Bill Travers | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Pitcher | |
Born: Norwood, Massachusetts, U.S. | October 27, 1952|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
MLB debut | |
May 19, 1974, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
Last MLB appearance | |
July 17, 1983, for the California Angels | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 65–71 |
Earned run average | 4.10 |
Strikeouts | 488 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
William Edward Travers (born October 27,1952) is an American former professional baseball pitcher.
Travers attended Norwood High School,where he pitched three no-hitters,and was 13-0 with one save as a senior. [1] He also played for the Norwood Post 70 American Legion team. The southpaw was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth round of the 1970 Major League Baseball draft five months shy of his 18th birthday.
His minor league career started off poorly (1-6,5.62 ERA with the Midwest League's Clinton Pilots in 1970),and only got worse when he started to develop arm trouble in 1972. Following operations to remove bone chips from his elbow and reroute an ulnar nerve which almost saw his career end (an operation which later became known as Tommy John surgery), [2] Travers received his first call up to the majors in 1974. Used primarily as a long reliever in manager Del Crandall's bullpen,Travers went 2-3 with a 4.92 earned run average.
He started the following season with the triple A Sacramento Solons,however,in desperate need of starting pitching,the Brewers called Travers up in June (Travers was one of 13 different starting pitchers Crandall used in 1975). Travers went 6-11 with a 4.48 ERA as a starter. He also made five relief appearances,and collected the only save of his career on June 21 against the Cleveland Indians. [3]
His career took off in 1976,when he went 10-6 with a 1.91 ERA in the first half of the season. The highlight of his first half was a pitchers' duel against the New York Yankees' Dock Ellis at Yankee Stadium. Ellis held the Brewers to one run on four hits. Travers,meanwhile,pitched a four-hit shutout,in which he also collected a season high eight strikeouts. [4] He also pitched shutouts against the Chicago White Sox [5] &California Angels [6] on his way to the only All-Star nod of his career. He sputtered in the second half,however,going 5-10 with a 3.92 ERA. For the season,he led his team with 15 victories and a 2.81 ERA. His 240 innings pitched were a career high.
Travers was named the 1977 Opening Day starter,and started the season 3-4 with a 3.23 ERA,until injuries once again derailed his career. [7] After nearly two months on the disabled list,Travers returned in late July,but was highly ineffective. He went 1-8 with a 6.82 ERA over the remainder of the season. The low point of his season came on August 14 in the second game of a doubleheader with the Indians. Regardless of his ineffectiveness and history of arm trouble,Brewers manager Alex Grammas left Travers in the game for 155 pitches. [8] He finally left the game in the eighth inning,having surrendered 14 earned runs. [9]
Travers underwent a second ulnar transfer operation during the off-season,this time under Dr. Frank Jobe,the doctor who became famous for performing Tommy John's successful surgery. [10] He returned to the Brewers under new manager George Bamberger in May 1978,and went 12-11 with a 4.41 ERA in 28 starts.
Travers returned to ace form in 1979,going 14-8 with a 3.89 ERA to help the Brewers to a second-place finish in the American League East for the first time in franchise history. He repeated this success in 1980,going 12-6 with a 3.91 ERA.
Travers signed a four-year free agent contract with the California Angels on January 26,1981. [11] He faced just one batter in his fourth start with his new club,walking Yankees second baseman Willie Randolph on four pitches before he needed to be pulled from the game. [12] Calcium deposits were found in his pitching elbow. He sat out the remainder of the season in an unsuccessful attempt to let the injury heal. He had surgery during the off season to have the calcium deposits removed,causing him to miss the entire 1982 season in which the Angels captured the American League West. [13]
Travers returned to the mound for the Angels on May 10,1983. [14] He made ten appearances,going 0-3 with a 5.91 ERA before he was released. [15]
W | L | Pct | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | K | WP | HBP | BAA | Fld% |
65 | 71 | .478 | 4.10 | 205 | 168 | 46 | 10 | 1 | 1120.2 | 1139 | 511 | 575 | 134 | 415 | 488 | 44 | 44 | .265 | .947 |
His only career plate appearance came against the New York Yankees on July 29,1979. He successfully sacrificed Jim Wohlford over to second. [16] He pitched for the Senior Professional Baseball Association's St. Lucie Legends in 1989. He was an inaugural inductee into the Milwaukee Brewers "Wall of Honor" in 2014. [17]
Travers married his high school sweetheart,Linda,and had a daughter named Tiffany. His father was a semi-pro catcher,who later served as a police officer in Norwood for 38 years. [18]
Travers is also a very good candlepin bowler,He's made appearances on Channel 5's Candlepin Bowling show in Boston, [19] and was on the 1998 USA team that won the World Championships.
