Former Orioles Pitcher Pat Dobson Passes Away at 64…
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Pat Dobson, part of the famous pitching staff of the 1971 Baltimore Orioles which sported four 20 games winners, passed away on Wednesday at age 64. USA Today reports that his wife, Kathe Dobson explained that Dobson died Wednesday after being diagnosed a day earlier with leukemia.
The USA Today staff and wire goes on to report;
“I’ve been in this game for 40 years,” said Dave Campbell, Dobson’s former roommate with the San Diego Padres, and he was undoubtedly the funniest man in the game.”
Dobson, who had five children, is expected to be honored at a memorial service in San Francisco, Kathe Dobson said.
“He was an angel on earth who touched everyone and absolutely loved the game of baseball,” Kathe Dobson said.
Dobson went 20-8 with a 2.90 ERA for the AL champion Orioles in 1971, rounding out a famous rotation that also included Hall of Famer Jim Palmer (20-9), Dave McNally (21-5) and Mike Cuellar (20-9). The 1920 Chicago White Sox are the only other team in major league history to have four 20-game winners.
“He’s one of four that everybody will remember,” former Orioles manager Earl Weaver told The Associated Press. “He had a great year for us.”
An All-Star with Baltimore in 1972, Dobson was 122-129 with a 3.54 ERA in 11 major league seasons and won a World Series ring with the 1968 Detroit Tigers. He also pitched for San Diego, Atlanta, the New York Yankees and Cleveland.
Dobson’s bio in San Francisco’s media guide said he was living in El Cajon. He was born on Feb. 12, 1942, in Depew, N.Y., and is survived by wife Kathe and six children: Pat III, Nancy, Stacy, Chris, Shannon and Stephanie.
Janie McCauley, AP Sports Writer reports more on Dobson’s pitching career subsequent to 1972 as well as his scouting and coaching career after retirement;
The next season, Dobson made the AL All-Star team. Though he finished that year 16-18, he posted a solid 2.65 ERA.
“He had a great curveball,” said Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, Dobson’s teammate with the Orioles. “He was a real gamer, a real competitor. He didn’t give in to anybody.”
He was 19-15 with a 3.07 ERA for the 1974 New York Yankees. The right-hander also pitched for San Diego, Atlanta and Cleveland.
Dobson started Game 4 of the 1971 World Series against Pittsburgh and got a no-decision, allowing three runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings. The Pirates beat Baltimore in seven games.
“He was a free spirit and I enjoyed having him,” Weaver said. “He was a pleasure to have on the team. He caused a lot of laughs, and he kept his teammates laughing.”
Weaver, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996, recalled that Dobson had a terrific curveball even when he was struggling with Detroit mostly as a reliever — but he rarely threw it for a strike.
After his playing career ended, Dobson spent eight seasons as a big league pitching coach for Milwaukee (1982-84), San Diego (1988-90), Kansas City (1991) and Baltimore (1996). He tutored a pair of Cy Young Award winners: Pete Vuckovich of the Brewers in 1982 and Mark Davis of the Padres in 1989.
Dobson joined the Giants in 1997, serving as an advance scout and a trusted adviser to Sabean.
“Pat’s untimely death is a complete shock to the whole organization and me and it’s hard for us to express our feelings right now,” Sabean said. “We’ve all become so close through the years and we’re going to miss him dearly. … I can’t put into words the impact Pat had on the Giants over the years.
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February 6th, 2007 at 7:42 am
[…] Barber is the second former Orioles hurler to have passed away in the off-season. In late November, 2006, it was reported that Pat Dobson passed away after being diagnosed with leukemia. […]