Bill Fischer (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Fischer |
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Fischer at Werner Park in Omaha in 2015
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: October 11, 1930 Wausau, Wisconsin, U.S. |
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| Died: October 30, 2018 (aged 88) Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 21, 1956, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 22, 1964, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 45–58 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.34 | ||
| Strikeouts | 313 | ||
| Teams | |||
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William Charles Fischer (born October 11, 1930 – died October 30, 2018), known as Bill Fischer, was an American baseball player. He was a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1956 to 1964. He played for teams like the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators (who later became the Minnesota Twins), and Kansas City Athletics.
After his playing days, Bill became a respected pitching coach for many years. He helped players in both the major and minor leagues. He was born in Wausau, Wisconsin.
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Playing Career Highlights
Bill Fischer played as a pitcher for nine seasons in Major League Baseball. He won 45 games and lost 58 during his career. His earned run average (ERA) was 4.34. The ERA shows how many runs a pitcher allows per nine innings.
He played in 281 games, starting 78 of them. He also completed 16 games and earned 13 saves. A save is when a pitcher finishes a close game without letting the other team score.
Joining the Major Leagues
Fischer started his MLB journey on April 21, 1956, with the Chicago White Sox. He was traded a few times during his career. In 1958, he went to the Detroit Tigers. Later, he joined the Washington Senators. He was then traded back to the Tigers in 1960.
Setting a Record
In 1961, Bill Fischer was traded to the Kansas City Athletics. While playing for them in 1962, he set an amazing major league record. He pitched for 84 and one-third innings in a row without giving up a single walk. A walk happens when a pitcher throws four balls outside the strike zone to a batter. This record still stands today!
Final Seasons
Even with his record, Fischer didn't stay long with the Athletics. The Minnesota Twins picked him in the Rule 5 draft in 1963. He finished his big-league playing career with the Twins in 1964. After that, he worked as a scout for a short time. He later signed with the White Sox again but did not return to the major leagues as a player.
Life as a Coach
After his playing career ended in 1968, Bill Fischer began a long and successful career as a baseball coach. He first joined the new Kansas City Royals team as a scout. A scout finds and evaluates new talent for a team.
Working with Top Teams
Fischer became a pitching coach for several MLB teams. He coached for the Cincinnati Reds from 1979 to 1983. He then worked with the Boston Red Sox from 1985 to 1991. While with the Red Sox, he was a favorite coach of the famous pitcher Roger Clemens.
He also coached for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 2000 to 2001. Besides these teams, he spent many years as a minor league pitching coordinator for the Atlanta Braves. He helped young pitchers develop their skills.
A Long Career in Baseball
Bill Fischer continued to be involved in baseball for a very long time. In 2007, he rejoined the Kansas City Royals. He worked as a minor league pitching coordinator and special assistant for player development. In 2018, he was the Royals' senior pitching advisor. This meant he had been in professional baseball for an incredible 69 seasons!
Bill Fischer passed away on October 30, 2018, at the age of 88. He left a lasting impact on the game of baseball as both a player and a coach.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball individual streaks