Thomas Edward John Jr.,nicknamed "the Bionic Man," is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 26 seasons between 1963 and 1989. He played for the Cleveland Indians,Chicago White Sox,Los Angeles Dodgers,New York Yankees,California Angels,and Oakland Athletics. He was a four-time MLB All-Star and has the second-most wins (288) of any pitcher since 1900 not in the Hall of Fame. Known for his longevity,John was the Opening Day starter six times –three for the White Sox and three times for the Yankees.
Frank Daryl Tanana is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher. In a Major League Baseball career that stretched from 1973 to 1993,he pitched for the California Angels,Boston Red Sox,Texas Rangers,Detroit Tigers,New York Mets,and New York Yankees. He struck out 2,773 batters in his career and twice won playoff-clinching games for the teams he was on,the 1979 Angels and the 1987 Tigers.
Christopher Frank Capuano is an American former professional baseball pitcher whose professional playing career spanned from 2000 through 2016. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks,Milwaukee Brewers,New York Mets,Los Angeles Dodgers,Boston Red Sox,and New York Yankees,and was an All Star in 2006.
Kyle Matthew Lohse is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins,Cincinnati Reds,Philadelphia Phillies,St. Louis Cardinals,Milwaukee Brewers,and Texas Rangers.
Harry Ralston "Bud" Black is an American professional baseball manager and former pitcher who is the manager of the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB from 1981 through 1995,most notably for the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians. He coached the Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 2000 through 2006 and managed the San Diego Padres from 2007 through 2015. He was named the National League Manager of the Year in 2010.
Neal James Cotts is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox,Chicago Cubs,Texas Rangers,Milwaukee Brewers,and Minnesota Twins.
Timothy James Leary is an American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher.
Thomas Matthew Hausman was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first free agent signing of the New York Mets.
Kenneth George Sanders is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1964 to 1976 for the Kansas City Athletics,Boston Red Sox,Oakland Athletics,Milwaukee Brewers,Minnesota Twins,Cleveland Indians,California Angels,New York Mets,and Kansas City Royals.
Thomas Andrew Murphy is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher.
Claude Edward (Skip) Lockwood Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched for the Seattle Pilots / Milwaukee Brewers (1969–1973),California Angels (1974),New York Mets (1975–1979) and Boston Red Sox (1980).
Daniel Vincent "Danny" Frisella was an American Major League Baseball pitcher whose career was cut short when he was killed in a dune buggy accident on New Year's Day in 1977.
Below is a partial list of minor league baseball players in the Milwaukee Brewers system.
The Milwaukee Brewers' 2009 season was the 40th season for the franchise in Milwaukee and 41st overall. It was Ken Macha's first season as manager of the team. The Brewers failed to improve on their 90–72 record of a year ago and missed the post season,finishing with a losing record of 80–82.
Kevin Richard Kobel is a former professional baseball pitcher. Having made his major league debut with the Milwaukee Brewers a month shy of his twentieth birthday on September 8,1973,he is the only pitcher in franchise history to make his major league debut as a teenager.
William Michael Smith is an American professional baseball relief pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers,San Francisco Giants,Atlanta Braves,Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.
Caleb Anthony Smith is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees,Miami Marlins,and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Corbin Brian Burnes is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Janson Randall Junk is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021.