To say Dennis Eckersley had a unique career on and off the baseball diamond is an understatement!
'The Eck' retired as the greatest closer in MLB history and went into HOF as soon as becoming eligible...
Eckersley broke in with the Indians at the tender age of 20 and was immediately inserted into the rotation as a regular starter his first season, he played on the same team as player/manager Frank Robinson (that's how long ago Eckersley broke in!) Teammate with Frank Robinson!
Off the field was just as bizarre for Eckersley, his first wife ended up leaving him for his best friend and Indians teammate Rick Manning, while Eckersley was on the road, Manning, injured at the time, and you get the idea,...he was dealt away soon after that, the Indians never admitted it but they realized they couldn't keep both players and dealt Eckersley to Boston, one of the many bad moves the Indians made in the 1970's......
His first year in Boston at age 23 was a great one, winning 20 games and playing for a much better club , the Red Sox teams were full of promise, Eckersley seemed ready to blossom into a great pitcher, following up his 20 win season with a 17-10 season in 1978, but off the field Eckersley never got over losing his wife to Rick Manning, a guy he trusted and was best friends with...
Alcohol became a big part of Eckersley's daily habit, and soon after, his career that looked so promising was heading south , never re-capturing the magic he had his first two seasons in Boston he became just an average pitcher over the next several seasons...approaching his 30's his career was drying up, just another arm, nothing special any longer....
to be continued :digit:
'The Eck' retired as the greatest closer in MLB history and went into HOF as soon as becoming eligible...
Eckersley broke in with the Indians at the tender age of 20 and was immediately inserted into the rotation as a regular starter his first season, he played on the same team as player/manager Frank Robinson (that's how long ago Eckersley broke in!) Teammate with Frank Robinson!
Off the field was just as bizarre for Eckersley, his first wife ended up leaving him for his best friend and Indians teammate Rick Manning, while Eckersley was on the road, Manning, injured at the time, and you get the idea,...he was dealt away soon after that, the Indians never admitted it but they realized they couldn't keep both players and dealt Eckersley to Boston, one of the many bad moves the Indians made in the 1970's......
His first year in Boston at age 23 was a great one, winning 20 games and playing for a much better club , the Red Sox teams were full of promise, Eckersley seemed ready to blossom into a great pitcher, following up his 20 win season with a 17-10 season in 1978, but off the field Eckersley never got over losing his wife to Rick Manning, a guy he trusted and was best friends with...
Alcohol became a big part of Eckersley's daily habit, and soon after, his career that looked so promising was heading south , never re-capturing the magic he had his first two seasons in Boston he became just an average pitcher over the next several seasons...approaching his 30's his career was drying up, just another arm, nothing special any longer....
to be continued :digit: