a $20,000 signing bonus in 1964 — a winning team that had a great pitching staff (Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale) and a farm system full of talented players. Fingers was concerned he would not make it to the major leagues for SEVERAL years. Later that same year, the Kansas City Athletics offered Rollie Fingers a $13,000 signing bonus ($7,000 less), an offer he signed on Christmas Eve!
Rollie Fingers | National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque | Class of 1992 (HOF)
The mustache. No, the handlebar mustache. No, the Hall of Fame handlebar mustache. How did it start (was he born with it)? Nobody (in our opinion) described it better than 100 Things A's Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die (Triumph Books. 1 June 2015. Page 90.):
For most of the 20th century, major-league players were clean-shaved, with few exceptions. Teams even had rules forbidding mustaches and beards.
Then came the 1970s, and Charlie Finley's Oakland A's. Reggie Jackson started it all, according to his teammates, when the outfielder showed up to spring training with a mustache in 1972. The rest of the A's hated it and tried to get Jackson to part with it, but according to reliever Rollie Fingers, "Reggie wouldn't shave, so Catfish [Hunter] and Darold Knowles and I were in the bullpen one day and decided, 'Let's start growing mustaches.' That way, Dick Williams would get upset and say, 'You all have to shave them off,' and that would mean Reggie had to shave his."
That plan backfired. The unpredictable Finley, instead of blowing his top, loved the idea. He announced plans for a "Mustache Day" at the Oakland Coliseum, and promised $300 to ever player who participated by growing one.
"For $300," quipped Ken Holtzman, "I'd grow hair on my feet."
The A's were winning with their new look, and, Fingers said, "Ballplayers are the most superstitious animals who ever lived. A lot of guys kept their mustaches and we kept winning and then we won the World Series. We became known as 'The Mustache Gang' and we won again the next year and the next year."
Fingers' Snidely Whiplash-style whiskers were the most recognizable of all. (See image below)
"I grew mine as a handlebar just to be different," he said. When I let it grow, it got kind of long, and I said, 'What the heck, I'll twirl it up to see what it looks like.' I got more and more press, so I said, 'Okay,' and kept going and going.
Snidely Whiplash | Created by Jay Ward | The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (1959-1964)Baseball Almanac Research Library