| Don Aase | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1954-09-08)September 8, 1954 (age 71) Orange, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 26, 1977, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 1990, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 66–60 |
| Earned run average | 3.80 |
| Strikeouts | 641 |
| Saves | 82 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Donald William Aase (/ˈɑːsiː/AH-see;[1] born September 8, 1954) is an American former professionalbaseballpitcher who played inMajor League Baseball from 1977 to 1990.[2] During his MLB career, Aase played with theBoston Red Sox (1977),California Angels (1978–84), andBaltimore Orioles (1985–88), of theAmerican League. In theNational League, he played for theNew York Mets (1989) andLos Angeles Dodgers (1990).
Aase was drafted by theBoston Red Sox in the sixth round of the 1972 amateur draft.[2] That summer he struggled with theWilliamsport Red Sox, putting up an 0–10 record to go along with a 5.81ERA. The following season he was with theWinter Haven Red Sox and led theFlorida State League with 15 losses. However, he bounced back in 1974 with theWinston-Salem Red Sox, leading theCarolina League in wins, complete games, and shutouts, and was named the circuit's Pitcher of the Year.[2] Before being brought up to the Boston Red Sox, Aase's final minor league team was thePawtucket Red Sox.
Aase reached the majors when he joined theRed Sox rotation in July 1977. He won his first big league game against theMilwaukee Brewers on July 26 and then threw a shutout against theCalifornia Angels five days later. He added another shutout against theToronto Blue Jays on September 5 and ended his rookie year with a 6–2 record and a 3.12 ERA in 13 starts (a 146 ERA+).
Following his first season in the majors, Aase was traded to theCalifornia Angels for infielderJerry Remy.[2] He was primarily a starter in his first two and a half years with the team, notching 11 wins in 1978. In Game Three of the1979 ALCS on October 5, 1979, Aase became the first member of the Angels to earn a postseason victory. In that contest, he replacedFrank Tanana in the sixth inning with a 2–1 lead over theBaltimore Orioles. He gave up runs in the sixth and seventh innings to blow the lead but still earned the victory when the Angels scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to win the game and stay alive in the series.
Aase was moved to the bullpen in the middle of the 1980 season (he would never start another big league game after that) and was the Angels primary closer in 1981, notching 11 saves. However, in July 1982, he suffered an elbow injury that sidelined him for nearly two years. He came back in June 1984 and made 23 appearances for California, recording 8 saves.
Following the 1984 season, Aase became a free agent and signed with theBaltimore Orioles.[2] He won 10 games and saved 14 in his first year with the O's before putting up his best numbers of his big league career in 1986. That season, he saved 23 games in the first half and was named to the American League All-Star team. In the onlyAll-Star Game appearance of his career, he came on in the ninth inning with runners on first and third and one out, and earned the save by inducingChris Brown to hit into a game-ending double play. Later in the season, he began to show signs of overwork. On August 28, he became the first Orioles pitcher to lose two games in the same day, giving up game-winning hits toDave Kingman in the first game of thedoubleheader against theOakland Athletics and then toCarney Lansford in the nightcap. Nonetheless, Aase set the record for most saves in a season for an Oriole in with 34, surpassingTim Stoddard's 26 saves in 1980. He held the record untilGregg Olson earned 36 saves in 1990. His 34 saves were also at the time the record for a member of a last place team.
Aase's sole win in 1987 came on Opening Day, April 6, pitching an inning and a third of scoreless relief after replacingMike Boddicker. After a few more relief appearances, he missed the rest of the season with shoulder surgery.
With the season approaching, 34-year-old Aase signed as afree agent with theNew York Mets on February 20, 1989. Aase made 49 appearances out of the Mets bullpen in 1989, posting a 1–5 record with a 3.94 ERA over 591⁄3 innings.
Exactly one year after coming to terms with the Mets, Aase signed as afree agent with theLos Angeles Dodgers. Working out of the Los Angeles bullpen, Aase went 3–1 with a 4.97 ERA over 38 innings in 32 games. His final big league appearance came on the final day of the season, October 3 as the Dodgers hosted theSan Diego Padres atDodger Stadium. With the Dodgers trailing the Padres 4–3, Aase replacedDennis Cook and allowed two unearned runs over one-third of an inning before giving way toDarren Holmes. Aase became a free agent after the season, but opted to retire.
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | GF | Sv | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | K | HBP | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 60 | 448 | 91 | 22 | 5 | 234 | 82 | 1,109.3 | 1,085 | 503 | 468 | 89 | 457 | 641 | 7 | 3.80 | 1.39 |
