Dennis Eckersley Biography

Dennis Lee Eckersley, born October 3, 1954, is an American former professional baseball pitcher and color commentator. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1975 to 1998 for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals. Eckersley achieved fame as a closer, becoming the first pitcher in major league history to record both a 20-win season and a 50-save season. The Cleveland Indians selected Eckersley in the third round of the 1972 MLB draft, a moment he found disappointing due to not being drafted by the Giants. He won a career-high 20 games in 1978 and 17 in 1979, posting a 2.99 ERA in both seasons. On May 25, 1984, the Red Sox traded Eckersley and Mike Brumley to the Chicago Cubs for Bill Buckner, aiding the Cubs’ return to the postseason after 1945. Eckersley remained with the Cubs in 1985, recording an 11–7 record and two shutouts, the final ones of his career.