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| Tom Niedenfuer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1959-08-13)August 13, 1959 (age 66) St. Louis Park, Minnesota, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 15, 1981, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 20, 1990, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 36–46 |
| Earned run average | 3.29 |
| Strikeouts | 474 |
| Saves | 97 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Thomas Edward Niedenfuer (born August 13, 1959) is an American former professional baseball right-handedpitcher. Exclusively areliever during his ten-year career, he played his first six-plus seasons for theLos Angeles Dodgers, then finished out with theBaltimore Orioles,Seattle Mariners, andSt. Louis Cardinals.
Born inSt. Louis Park, Minnesota, Niedenfuer first moved with his family toPennsylvania when he was three, and later moved toWashington when he was in the third grade. Raised inRedmond, Washington, he graduated fromRedmond High School in 1977 and was selected in the 36th round of theMLB draft by theDodgers.
Niedenfuer did not sign and playedcollege baseball; he was a standout pitcher for theWashington State Cougars inPullman under head coachBobo Brayton.[1] He signed with the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in August 1980, prior to his senior season at WSU.[citation needed]
Niedenfuer started 1981 with theSan Antonio Dodgers of theDouble-ATexas League. As a 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) rookie in thestrike-shortened1981 season, he debuted in the majors in mid-August.
He appeared in 17 games for theDodgers, and excelled in theWorld Series, pitching five innings in two games (1,4) with no runs allowed as the Dodgers defeated theNew York Yankees in six games.[2][3]
Niedenfuer's best all-around year was1983, when he pitched in a career-high 66 games and posted an 8–3 record with 11 saves and a 1.90earned run average. He went 7–9 in1985, but posted career highs in saves (19) and innings pitched (106.1), with a 2.71 ERA.[3]
In theNational League Championship Series, he gave up a walk-off home run to light-hitting shortstopOzzie Smith in Game 5 that gave theSt. Louis Cardinals a one-game lead.[4]
Two days later atDodger Stadium, he was victimized by aJack Clark three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning that gave the Cardinals the pennant in six games.[5][6]
In1987, during his seventh season with the Dodgers, he went 1–0 with a 2.76 ERA in 15 games before being traded on May 22 to theBaltimore Orioles.[7] He struggled in theAmerican League the rest of the season, with a 4.99 ERA in 45 games;1988 was better, posting a 3.51 ERA with 18 saves.[citation needed]
Niedenfuer became a free agent after 1988, and spent one season each with theSeattle Mariners andSt. Louis Cardinals, going a combined 0–9 and retired with 484 career appearances.[3]
Niedenfuer was married to Lisa Byers from 1982 to 1985. He has been married to actressJudy Landers since November 1987, and they have resided inSarasota, Florida, since 1996.[6] They have two daughters, Lindsey and Kristy, who own and operate an event-planning company and perform in a pop music band together.[8]
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