Dave Righetti

2.1. Childhood and Family

David Allan Righetti was born on November 28, 1958, in San Jose, California. His father, Leo Righetti, was a professional baseball player. David's older brother, Steve, is thirteen months his senior. Their father, Leo, actively trained both sons to become baseball players. Both David and Steve distinguished themselves while playing for their Lincoln Glen Little League team, Letterman, with David typically playing in the outfield and Steve covering shortstop.

2.2. High School and College

Righetti attended Pioneer High School. It was during this period that Paddy Cottrell, a scout for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball, observed Righetti and suggested he develop into a pitcher, noting his natural throwing motion. By his senior year, Righetti's talent was recognized with his selection to the All-League team. Following high school, Righetti enrolled at San Jose City College, where he continued to refine his skills as a pitcher on the school's baseball team. His collegiate performance was strong enough for him to be named the junior college player of the year, outperforming even his teammate, Dave Stieb.

3.1. Minor League Career

Acting on the recommendation of scout Paddy Cottrell, the Texas Rangers selected David Righetti on January 11, 1977, in the first round as the 10th overall pick of the amateur draft. In a strategic move, the Rangers also drafted David's brother, Steve, in the sixth round, informing David that Steve would only be signed if David agreed to sign as well. As a result, both Righetti brothers signed contracts with the Rangers.

David made his professional debut in minor league baseball that same year with the Asheville Tourists of the Class A Western Carolinas League, where he compiled an 11-3 win-loss record. In 1978, Righetti advanced to pitch for the Tulsa Drillers of the Class AA Texas League. During a July game against the Midland RockHounds, Righetti set a league record by recording 21 strikeouts. Jerry Walker, a scout for the New York Yankees, was present at this game. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, during trade negotiations with Rangers owner Brad Corbett that offseason, intentionally waited until late in their discussions to specifically request that Righetti be included in the trade. On November 10, 1978, the Yankees successfully acquired Righetti, along with Juan Beníquez, Mike Griffin, Greg Jemison, and Paul Mirabella. In return, the Rangers received Sparky Lyle, Domingo Ramos, Mike Heath, Larry McCall, Dave Rajsich, and a sum of cash. The Yankees, confident in their new acquisition, introduced Righetti to the public as "the next Ron Guidry". Despite this, Righetti was nearly traded again in January 1979 to the Minnesota Twins as part of a deal that would have sent Righetti, Chris Chambliss, Juan Beníquez, and Dámaso García to Minnesota in exchange for Rod Carew; however, the deal ultimately fell through.

3.2. New York Yankees (1979-1990)

Righetti made his Major League debut with the New York Yankees on September 16, 1979, wearing uniform number 56, in a game against the Detroit Tigers. In this outing, he pitched five innings, recording three strikeouts, while allowing six walks, three hits, and three earned runs. Following his second start, Yankees' manager Billy Martin publicly proclaimed that Righetti "will win 20 games next season". However, Righetti subsequently experienced struggles with his control, leading him to spend the entire 1980 season with the Columbus Clippers of the Class AAA International League. During that season, he posted a 6-10 win-loss record and a 4.63 ERA, accumulating 101 walks and 139 strikeouts over 142 innings.

Despite a strong performance in spring training in 1981, the Yankees did not have an immediate spot for Righetti on their roster, so he began the season back with Columbus. There, he achieved an impressive 5-0 record with a 1.00 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 45 innings, prompting the Yankees to recall him to the major leagues in May 1981. Upon his return, he was assigned uniform number 19. The Yankees had a tradition of reserving numbers ending in 9 for pitchers they considered highly promising; for instance, Dick Tidrow wore 19, Catfish Hunter wore 29, Ron Davis wore 39, and Ron Guidry wore 49. Righetti excelled as a starter for the Yankees during the 1981 season, recording an 8-4 win-loss record in 15 games started, with a 2.06 earned run average (ERA) and 89 strikeouts in 105 innings pitched. For his outstanding performance, Righetti earned the American League's Rookie of the Year award, surpassing fellow nominees Rich Gedman and Bob Ojeda. In the postseason, Righetti secured two victories against the Milwaukee Brewers during the 1981 American League Division Series. The Yankees advanced to the World Series that year; however, Righetti was pulled early from game three of the 1981 World Series, which the Yankees ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 1982, Righetti struggled during spring training, posting an 8.53 ERA. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner initially sought to demote Righetti to the minor leagues but stated that he "got outvoted then". By June 1982, Righetti's record stood at 5-5 with a 4.23 ERA. Although his 77 strikeouts ranked fourth-best in the American League, his 62 walks were a significant concern. Consequently, the Yankees demoted Righetti to the minor leagues for what Steinbrenner described as a "2½-week intensive brushing up." Sammy Ellis, Righetti's pitching coach with Columbus, attributed Righetti's struggles to rushing his pitching motion, likely due to anxiety. Working with Ellis, Righetti made four starts for the Clippers, accumulating 33 strikeouts in 26 innings, before being recalled to New York. Righetti concluded the 1982 season with 11 wins in 27 starts, a 3.79 ERA, 162 strikeouts (ranking third in the AL), and 108 walks, which led the league.

