# Bob Lacey > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bob_Lacey > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bob_Lacey.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Lacey > Source revision: 1350281861 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|American baseball player (born 1953)}} {{about||the American football wide receiver|Bob Lacey (American football)|the syndicated radio host|The Bob and Sheri Show}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Bob Lacey | image = Bob Lacey - Cleveland Indians.jpg | position = [Pitcher](/source/Pitcher) | bats = Right | throws = Left | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|8|25}} | birth_place = [Fredericksburg, Virginia](/source/Fredericksburg%2C_Virginia), U.S. |debutleague = MLB | debutdate = May 13 | debutyear = 1977 | debutteam = Oakland Athletics |finalleague = MLB | finaldate = September 26 | finalyear = 1984 | finalteam = San Francisco Giants |statleague = MLB | stat1label = [Win–loss record](/source/Win%E2%80%93loss_record_(pitching)) | stat1value = 20–29 | stat2label = [Earned run average](/source/Earned_run_average) | stat2value = 3.67 | stat3label = [Strikeout](/source/Strikeout)s | stat3value = 251 | teams = *[Oakland Athletics](/source/Oakland_Athletics) ({{mlby|1977}}–{{mlby|1980}}) *[Cleveland Indians](/source/Cleveland_Indians) ({{mlby|1981}}) *[Texas Rangers](/source/Texas_Rangers_(baseball)) ({{mlby|1981}}) *[California Angels](/source/Los_Angeles_Angels_of_Anaheim) ({{mlby|1983}}) *[San Francisco Giants](/source/San_Francisco_Giants) ({{mlby|1984}}) }} '''Robert Joseph Lacey, Jr.''' (born August 25, 1953) is an American former professional [baseball](/source/baseball) [pitcher](/source/pitcher). He played all or part of seven seasons in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) for the [Oakland Athletics](/source/Oakland_Athletics), [Cleveland Indians](/source/Cleveland_Indians), [Texas Rangers](/source/Texas_Rangers_(baseball)), [California Angels](/source/Los_Angeles_Angels_of_Anaheim), and [San Francisco Giants](/source/San_Francisco_Giants). == Early career == Lacey once [struck out](/source/strikeout) 19 batters during an [American Legion](/source/American_Legion_Baseball) playoff game as a youth.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}} He was a 10th-round draft selection of the Oakland A's in 1972, he was 13–2 in his first [minor league](/source/minor_league_baseball) season. However, as the A's dynasty began to crumble as the decade wore on, Lacey was given an opportunity at the major league level during the 1977 season. == Major league career == === 1978–79 === In just his fourth major league appearance, he struck out future Hall of Famer [Reggie Jackson](/source/Reggie_Jackson) twice[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK197705160.shtml May 16, 1977 box score] in a crucial situation, enraging Jackson and the Yankees in the process.[http://cococrispafro.wordpress.com/2014/07/11/interview-with-bob-lacey/ Interview with Bob Lacey.] ''Coco Crisp's Afro''. Retrieved July 11, 2014. Later, he would engage in a brawl with the [Kansas City Royals](/source/Kansas_City_Royals)' [Darrell Porter](/source/Darrell_Porter), who called Lacey a "crazy, immature, punk." Despite this, he emerged as Oakland's most reliable relief pitcher and led the American League in appearances in 1978. No other pitcher in league history inherited more baserunners than Bob Lacey did in 1978 (104). Despite that, he won eight games, crafted a 3.01 ERA and saved five games. He had a disappointing 1979 season suffering with bursitis in his heel. === 1980 === In 1980, Lacey may have been the least used [closer](/source/closer_(baseball)) of the modern era. While Lacey appeared in a team-high 47 games, finishing 31, he only earned six [save](/source/save_(baseball))s. This was due to Oakland's record-setting starting pitching. In what will likely never be duplicated in today's game, the A's pitched an astonishing 94 [complete game](/source/complete_game)s in 1980, leaving little left for relievers like Lacey. This eventually led to friction with his [manager](/source/manager_(baseball)), [Billy Martin](/source/Billy_Martin), over how he was used.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}} Martin did give Lacey his first ever starting assignment on the next-to-last day of the season, and he [blanked](/source/shutout) the [Milwaukee Brewers](/source/1980_Milwaukee_Brewers_season). Naturally, it was a complete game.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=laceybo01&t=p&year=1980 Bob Lacey 1980 game log] === Remaining career === Lacey was traded to the San Diego Padres in late March 1981 with Roy Moretti for [Tony Phillips](/source/Tony_Phillips), [Kevin Bell](/source/Kevin_Bell_(baseball)), and Eric Mustad. He was with the Padres for three days, who in turn traded him to the Cleveland Indians. Lacey split time between the Indians and Rangers in 1981 and pitched for [Saltillo](/source/Saraperos_de_Saltillo) in the [Mexican League](/source/Mexican_League_(baseball)) in 1982. He was a late-season call up for the California Angels in late 1983 and pitched in relief for the San Francisco Giants in 1984. He bounced around the minors for the 1985 season before pulling the plug on his seven-year career. He made a comeback of sorts in the late 1990s as manager of the [Greensville Bluesmen](/source/Greensville_Bluesmen). Not content to just the dugout, Lacey appeared in eight games of relief over the 1988 and 1989 seasons, four games each year. == Notes == {{reflist}} == References == {{Baseballstats | br=l/laceybo01 | fangraphs=1007232| brm=lacey-001rob | retro=L/Placeb001}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lacey, Bob}} Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada Category:American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Category:Baseball players from Fredericksburg, Virginia Category:Birmingham A's players Category:Burlington Bees players Category:California Angels players Category:Central Arizona College alumni Category:Central Arizona Vaqueros baseball players Category:Charleston Charlies players Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:Coos Bay-North Bend A's players Category:Edmonton Trappers players Category:Greenville Bluesmen players Category:Key West Conchs players Category:Leones del Caracas players Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Mexican Baseball League pitchers Category:Miami Marlins (FSL) players Category:Oakland Athletics players Category:Phoenix Giants players Category:San Francisco Giants players Category:San Jose Missions players Category:Saraperos de Saltillo players Category:Texas Rangers players Category:Tucson Toros players Category:20th-century American sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bob Lacey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Lacey) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Lacey?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.