Tim Leary (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Timothy James Leary (born December 23, 1958, in Santa Monica, California
) is a former Major League Baseball
right-handed pitcher
.
, and was named to the All-CIF
first-team. He went 19-1 to lead his American Legion Baseball
team to the national championship.
He attended the University of California, Los Angeles
, where he was a three year letterwinner in baseball on top of completing an economics
degree. Over his college career, Leary compiled a 21-15 record with a 3.09 earned run average
. His sixteen complete games is a school record, and his 258 strikeouts are the school's fourth highest total.
In , he helped lead the USA Amateur Team
to the silver medal in the World Cup played in Italy
. He was also a member of the 1979 Pan Am Team
.
as the second overall pick of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft
. He went 15-8 with a 2.76 ERA and 138 strikeouts for the Jackson Mets
in his first professional season, prompting the Mets to make the controversial decision to bring him all the way to the majors for his second season. Making his major league debut on April 12, , Leary faced just seven batters, before leaving the game after just two innings with a strained elbow. After four months inactive, he appeared in six games with the Mets' triple A affiliate, the Tidewater Tides toward the end of the 1981 season. He strained his elbow a second time during Spring training
, and was shut down for the entire 1982 season.
He returned to Tidewater in , and fell to 8-16 with a 4.38 ERA, mostly due to an increase in home runs allowed (11 versus just 5 in ). Regardless, he received a second call up to the majors that September, and never made it out of the second inning in his return, mostly due to two errors
by George Foster
in left field that led to five unearned runs. His second start, however, went far better, as he pitched a complete game for his first major league victory against the Montreal Expos
.
." During the off season, Leary was part of an unusual four team trade in which the Mets sent him to the Milwaukee Brewers
and received Frank Wills
from the Kansas City Royals
.
Leary spent the season with Milwaukee's triple A affiliate, the Vancouver Canadians
, and once again returned to the majors when rosters expanded that September. He finally enjoyed his first healthy major league season in when he went 12-12 with a 4.21 ERA and 188.1 innings pitched
. Following the season, he and Tim Crews
were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
for Greg Brock
.
and as a reliever
in , Leary had a breakthrough season for the Dodgers in . He held the Philadelphia Phillies
to just one hit
on May 25, and was named the National League
's "Pitcher of the Week" for the week of July 18–24, during while he shut out the St. Louis Cardinals
and earned a complete game victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates
. He finished the season second on his team behind Cy Young Award
winner Orel Hershiser
in wins (17), ERA (2.91), shutouts (6), complete games (9) and innings pitched (228.2), while leading his club with 180 strikeouts.
The Dodgers won the National League West
by seven games over the Cincinnati Reds
to face Leary's former franchise, the New York Mets, in the 1988 National League Championship Series
. Leary appeared in the game four twelve inning marathon won by the Dodgers, and made the start in game six, taking the loss.
In the World Series
against the Oakland Athletics
, Leary was used out of the bullpen
by manager Tommy Lasorda
. His three innings of scoreless work allowed the Dodgers to come back from a 4-2 deficit in game one, and he appeared in game three, allowing one run
in 3.2 innings.
Following the Dodgers' World Series victory, Leary was named the Sporting News National League Comeback Player of the Year for his regular season performance. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds midway through the season with Mariano Duncan
for Kal Daniels
and Lenny Harris
. After the season, the Reds sent him and Van Snider
to the New York Yankees
for Hal Morris
and minor leaguer Rodney Imes.
with nineteen losses, mostly due to poor run support from the Yankees' bats and a league leading 23 wild pitch
es. Either way, the Yankees re-signed Leary for three years and $5.95 million when he became a free agent at the end of the season. After winning his first two starts of the season, Leary went 2-8 with a 6.95 ERA to earn a demotion to the bullpen. He ended the season at 4-10 with a 6.49 ERA.
He was moved back into the starting rotation in , and was 5-6 with a 5.57 ERA when he was dealt to the Seattle Mariners
for minor leaguer Sean Twitty.
In , the Mariners improved from a team that narrowly avoided one hundred losses to 82-80, mostly due to new manager Lou Pinella, and the emergence of young stars Randy Johnson
, Ken Griffey, Jr.
and Jay Buhner
. For his part, Leary had his first winning season since 1988 at 11-9.
when they released him. He caught on with the Texas Rangers
shortly afterwards, and went 1-1 with a 8.14 ERA. He retired when the Rangers attempted to reassign him to the minor leagues following the season.
pitcher in 1988, when he batted .269 with nine runs batted in and thirteen successful sacrifice bunts. His only career home run came off Hall of Famer
Steve Carlton
.
