Dave Righetti

David Allan Righetti
(Rags)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 3", Weight 198 lb.
• School San Jose City College
• High School Pioneer High School (San Jose)
• Debut September 16, 1979
• Final Game September 18, 1995
• Born November 28, 1958 in San Jose, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Although best known as a reliever, Dave Righetti began and ended his career as a starting pitcher. As a minor leaguer with the Tulsa Drillers, he set a Texas League record when he struck out 21 Midland Cubs batters on July 16, 1978. That is the league's record for a 9-inning outing (Bob Turley fanned 22 in a 16-inning effort in 1951). He made his major league debut with the New York Yankees in 1979 and won the 1981 American League Rookie of the Year Award. On July 4, 1983, he pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox.

In 1984, he was moved to the bullpen, and in 1986, he set a major league record (since broken) by recording 46 saves. After seven successful seasons as the Yankees' closer, he was signed as a free agent by the San Francisco Giants. He saved 24 games in 1991, but after that, his numbers tailed off. After stints with the Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays, he ended his career as a starter once again with the Chicago White Sox in 1995.

In 1999, he rejoined the Giants organization as a pitching instructor and was the club's pitching coach from 2000 to 2017, a span of 18 seasons that included three World Series titles. He was dismissed along with a number of other coaches following a dismal 2017 season that saw the team finish last, but was offered a job in the front office as a special assistant to General Manager Bobby Evans.

Righetti and his wife are the parents of triplets. His father, Leo Righetti, was a minor league infielder 1944-1957, and his brother, Steven Righetti, was a minor league 3B in the Texas Rangers chain 1977-1979.

Notable Achievements

• 1981 AL Rookie of the Year Award
• 2-time AL All-Star (1986 & 1987)
• 2-time AL Reliever of the Year Award Winner (1986 & 1987)
• 2-time AL Rolaids Relief Award Winner (1986 & 1987)
• AL Saves Leader (1986)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1983)
• 30 Saves Seasons: 4 (1984, 1986, 1987 & 1990)
• 40 Saves Seasons: 1 (1986)

AL Rookie of the Year
1980	1981	1982
Joe Charboneau	Dave Righetti	Cal Ripken

Further Reading

• Dave Righetti (as told to George Vass): "The Game I'll Never Forget",Baseball Digest, June 1993, pp. 49-50. [1]
• Dave Righetti (as told to John McMurray): "The Game I'll Never Forget", Baseball Digest, May 2008, pp. 58-60. [2]
• Rick Sorci: "Baseball Profile: Pitcher Dave Righetti", Baseball Digest, December 1990, p. 79. [3]

Related Sites

• Dave Righetti at the SABR Bio Project