Steve Fincher

Steven Michael Fincher

• Bats unknown, Throws Left
• Height 6' 7", Weight 198 lb.
• High School Jefferson High School (Tampa)

• Born November 28, 1962 in Tampa, FL USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Steve Fincher was a pitcher in the minor leagues from 1980 to 1983. At 6' 7", he was unusually tall for the period, although this extra height never translated into overwhelming strikeout numbers. He was drafted out of high school by the New York Yankees in the 9th round of the 1980 amateur draft and began his professional career that same year with the GCL Yankees. He went 1-1, 3.86 in 3 starts before earning a promotion to the Paintsville Yankees of the Appalachian League, where he made another 8 appearances, going 1-2, 8.65. In 1981, he spent the entire season with Paintsville and finished at 1-5, 6.53 in 11 games, 10 of them starts. In 51 innings, he struck out 28 batters, but his control was a major issue as he walked 44. Still, he was promoted to the Greensboro Yankees of the South Atlantic League in 1982 and did a whole lot better, going 10-7, 4.28 in 25 games (24 starts). His K/W ratio improved significantly, to 100/85 in 134 2/3 innings, but he did lead the league in wild pitches with 21. He was by no means a prospect.

On December 14, 1982, he was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals in a trade that appears to have been completely lop-sided at first glance. He and fellow marginal minor leaguers Bob Helsom, an outfielder, and Marty Mason, a pitcher, where sent to St. Louis in return for two blue chip prospects, OF Stan Javier and SS Bobby Meacham, who would both have substantial major league careers. There was more to the trade than met the eye though: a year earlier, the cards had sent P Bob Sykes to the Yankees in return for minor league OF Willie McGee. Sykes turned out to be injured and never pitched for the Yankees, while McGee went on unexpectedly to have an excellent rookie season and to play a starring role in the 1982 World Series. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was extremely displeased with this turn of events and threatened to have the original trade voided, so the Cardinals agreed to the second deal to even things up. None of the three players they acquired ever reached the majors.

As for Fincher, he pitched only one more season in pro ball. In 1983, still in the Sally League, he was 2-7, 5.87 for the Macon Redbirds and earned his release at the end of the season. He was still beset by control problems, with 42 walks in 79 2/3 innings.

After baseball, he settled down in Lakeland, FL.