A historic moment in Righetti's career occurred on July 4, 1983, when he threw a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. This was a significant achievement, marking the first no-hitter for the Yankees since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, and the first thrown by a Yankee left-hander since 1917. Righetti secured the final out of the game by recording a swinging strikeout against future Hall of Famer Wade Boggs. Reflecting on the game 25 years later, Righetti recalled his primary concern: "My biggest worry, because I had a tendency to fall toward third base, was him (Boggs) tapping a ball between me and Mattingly and me trying to get to first base...I threw a lot of fastballs during the at bat, but the last slider I ended up throwing, he happened to miss it. Thank goodness."

In 1984, Righetti was moved to the Yankees' bullpen to assume the role of closer, replacing Goose Gossage, who had signed with the San Diego Padres during the offseason. Despite the Yankees' decision being attributed to an abundance of starting pitchers, many critics questioned the move, arguing that Righetti was more valuable pitching as a starter, where he could accumulate more innings. However, Righetti quickly proved his effectiveness in his new role. In his very first game as a relief pitcher, entering with the bases loaded, he prevented any inherited runners from scoring and retired the final seven batters of the game. Over the next seven seasons with the Yankees, he continued to be highly effective in relief, averaging 32 saves per season, and was named an All-Star in both 1986 and 1987. On October 4, 1986, he notably saved both games of a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, concluding the season with an impressive 46 saves. This achievement broke the major league record previously shared by Dan Quisenberry and Bruce Sutter. His record for single-season saves stood until Bobby Thigpen saved 57 games for the Chicago White Sox in 1990. Righetti maintained the single-season record for left-handers until 1993, when Randy Myers recorded 53 saves for the Chicago Cubs; Righetti still holds the AL record for left-handers.

Righetti became a free agent after the 1987 season. Amid rumors that he would sign a three-year contract worth 20.00 M USD with the Tokyo Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball, Righetti's agent confirmed that the Giants did make an offer but stated that the reported value was considerably less than what was widely circulated. The agent also affirmed that Righetti intended to continue pitching in MLB. The contract offer from the Tokyo Giants was later estimated to be 10.00 M USD. Ultimately, Righetti chose to re-sign with the Yankees, agreeing to a three-year contract valued at 4.50 M USD. In the early part of the 1988 season, Righetti faced challenges with the Yankees, blowing four consecutive save opportunities, which drew boos from the Yankee Stadium crowds. However, he quickly rebounded, converting his next five save opportunities. Righetti grew increasingly concerned with the direction the Yankees were taking, particularly after the team traded away key players like Rickey Henderson, Jack Clark, and Dave Winfield.

3.3. San Francisco Giants (1991-1993)

Following the 1990 season, David Righetti signed as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants, securing a four-year contract worth 10.00 M USD. During his tenure with the Giants in 1991, he surpassed Sparky Lyle's Major League record of 238 career saves for a left-handed pitcher. Righetti's career total of 252 saves remained the record until 1994, when John Franco surpassed it. Righetti recorded 24 saves in the 1991 season. He lost his closer role during the 1992 season to Rod Beck. On June 10, 1992, Righetti made a starting pitching appearance, which was his first start since September 1983. For the majority of the 1993 season, he pitched in a middle relief role for the Giants.

3.4. Other Teams (1994-1995)

After being released by the San Francisco Giants following the 1993 season, Righetti signed as a free agent with the Oakland Athletics. He began the 1994 season with the Athletics before being released by the team. In May 1994, Righetti signed as a free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays. During his brief time with the Blue Jays, he posted a 0-1 win-loss record and a 6.75 ERA. He was subsequently released by the Blue Jays after that season. In 1995, Righetti signed as a free agent with the Chicago White Sox. On November 9, 1995, he was again granted free agency, but no other team signed him. Righetti then retired, concluding his 16-year playing career with a total of 252 saves, a 3.46 ERA, and an 82-79 win-loss record across 718 games.

4.1. San Francisco Giants (2000-2017)

In 2000, David Righetti began his coaching career as the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants. His guidance of the pitching staff was instrumental in the Giants winning the 2002 National League pennant, though the team ultimately lost the 2002 World Series in seven games to the Anaheim Angels. Despite initial uncertainty about his return for the 2007 season due to a managerial change, Righetti announced in early November 2007 that he would remain with the Giants in his coaching capacity.

He was the pitching coach for a formidable pitching staff that included notable talents such as Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sánchez, and Brian Wilson. Under his tutelage, this pitching staff played a crucial role in the Giants' 2010, 2012, and 2014 World Series championships. An analysis by Fangraphs, a prominent baseball statistics website, highlighted Righetti's "uncanny knack" for teaching pitchers to effectively avoid giving up home runs. After the 2017 team concluded with a 64-98 win-loss record, tying for the worst in Major League Baseball, Righetti was removed from his role as pitching coach on October 21, 2017. He subsequently transitioned into a front-office role within the Giants organization. Righetti dedicated his entire 18-season coaching career as the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants, serving under managers Dusty Baker, Felipe Alou, and Bruce Bochy.

4.2. International Coaching

Beyond his long tenure with the San Francisco Giants, Righetti also contributed his coaching expertise to the international baseball stage. He served as the bullpen coach for the United States national baseball team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.