Chuck Finley

Finley with the Angels in 1996

Pitcher

Born: November 26, 1962 (age 54)
Monroe, Louisiana

Batted: Left

Threw: Left

MLB debut

May 29, 1986, for the California Angels

Last MLB appearance

September 28, 2002, for the St. Louis Cardinals

MLB statistics

Win–loss record

200–173

Earned run average

3.85

Strikeouts

2,610

Teams

Career highlights and awards

5× All-Star (1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000)

Charles Edward "Chuck" Finley (born November 26, 1962) is a retired Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1986–2002 for three different teams, but pitched primarily with the California Angels (later the Anaheim Angels and now Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim). After a 14-year tenure with the Angels, he played for the Cleveland Indians for three years, and then was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals and played there for half a season. During a 17-year baseball career, Finley compiled 200 wins, 2,610 strikeouts, and a 3.85 earned run average. He is the Angels all-time career leader in wins (165), innings pitched (2,675), games started (379) and is second in strikeouts (2,151). He lives in Newport Beach, California

Finley is best known for his long career with the Angels, during which he won more than 15 games six times. He was a very durable pitcher through his career, pitching more than 190 innings a year in 12 of 15 years (1988–2002). His finest season was in 1990, when he won 18 games to just 9 losses and posted a 2.40 ERA — to date, the lowest by an Angel left-hander on a season, surpassing Frank Tanana's 2.43 in 1976. In 1993, Finley led the major leagues in complete games (13) and in 1994 he led the American leagues in innings pitched (183.1). After departing the Angels, Finley signed with the Indians before the 2000 season. He went 16–11 with a 4.17 ERA and posted an 8–7 record with a 5.54 ERA with the Indians in 2001. In 2002, he was 4–11 with a 4.44 ERA in 18 games before being traded to the Cardinals for outfielder Coco Crisp. He finished the season and subsequently his career with the Cardinals, going 7–4 with a 3.80 ERA for the remainder of the season,

Finley was the first pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball to record four strikeouts in a single inning more than once; he accomplished the feat three times in two years (only A. J. Burnett and Zack Greinke, over a decade later, have performed a repeat four-outer). Finley accomplished the feat on May 12, 1999, then later that season on August 15, both with the Anaheim Angels, and then for a third time on April 16, 2000, with the Cleveland Indians. This oddity can mainly be attributed to the fact that he used an excellent split-finger pitch as his strike-out weapon; that pitch would often end up in the dirt, eluding both batter and catcher.

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Wikipedia