| Charlie Hough | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: January 5, 1948 Honolulu, Hawaii |
|
| Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| August 12, 1970 for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 26, 1994 for the Florida Marlins | |
| Career statistics | |
| Win-Loss record | 216-216 |
| Earned run average | 3.75 |
| Strikeouts | 2,362 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Charles Oliver (Charlie) Hough (rhymes with "tough" or "rough") (born January 5, 1948 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is a former knuckleball pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently the pitching coach for the Class-A Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino in the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league system.
Contents |
Playing career
Hough was drafted out of Hialeah High School in the 8th round of the 1966 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. After pitching in the low minor leagues from 1967-1969 with the Ogden Dodgers, Santa Barbara Dodgers and Albuquerque Dodgers with limited success, Hough's career and fortunes changed dramatically when he learned how to throw a knuckleball in spring training in 1970, leading to a successful season with the Spokane Indians in AAA., where he led the Pacific Coast League in saves and posted a 1.95 ERA.
He made his major league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970 but did not join the Dodgers bullpen full-time until the 1973 season. He became a top reliever for the Dodgers from 1973 until he was sold to the Texas Rangers in 1980. With the Dodgers, he was one of the pitchers who served up one of the three home runs that New York Yankees slugger Reggie Jackson hit on three straight pitches in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series.
He was converted into a starting pitcher in Texas, where he pitched from 1980-1990, making his only All-Star team in 1986. He left Texas as the franchise leader in wins, strikeouts, complete games and losses. He was famous for his "dancing knuckleball" pitch that he threw around 80% of the time. Hough complemented his knuckleball with a fastball and slider. Hough additionally was well known for throwing a large number of complete games each season and led the league in 1984 with 17.
He pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1991-1992, where, at 43 years old, he found himself pitching to 43 year old Carlton Fisk.
He joined the expansion Florida Marlins for the 1993 season and was the first starting pitcher in the team's history. He retired at age 46 after the 1994 season.
In a 25-season career, Hough posted a 216-216 record with 2362 strikeouts and a 3.75 ERA in 3801.1 innings pitched. His 216 wins is 78th on the all-time win list, tied with Wilbur Cooper.
Coaching career
- 1996-1998: Pitching Coach for the San Bernardino Stampede
- 1998-1999: Pitching Coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers
- 2001-2002: Pitching Coach for the New York Mets
- 2006: Pitching Coach for the Fullerton Flyers
- 2007-present: Pitching Coach for the Inland Empire 66ers
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders
- MLB All-Time Hit Batsmen List
- Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time
External links
- The Shrine to Charlie Hough
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
- Baseball Library - profile and chronology
| Preceded by Glenn Gregson |
Los Angeles Dodgers Pitching Coach 1998-1999 |
Succeeded by Claude Osteen |
| Preceded by Dave Wallace |
New York Mets Pitching Coach 2001 - 2002 |
Succeeded by Rick Waits |
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