76. Rollie Fingers
He may be known more for his trademark handlebar moustache than his performance on the mound these days, but Rollie Fingers was one of the greatest closers in MLB history.
That moustache came into being prior to the 1972 season. While it is common knowledge that A’s owner Charlie Finley held a contest to see who would have the best facial hair, which Fingers won, the moustache originally came about as a protest against Reggie Jackson showing up to Spring Training with a beard. Several A’s players refused to shave to try to force a ban on facial hair; instead, Fingers ended up with his trademark look, which he still wears.
After a couple of seasons of bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen, Fingers found his place as the Oakland A’s closer during the 1972 season. From that point, he became one of the greatest closers in baseball, making seven All-Star Games. In the strike shortened 1981 season, Fingers saved 28 games while posting a 1.04 ERA and a 0.872 WHiP en route to winning the Cy Young award and the MVP.
During his 17 year career, Fingers saved 341 games while posting a 2.90 ERA and a 1.156 WHiP. He struck out 1299 batters against 492 walks in 1701.1 innings, with 109 of those free passes as intentional. Fingers is also notable for being the only pitcher in the Hall of Fame with a losing record, having gone 114-118 during his career.
One of the first closers selected to the Hall of Fame, Fingers is considered by many to be the most dominant reliever of his era, and helped set the stage for the modern closer.
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