KNUCKSIE! Former Sooner Pitcher Eddie Fisher Blazed A Trail For Major League Relief Pitchers by Todd Newville

Relief pitchers can make or break most major league teams. Relief pitching often has a hand in determining where certain clubs are in the standings. It hasn't always been that way, though. It wasn't until the 1950s that relief pitchers found their niche on most big league rosters.

The great relievers in the 50s and 60s were the trailblazers for most of today's great relievers like Dennis Eckersley of the Oakland Athletics and Lee Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals. Eddie Fisher, a former Oklahoma pitcher from 1956-58, was one of those groundbreakers. Along with Hoyt Wilhelm, Ron Perranoski, Roy Face and Lindy McDaniel, Fisher was considered one of the majors' best relief pitchers of the time.

Fisher broke in with the San Francisco Giants in 1959. He also played with the Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, California Angels and Cardinals. He spent 15 years in the majors before retiring in 1973. In that time, he recorded an 85-70 record in 690 games. He had 81 saves for his career along with a 3.41 ERA.

"I was one of the first late-inning relief guys," Fisher, who now works for Workmen Insurance in Altus, Okla., said. "One of my best friends was Wilhelm. We pitched together on the Angels and White Sox."

Fisher wasn't originally a reliever. After being traded to the White Sox from the Giants in 1962, manager Al Lopez thought Fisher's knuckleball would be best suited for the bullpen. There, he teamed with Wilhelm for one of the best relief tandems in history. In 1965, Fisher recorded a 15-7 record and 24 saves from the bullpen while Wilhelm had a 7-7 mark with 20 saves. Fisher also led the American League with 82 appearances, all in relief. Wilhelm appeared in 66 games, all in relief. Fisher was the last AL pitcher used when the National League beat the Junior Circuit 6-5 in the ‘65 All-Star Game behind home runs from Willie Mays, Joe Torre, and Willie Stargell. "The managers treat relievers different now," Fisher said. "They're more specialized now and the relievers pitch just one inning usually. We used to pitch three or four innings if we had to. I had enough innings to qualify for the ERA title in some years. Now, relievers just pitch 60-70 innings a season."

This giant plaque of Eddie Fisher, former major leaguer and relief pitcher, hangs on the concession stand behind the center field wall at the Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Todd Newville)

Fisher was traded from the Chisox to the Orioles during the ‘66 season. Baltimore swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series that year behind a great pitching staff anchored by Dave McNally and Jim Palmer. Baltimore shut out LA for 33 straight innings. The O's also featured Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell, and Triple Crown winner Frank Robinson.

"I didn't even get to pitch in the Series," Fisher said. "That was the best team I was ever on. Our entire pitching staff was the best in the league."

Fisher was born in Shreveport, La., in 1936, but his family moved to Altus when he was one. He grew up playing baseball for Friendship, a school which has consolidated with the Navajo district since he was in high school.

Eddie Fisher (shown on his 1972 Topps baseball card) played for the Giants, White Sox, Orioles, Indians, Angels, and Cardinals during his impressive 15-year major league career. A knuckleball specialist, he was one of the top relief pitchers of his day.

After Fisher helped win the Class C state championship in 1954, he played for Roy Deal's Oklahoma Natural Gas sandlot baseball team in Oklahoma City. Deal was able to get Fisher an athletic scholarship to OU in baseball and basketball, but Fisher quit basketball when Doyle Parrack took over for coach Bruce Drake after the 1955 season. Fisher stuck with baseball, though, and played a big part for coach Jack Baer's 1956 Sooner squad which went 11-7 and lost to North Dakota 8-3 in the district playoffs. He also was an All-Big Seven pick for OU in 1958. "I enjoyed playing for the Sooners," Fisher said, "but we didn't play enough games. I also didn't get to use my knuckleball in college. The only time I used it, I threw a double and Baer didn't like that."

When Fisher made his rookie debut with the Giants, he had a locker next to Mays. Fisher said he played with a lot of great players, but it was Wilhelm whom he admired the most.

"I saw Hoyt's family in Florida last year," Fisher said. "It was a good feeling to see him make the Hall of Fame (in 1985). It was good to see a reliever get some recognition."

Relief pitching isn't the only thing that has changed since Fisher retired 20 years ago. Salaries have escalated into the millions. Fisher, who turns 57 today, would probably be earning millions if he were coming out of the bullpen now.

"I know I would be making a lot of money today in baseball but I have no regrets," Fisher said. "If I had it to do all over again, I would do it the same way."

(Reprinted in its entirety, as written by Baseball Todd, for the
July 16, 1993 edition of The Norman Transcript newspaper.)


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