The 100 Greatest Angels: # 6 Chuck Finley

by Rev Halofan on Feb 24, 2006 1:45 AM PST in Top 100 Angels (2005)

#6 Chuch Finley, LH SP

Chuck Finley was the final member of the 1986 American League Western Division Champion Angels to play for the team, and the final one to retire, pitching his final regular season game on September 28, 2002 - three days after the Angels had clinched the 2002 Wild Card.

He holds a few important franchise pitching records, chief among them being the winning pitcher more often than any other Angel.

165 Angel Wins
Most in team history

2,675 Innings Pitched
Most in team history

379 Games Started
Most in team history

Chuck was also in the Franchise Top Ten of many prominent pitching categories:

118 Adjusted ERA+
5th best for an Angel pitcher

1.92 K to BB Ratio
9th best for an Angel pitcher

14 Shutouts
Tied with George Brunet for 4th most in team history

57 Complete Games
4th most for an Angel pitcher

2,151 Strikeouts
2nd most by an Angel pitcher

7.24 K/9
3rd best rate for an Angel pitcher

.541 WL%
8th best in franchise history

Finley's sinkerball led to many a Wild Pitch (and he threw an Angel record of 117 of them). The dip in the ball was so great that batters would swing and miss as catchers dove for the ball and missed - which is bad enough except when men are on base or the uncaught strike was #3 - the sinker made him the only pitcher in baseball history to strike out 4 batters in an inning twice in his career.

Of his many single season records, the one that is most impressive is appearing three times in the Angel Single Season Top Ten Adjusted ERA+, the only Angel to be on it more than once. (144 in 1993, 148 in 1989, 160 in 1990 - 5th, 4th and 2nd respectively).

From start to finish, Finley's career epitomized the Southern California experience - he came her from somewhere else (Louisiana), quickly shaved the redneck `stache and grew his hair long (a mullet actually), it got blonde and he married an actress (or some kind of playmate B-List celebrity), left town and made the tabloids, came home and retired in style.

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Great Forkball

Yeah, that forkball was something. He really developed into a hell of a pitcher over the course of his career, and overall I'd have to say he's the top starting pitcher in Angels history (obviously Ryan is a greater pitcher overall, but I give Fins the edge in an Angel uniform).

One of my favorite innings from Finley came in the first ever interleague game, played at Chavez Ravine (boxscore: http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B06170LAN1997.htm). Finley let the first three guys of the inning reach base, with only (IIRC) a nice Tim Salmon throw holding the lead runner at third.

Retrosheet doesn't have the play-by-play, so I'm not sure which three guys were due up then, but it was around the top or middle of the order.

So what does Finley do? Strikeout, strikeout, groundout, and he's out of the jam in nothing flat. The man could pitch.

The worst thing is the day you realize you want to win more than the players do. -Gene Mauch

by Chronicles on Feb 24, 2006 9:50 AM PST reply actions

It's in there now

It's the Dodgers' sixth:

DODGERS 6TH: Zeile singled to center; Piazza singled to right [Zeile to second]; Karros singled to right [Zeile to third, Piazza to second]; Mondesi struck out; Ashley struck out; Gagne forced Karros (third to second); 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Angels 3, Dodgers 1.

Fire Mickey Hatcher. An entire generation of Angels offense depends upon it.

by scareduck on Nov 26, 2006 10:08 AM PST up reply actions