Relief pitching is one of the toughest parts of baseball. Closers are called on to “put out the fire” and get those key outs that finish games and clinch wins for their team. They often come into a game with men on base and when their team is protecting a slim lead. If they fail, the game is lost and the fans come down hard on them.
The 1980s were the decade that the modern baseball closer became popular and it featured some of the best relief pitchers of all time. Here is a look at the best four relief pitchers in Major League baseball during the 1980s.
What a player did in that decade is all that is considered when determining these rankings. Dominance, longevity and contributions to team success are also taken into consideration.
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4. Kent Tekulve
Anyone who saw Kent Tekulve pitch will remember his unorthodox submarine style and his ability to keep on pitching game after game.
He led the National League in appearances in 1982 and 1987 and unlike many modern closers, Tekulve often went more than one inning per outing.
Tekulve pitched for the Pirates, Phillies and Reds during his 16-year career and won 94 games while saving 194. His career ERA was 2.85.
He went to the All Star Game in 1980 and was the closer on the Pirates World Series winning team in 1979.
3. Bruce Sutter
Bruce Sutter helped change the game of baseball when he popularized the split finger fastball. It helped make him a dominant relief pitcher from the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.
Sutter was a key part of the Cardinals World Series winning team in 1982. That year, he led the National League with 36 saves, one of four times he led the league in that category during the decade. He also saved two games in the World Series for the Cards.
Sutter finished his career with 300 saves and a 2.83 ERA. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
2. Jesse Orosco
Jesse Orosco was a strong closer for some strong Mets teams in the middle 80s and enjoyed a lengthy career as a lefthanded specialist after his days as a closer were over.
We won two World Series during the decade, one in 1986 with the Mets where he got the final dramatic out in the Mets come from behind win in Game 7 at Shea Stadium, and then one with the Dodgers two years later.
Orosco represented the Mets at the 1983 and 1984 All Star Games and won 23 games out of the bullpen those two seasons. His ERA in 1983 was a sparkling 1.47. In 1984, he had a career-high 31 saves.
Orosco was consistent, tough and determined and his ability to pitch well and often made him one of the most valuable relief pitchers in baseball during the 1980s.
1. Goose Gossage
Few pitchers could throw the ball like Rich “Goose” Gossage. He pitched 22 years in the Majors and made the All-Star Game five times in the 80s with the Yankees and Padres.
Gossage led the American League in saves in 1980 and often pitched more than one inning to finish games before closers were limited to one inning.
He saved 310 games during his career and won 124 more. His fastball was tough for batters to catch up to and his size and mustache made him an intimidating sight on the mound.
Gossage was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008 and is considered one of the best relief pitchers of all-time.