| Bill Dawley | |
|---|---|
 Dawley with theNashville Sounds in 1979 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1958-02-06)February 6, 1958 (age 67) Norwich, Connecticut, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 1983, for the Houston Astros | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 4, 1989, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 27–30 |
| Earned run average | 3.42 |
| Strikeouts | 292 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
William Chester Dawley (born February 6, 1958) is an American former professionalbaseballpitcher. He played all or part of seven seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB), from 1983 to 1989, for theHouston Astros,Chicago White Sox,St. Louis Cardinals,Philadelphia Phillies, andOakland Athletics. Dawley was used exclusively as arelief pitcher during his major league career, appearing in 275 games as a reliever.
Dawley was drafted out ofGriswold High School in the seventh round of the1976 Major League Baseball Draft by theCincinnati Reds. Over the next six seasons, he worked his way up through the Reds' farm system as astarting pitcher, pitching substantially in relief only in 1980 with theIndianapolis Indians. Duringspring training in 1983, he was traded to the Astros along withinfielderTony Walker in exchange for backupcatcherAlan Knicely.
Dawley made the Astros roster out of spring training as a relief pitcher. Despite having little experience out of the bullpen, Dawley got off to a great start, being chosen for and playing in theAll-Star Game after going 5–2 with a 1.88 earned-run average before the All-Star break. Dawley finished his rookie season with a 6–6 record and a 2.82 ERA and 14saves.
In the All-Star Game itself, Dawley took the mound for theNational League with two outs in the bottom of the third inning after theAmerican League'sFred Lynn hit the first grand slam in All-Star history offAtlee Hammaker. Dawley retiredJim Rice on a pop fly to end the third, then retiredGeorge Brett on a flyout andstruck outLance Parrish. After giving up a single toDave Winfield, he gotManny Trillo to fly out to end the inning.Dickie Thon, his teammate with the Astros, then batted for him in the fifth inning.[1]
In 1984, Dawley set career highs in several categories, going 11–4 with a 1.93 ERA. However, he never again matched the success of his first two seasons. After slumping to a 5–3 record and a 3.56 ERA in 1985, he was released at the end of spring training in 1986. He signed with the White Sox, and although his ERA did bounce back slightly to 3.32, he failed to win a game, going 0–7 with 2 saves.
During the next offseason, Dawley was traded to the Cardinals for infielderFred Manrique. Dawley's numbers continued to decline as he posted an ERA of 4.47 while losing a career-high eight games against five wins, and he was left off the team's postseason roster.
He was released by the Cardinals that winter, signing with the Phillies. He started the season with two losses in his first five appearances, posting an ERA of 17.05 before being sent to the minors in mid-May. He spent most of 1988 season with the minor leagueMaine Phillies before returning to the majors in September, but appeared in just three more games, then was released again.
Prior to the 1989 season, Dawley signed a minor league contract with Oakland. He started the season with theTacoma Tigers, where he earned a return trip to the majors by posting a 3–1 record with 3 saves and a 2.56 ERA along with 44 strikeouts in 38.2innings pitched. On June 23, he threw four scoreless innings against theToronto Blue Jays. On July 4, however, he gave up four runs in just2⁄3 of an inning against theKansas City Royals. He was returned to Tacoma, then released on July 27. He was signed by theMilwaukee Brewers the next day. He finished the season with their top farm club, theDenver Zephyrs and became a free agent after the season, ending his professional career.