Athletics Hall of Fame while he was a member of the New York Yankees. Shortly after his retirement, he became a coach for UCLA from to and again in . He has also coached at Loyola Marymount University
and Cal State Northridge.
He resides in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. He has two daughters, Anne-Sophie and Caroline, and a son, Thomas.
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
.
Amateur career
Leary posted a 10-2 record in his senior year at Santa Monica High SchoolSanta Monica High School
Santa Monica High School, informally known as SAMOHI, is located in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1884, it is one of the oldest high schools in the state....
, and was named to the All-CIF
CIF
CIF is an abbreviation that may stand for:* California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body for high school sports in California* Caltech Intermediate Form, geometry language for VLSI design, in which the primitives are coloured rectangles * Canada India Foundation, Canadian lobbying...
first-team. He went 19-1 to lead his American Legion Baseball
American Legion Baseball
American Legion Baseball is a variety of amateur baseball played by teenage boys in 50 states in the USA. More than five thousand teams participate each year. The American Legion Department of South Dakota established the program in 1925 at Milbank, South Dakota...
team to the national championship.
He attended the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, where he was a three year letterwinner in baseball on top of completing an economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
degree. Over his college career, Leary compiled a 21-15 record with a 3.09 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. His sixteen complete games is a school record, and his 258 strikeouts are the school's fourth highest total.
In , he helped lead the USA Amateur Team
United States national baseball team
The United States National Baseball team represents the United States in international baseball competition. The United States has won the previous two Baseball World Cups, having lost this title to the Netherlands in 2011, and is currently second in the IBAF World Rankings, behind Cuba.The team...
to the silver medal in the World Cup played in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He was also a member of the 1979 Pan Am Team
Baseball at the Pan American Games
The baseball tournament at the Pan American Games has long been considered to be one of the premier international baseball events in the world, even higher than the Olympic Games. This is because the level of competition is higher than in the Olympics, where only two teams from the Americas...
.
New York Mets
Leary was selected by the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
as the second overall pick of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft
1979 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1979 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 5-7, 1979, via conference call.-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1979 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :...
. He went 15-8 with a 2.76 ERA and 138 strikeouts for the Jackson Mets
Jackson Mets
The Jackson Mets were a professional baseball team based in Jackson, Mississippi, from 1975 through 1990. As of 2010, they are the longest-tenured club to be based in the Jackson metropolitan area...
in his first professional season, prompting the Mets to make the controversial decision to bring him all the way to the majors for his second season. Making his major league debut on April 12, , Leary faced just seven batters, before leaving the game after just two innings with a strained elbow. After four months inactive, he appeared in six games with the Mets' triple A affiliate, the Tidewater Tides toward the end of the 1981 season. He strained his elbow a second time during Spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, and was shut down for the entire 1982 season.
He returned to Tidewater in , and fell to 8-16 with a 4.38 ERA, mostly due to an increase in home runs allowed (11 versus just 5 in ). Regardless, he received a second call up to the majors that September, and never made it out of the second inning in his return, mostly due to two errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
by George Foster
George Foster
George Foster may refer to:*Bill Foster , full name George William Foster, Congressman from Illinois*George Eulas Foster , Canadian politician*George Foster , Australian Senator...
in left field that led to five unearned runs. His second start, however, went far better, as he pitched a complete game for his first major league victory against the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
.
Milwaukee Brewers
Leary split the season between Tidewater and the Mets before the Mets finally gave up on the pitcher once dubbed the "next Tom SeaverTom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
." During the off season, Leary was part of an unusual four team trade in which the Mets sent him to the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and received Frank Wills
Frank Wills (baseball)
Frank Lee Wills is an American former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals , Seattle Mariners , Cleveland Indians , and Toronto Blue Jays...
from the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
.
Leary spent the season with Milwaukee's triple A affiliate, the Vancouver Canadians
Vancouver Canadians
The Vancouver Canadians are a minor league baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadians are the Northwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The C's have previously affiliated with the Oakland Athletics between 2000-2010. They are the only Canadian team in the...
, and once again returned to the majors when rosters expanded that September. He finally enjoyed his first healthy major league season in when he went 12-12 with a 4.21 ERA and 188.1 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
. Following the season, he and Tim Crews
Tim Crews
Stanley Timothy Crews was a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers -- to . He was granted free agency after the 1992 season and signed with the Cleveland Indians on January 22, 1993....
were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
for Greg Brock
Greg Brock
Greg Brock may refer to:* Greg Brock , baseball player* Greg Brock , a fictional character on The West Wing...
.
