{{Short description|American baseball player (born 1956)}} {{Multiple issues|{{BLP single source|date=May 2025}}{{more footnotes|date=May 2025}}}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Steve Farr |image=Steve Farr Royals.jpg |position=Pitcher |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date={{birth date and age|1956|12|12}} |birth_place=Cheverly, Maryland, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=May 1 |debutyear=1984 |debutteam=Cleveland Indians |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=August 8 |finalyear=1994 |finalteam=Boston Red Sox |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Win–loss record |stat1value=48–45 |stat2label=Earned run average |stat2value=3.25 |stat3label=Strikeouts |stat3value=668 |stat4label=Saves |stat4value=132 |teams= * Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1984}}) * Kansas City Royals ({{mlby|1985}}–{{mlby|1990}}) * New York Yankees ({{mlby|1991}}–{{mlby|1993}}) * Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1994}}) * Boston Red Sox ({{mlby|1994}}) |awards= *World Series champion (1985) }} '''Steven Michael Farr''' (born December 12, 1956) is an American former professional baseball player who pitched primarily as a closer in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1984 to 1994.
==Biography== {{Expand section|date=February 2025}} Farr graduated from DeMatha High School outside Washington, D.C., in 1974 where he played both pitcher and catcher<ref>{{Cite web |title=1993 Topps #717 Steve Farr |url=https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/291/cid/108092/1993-Topps-717-Steve-Farr |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.tcdb.com}}</ref> and then played college baseball at American University for a year before signing a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Feinstein |first1=John |title=Farr Finds Home in Kansas City |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1985/10/16/farr-finds-home-in-kansas-city/0527e8a5-d8e9-4ade-94be-c0917a0c5270/ |access-date=11 December 2022 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=16 October 1985}}</ref>
He was signed as an undrafted free Agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates in '76 and spent 7 full seasons in their farm system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1990 Score #356 Steve Farr |url=https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/144/cid/66564/1990-Score-356-Steve-Farr |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.tcdb.com}}</ref> Then he was traded to the Cleveland Indians where he began his professional career in 1984 as a reliever. He pitched 116 innings over the course of 31 games. And was ultimately released by the club.<ref name=":0">[https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/128/cid/14656805/1989-Donruss-356-Steve-Farr 1989 Donruss #356 Steve Farr | Trading Card Database]</ref>
On May 9, 1985 Farr was picked up by the Royals as a bullpen reliever, although he would not play a part in the team's World Series Championship that year, he was credited as the winning pitcher of game 3 of the ALCS against Toronto having put up 4.1 innings of work.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1990 Topps #149 Steve Farr |url=https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/147/cid/61049/1990-Topps-149-Steve-Farr |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.tcdb.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1985 American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 3, Toronto Blue Jays vs Kansas City Royals: October 11, 1985 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/KCA/KCA198510110.shtml |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> However, after a few seasons he took over as the Royals closer in the 1988 season leading the team in saves with 20.<ref name=":0" /> In 89 he injured his knee and required surgery, but still chalked up 18 saves for the team.<ref>[https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/138/cid/14792866/1990-Donruss-356-Steve-Farr 1990 Donruss #356 Steve Farr | Trading Card Database]</ref>
In 1990 he was used anywhere between the pitching rotations and bullpen the team needed him and he ended up leading the team with 13 wins while posting a 1.98 ERA.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1991 Donruss #365 Steve Farr |url=https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/152/cid/71817/1991-Donruss-365-Steve-Farr |access-date=2025-07-29 |website=www.tcdb.com}}</ref> It was this season that he pitched his only career complete game throwing a 5 hit shutout of the California Angels on September 23, 1990.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1994 Finest - Refractors #348 Steve Farr |url=https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/334/cid/115138/1994-Finest---Refractors-348-Steve-Farr |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.tcdb.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Steve Farr 1990 Game by Game Pitching Logs {{!}} Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/pitchinglogs.php?p=farrst01&y=1990 |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref> This season's performance led to him signing with the New York Yankees just before the '91 season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1991 Studio #92 Steve Farr |url=https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/166/cid/76667/1991-Studio-92-Steve-Farr |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.tcdb.com}}</ref> In his first season with the team he led the Bronx Bombers in saves with 23 while at one point posting 27 consecutive scoreless innings and 14 straight save completions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1992 Donruss #735 Steve Farr |url=https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/177/cid/73235/1992-Donruss-735-Steve-Farr |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.tcdb.com}}</ref> He went on in '92 to post a career high 30 saves while putting up a 1.56 ERA.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1993 O-Pee-Chee #27 Steve Farr |url=https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/259/cid/103946/1993-Pinnacle-196-Steve-Farr |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.tcdb.com}}</ref>
After earning 25 saves in 93 to lead the Yankees for 3 straight seasons, in 1994 with the ascension of Mariano Rivera to the position of the team's closer, Farr signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Indians taking over their closer duties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1994 Score Rookie & Traded - Gold Rush #RT70 Steve Farr |url=https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/10369/cid/604480/1994-Score-Rookie-&-Traded---Gold-Rush-RT70-Steve-Farr |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.tcdb.com}}</ref> But at the beginning of July he was traded to the Boston Red Sox<ref>{{Cite web |title=1995 Score #186 Steve Farr |url=https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/541/cid/131856/1995-Score-186-Steve-Farr |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.tcdb.com}}</ref> only to have that be his last season to pitch in the majors.
Farr was known throughout his career for his impeccable control and a basic repertoire of fastball, curveball and slider<ref>{{Cite web |title=1992 Pinnacle #206 Steve Farr |url=https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/194/cid/92456/1992-Pinnacle-206-Steve-Farr |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=www.tcdb.com}}</ref>
==See also== *Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== *[https://www.royalsreview.com/2008/7/1/562651/the-100-greatest-royals-of The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time: #47 Steve Farr] at royalsreview.com
==External links== {{baseballstats |br=f/farrst01 |brm=farr--001ste |retro=F/Pfarrs001}}
{{1985 Kansas City Royals}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farr, Steve}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:Kansas City Royals players Category:New York Yankees players Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:DeMatha Catholic High School alumni Category:American Eagles baseball players Category:Niagara Falls Pirates players Category:Charleston Pirates players Category:Salem Pirates players Category:Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Category:Portland Beavers players Category:Maine Guides players Category:Omaha Royals players Category:Baseball players from Prince George's County, Maryland Category:Sportspeople from Cheverly, Maryland Category:20th-century American sportsmen
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