Steve Farr
Steve Farr | |
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Pitcher | |
Born: Cheverly, Maryland, U.S. | December 12, 1956|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
May 1, 1984, for the Cleveland Indians | |
Last MLB appearance | |
August 8, 1994, for the Boston Red Sox | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 48–45 |
Earned run average | 3.25 |
Strikeouts | 668 |
Saves | 132 |
Stats at Baseball Reference | |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
Steven Michael Farr (born December 12, 1956) is an American former professional baseball player who pitched primarily as a closer in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1984 to 1994.
Biography
Farr graduated from DeMatha High School outside Washington, D.C., in 1974 where he played both pitcher and catcher[1] and then played college baseball at American University for a year before signing a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.[2]
He was signed as an undrafted free Agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates in '76 and spent 7 full seasons in their farm system.[3] Then he was traded to the Cleveland Indians where he began his professional career in 1984 as a reliever. He pitched 116 innings over the course of 31 games. And was ultimately released by the club.[4]
On May 9, 1985 Farr was picked up by the Royals as a bullpen reliever, although he would not play a part in the team's World Series Championship that year, he was credited as the winning pitcher of game 3 of the ALCS against Toronto having put up 4.1 innings of work.[5][6] However, after a few seasons he took over as the Royals closer in the 1988 season leading the team in saves with 20.[4] In 89 he injured his knee and required surgery, but still chalked up 18 saves for the team.[7]
In 1990 he was used anywhere between the pitching rotations and bullpen the team needed him and he ended up leading the team with 13 wins while posting a 1.98 ERA.[8] It was this season that he pitched his only career complete game throwing a 5 hit shutout of the California Angels on September 23, 1990.[9][10] This season's performance led to him signing with the New York Yankees just before the '91 season.[11] In his first season with the team he led the Bronx Bombers in saves with 23 while at one point posting 27 consecutive scoreless innings and 14 straight save completions.[12] He went on in '92 to post a career high 30 saves while putting up a 1.56 ERA.[13]
After earning 25 saves in 93 to lead the Yankees for 3 straight seasons, in 1994 with the ascension of Mariano Rivera to the position of the team's closer, Farr signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Indians taking over their closer duties.[14] But at the beginning of July he was traded to the Boston Red Sox[15] only to have that be his last season to pitch in the majors.
Farr was known throughout his career for his impeccable control and a basic repertoire of fastball, curveball and slider[16]
See also
References
- ^ "1993 Topps #717 Steve Farr". www.tcdb.com. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ Feinstein, John (October 16, 1985). "Farr Finds Home in Kansas City". Washington Post. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- ^ "1990 Score #356 Steve Farr". www.tcdb.com. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ a b 1989 Donruss #356 Steve Farr | Trading Card Database
- ^ "1990 Topps #149 Steve Farr". www.tcdb.com. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "1985 American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 3, Toronto Blue Jays vs Kansas City Royals: October 11, 1985". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ 1990 Donruss #356 Steve Farr | Trading Card Database
- ^ "1991 Donruss #365 Steve Farr". www.tcdb.com. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ "1994 Finest - Refractors #348 Steve Farr". www.tcdb.com. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "Steve Farr 1990 Game by Game Pitching Logs | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "1991 Studio #92 Steve Farr". www.tcdb.com. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "1992 Donruss #735 Steve Farr". www.tcdb.com. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "1993 O-Pee-Chee #27 Steve Farr". www.tcdb.com. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "1994 Score Rookie & Traded - Gold Rush #RT70 Steve Farr". www.tcdb.com. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "1995 Score #186 Steve Farr". www.tcdb.com. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "1992 Pinnacle #206 Steve Farr". www.tcdb.com. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
Further reading
- The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time: #47 Steve Farr at royalsreview.com
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference · Baseball Reference (Minors) · Retrosheet