Los Angeles Dodgers
After going 3-11 with a 4.76 ERA splitting his time between startsStarting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
and as a reliever
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
in , Leary had a breakthrough season for the Dodgers in . He held the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
to just one hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
on May 25, and was named the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's "Pitcher of the Week" for the week of July 18–24, during while he shut out the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and earned a complete game victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. He finished the season second on his team behind Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
in wins (17), ERA (2.91), shutouts (6), complete games (9) and innings pitched (228.2), while leading his club with 180 strikeouts.
The Dodgers won the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
by seven games over the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
to face Leary's former franchise, the New York Mets, in the 1988 National League Championship Series
1988 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 4, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe series opened with a classic pitching matchup, pitting the Dodgers' Orel Hershiser, who had won 23 games during the regular season and carried a Major League record 59 consecutive scoreless innings into the game,...
. Leary appeared in the game four twelve inning marathon won by the Dodgers, and made the start in game six, taking the loss.
In the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
against the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, Leary was used out of the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
by manager Tommy Lasorda
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball player and manager. marked his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully...
. His three innings of scoreless work allowed the Dodgers to come back from a 4-2 deficit in game one, and he appeared in game three, allowing one run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
in 3.2 innings.
Following the Dodgers' World Series victory, Leary was named the Sporting News National League Comeback Player of the Year for his regular season performance. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds midway through the season with Mariano Duncan
Mariano Duncan
Mariano Duncan Nalasco is a retired second baseman and shortstop who played for several Major League Baseball teams during his 12 year career. He was the infield coach and 1st base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers under Managers Grady Little and Joe Torre...
for Kal Daniels
Kal Daniels
Kalvoski Daniels is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1986–1992. He spent time with the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs during his seven year career.Daniels was born on August 20, 1963 in Vienna, Georgia...
and Lenny Harris
Lenny Harris
Leonard Anthony Harris is a former Major League Baseball utility infielder who is currently the hitting instructor for the Great Lakes Loons. He is best known for holding the record for the most pinch hits in a major league career...
. After the season, the Reds sent him and Van Snider
Van Snider
Van Voorhees Snider is a former Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds. He played parts of two seasons for them in and . The Reds traded Jeff Montgomery to the Kansas City Royals for him on February 15, 1988 and he made his ML debut with them on September 2, 1988 against the...
to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for Hal Morris
Hal Morris
William Harold Morris III is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Cincinnati Reds. He attended Munster High School in Munster, Indiana, and the University of Michigan. Morris was the Player of the Year while attending Munster High School...
and minor leaguer Rodney Imes.
New York Yankees
Leary experiences some hard luck in his first season with the Yankees. Despite a respectable 4.11 ERA, he led the American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with nineteen losses, mostly due to poor run support from the Yankees' bats and a league leading 23 wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
es. Either way, the Yankees re-signed Leary for three years and $5.95 million when he became a free agent at the end of the season. After winning his first two starts of the season, Leary went 2-8 with a 6.95 ERA to earn a demotion to the bullpen. He ended the season at 4-10 with a 6.49 ERA.
He was moved back into the starting rotation in , and was 5-6 with a 5.57 ERA when he was dealt to the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
for minor leaguer Sean Twitty.
Seattle Mariners
Seattle acquired Leary to fill a starting rotation that had been decimated by injury. As a result, Leary made six starts that September.In , the Mariners improved from a team that narrowly avoided one hundred losses to 82-80, mostly due to new manager Lou Pinella, and the emergence of young stars Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
, Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
and Jay Buhner
Jay Buhner
Jay Campbell Buhner , nicknamed "Bone", is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He was among the most recognizable players of his day, noted for his shaved head, thick goatee, and patch of pine tar on the right hip of his uniform...
. For his part, Leary had his first winning season since 1988 at 11-9.
Retirement
Leary signed a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring training with the Montreal Expos in . He was 2-4 with a 5.43 ERA for the triple A Ottawa LynxOttawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
when they released him. He caught on with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
shortly afterwards, and went 1-1 with a 8.14 ERA. He retired when the Rangers attempted to reassign him to the minor leagues following the season.
Career stats
Leary was named the NL Silver SluggerSilver Slugger
The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball...
pitcher in 1988, when he batted .269 with nine runs batted in and thirteen successful sacrifice bunts. His only career home run came off Hall of Famer
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
.
Personal life
Leary was inducted into the UCLA BruinsUCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
Athletics Hall of Fame while he was a member of the New York Yankees. Shortly after his retirement, he became a coach for UCLA from to and again in . He has also coached at Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
and Cal State Northridge.
He resides in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. He has two daughters, Anne-Sophie and Caroline, and a son, Thomas.