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Rollie Fingers was one of the first players groomed in his minor league career to be a relief pitcher once he reached the majors. His former owner with the Athletics, Charles O. Finley, was one of the first to do this. Prior to this, most pitchers were starters first and foremost and usually ended up in the bullpen by either necessity or afterthought.
But in the 1970s, in an era allowing for greater opportunities for closers than had previously been available, Fingers' excellence in relief allowed him to gradually increase his annual saves totals past 30. In 1980 he broke Wilhelm's record of 227 saves, and eventually finished with 341, a record that stood until Jeff Reardon passed it in 1992.
Fingers is regarded as a pioneer of modern relief pitching, essentially defining the role of the closer for years to come. Fingers won both the American League MVP and Cy Young Award in 1981 while with Milwaukee. In 1974 he was given the World Series MVP Award while with Oakland, earning two saves and one win. Fingers won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award in 1977, 1978, and 1980 with the Padres and in 1981 with the Brewers. In 1992 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, joining Wilhelm to become only the second reliever inducted (Eckersley, Sutter, and Gossage have since followed). In 1999, he ranked Number 96 on The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
This jersey originates from the personal collection of Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers. Orange "AMERICAN" jersey worn by Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers during the 2007 Legends & Celebrity Softball Game at the All-Star Game in San Francisco. Event patch on the left sleeve, Oakland A's patch on the right sleeve. Rollie's name and number are sewn on the back of the jersey. Jersey has also been hand-signed and inscribed by Fingers. A great looking jersey from one of the fixtures of this special game, held annually at the All-Star Game. Hand-signed LOA from Rollie Fingers, on his Hall of Fame letterhead, is included.
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