Bob Welch (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bob Welch |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: November 3, 1956 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Died: June 9, 2014 (aged 57) Seal Beach, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 20, 1978, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 11, 1994, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 211–146 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.47 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,969 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Robert Lynn Welch (November 3, 1956 – June 9, 2014) was an American baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1978–87) and Oakland Athletics (1988–94). Before playing professionally, he went to Eastern Michigan University. There, he played college baseball for the Eastern Michigan Hurons team. He helped his college team reach the 1976 College World Series championship game.
Welch was chosen for the MLB All-Star team two times. He also won the American League Cy Young Award in 1990. This award goes to the best pitcher in the league. He was a World Series champion three times. He won twice as a player and once as a coach. He is the last pitcher to win at least 25 games in one season, winning 27 games in 1990.
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Playing Career Highlights
Bob Welch played baseball for 17 years. During his career, he won 211 games and lost 146. He also had 1,969 strikeouts. His ERA (a measure of how many runs a pitcher gives up) was 3.47. He pitched for a total of 3,092 innings.
In the 1980s, Welch won 137 games. This was the third-highest number of wins among all major league pitchers during that decade. In 1990, he won the American League Cy Young Award while playing for the Oakland Athletics. That year, he pitched two complete games where the other team scored no runs. He was also considered for the National League Cy Young Award in 1983 and 1987.
Amazing Moments with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Welch became famous in 1978 when he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was only 21 years old and a rookie. In Game 2 of the 1978 World Series against the New York Yankees, he faced Reggie Jackson. Jackson was a very famous hitter. Welch struck him out with two runners on base and two outs in the ninth inning. This was a very exciting moment!
On May 29, 1980, Welch pitched a great game against the Atlanta Braves. He allowed only one hit and no runs. Only 27 batters came to the plate, which is the fewest possible in a nine-inning game. The only player to get a hit was Larvell Blanks. But he was then out on a double play.
Welch won his first World Series in 1981 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. They beat the New York Yankees in six games.
In 1983, he pitched a full game without giving up any runs. He also hit a solo home run for his team's only run. This was a very rare event!
Success with the Oakland Athletics
Welch was a key pitcher for the 1989 World Series champion Oakland A's in 1989. He won 17 games and lost 8 during the regular season. He also won his only start in the 1989 American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Something unusual happened during the 1989 World Series. Just before Welch was supposed to pitch in Game 3, a big earthquake hit. This was the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The game was postponed. When the series started again 11 days later, the A's manager decided to use other pitchers. So, Welch did not pitch in that World Series. But the A's still won, sweeping the series in four games. This gave him his second World Series championship.
Welch was an All-Star in 1980 and 1990. He won 14 or more games in eight different seasons. His best year was 1990, when he won a career-high 27 games. He won the Cy Young Award that season. His 27 wins were the most by any pitcher since 1972. He is still the last pitcher to win 25 or more games in a season.
In the 1990 World Series, Welch was the starting pitcher for Game 2 against the Cincinnati Reds. Throughout his time with the Oakland Athletics, Ron Hassey was often his personal catcher.
After Playing Baseball
After retiring as a player, Bob Welch became a pitching coach. He was the pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks when they won the World Series in 2001. He also coached for The Netherlands during the 2006 World Baseball Classic. At the time of his death, Welch was still a pitching coach for the Oakland Athletics organization.
His son, Riley Welch, was drafted by the Oakland A's in 2008. However, he chose to play college baseball at the University of Hawaii. Later, Riley signed with the Dodgers as a free agent. He then became a pitching coach at Presentation College in South Dakota in 2014.
Death
Bob Welch passed away on June 9, 2014, at age 57. He died from a broken neck after an accidental fall in his bathroom at home in Seal Beach, California. The medical report confirmed that he suffered a neck injury from the fall.
Career Highlights
- Won the American League Cy Young Award (1990)
- Chosen as an All-Star two times (1980, 1990)
- Led the league in wins (27, 1990)
- Led the league in shutouts (4, 1987)
- Led the league in games started (35, 1991)
- Is tied at #84 on the all-time wins leaderboard
- Had the third most wins in MLB during the 1980s
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
