#34-Tony Fossas

Tony Fossas was a left handed specialist who's job was to get lefties.

Why he was so effective against lefties was summed up by then Cardinals manager Mike Jorgensen who said "He's got a little, what do you call it, a Frisbee slider or something, that left-handed hitters don't pick up." Adapting a sidearm motion he said it helped because "I hide the ball well and I have a very good slider, and my control is good." Fossas spent years in the minors some of which he described as "pitiful" and only made his debut in 1988 at the age of 30. 11 years in the minors after being drafted by the Twins in 1978 he spent his first 9 years as a starter but a move to the bullpen moved his career along. He also lost 20 pounds and no longer did he "feel like a beach ball on the mound." Fossas spent 12 years in the major and like many relief specialist bounced from team to team. Debuting with Texas in 88 the next two years were spent in Milwaukee followed by four in Boston, 3 in St. Louis and quick cups of coffee with Seattle, the Cubs, back to the Rangers and five games with the Yankees where his career ended in 1999. 

Fossas one job was to get left-handed batters out and he did that very well in his career. Just look at the numbers of some of the great left-handed batters and how they hit off of him. Not real well while righties hit him hard. 

Batter             AB   H  2B  3B  HR  BB IBB  SO HBP  SH  SF   AVG   OBP   SLG

Wade Boggs         17   3   0   0   0   2   0   3   0   0   0  .176  .263  .176 

Barry Bonds        13   3   1   0   1   2   0   5   0   0   0  .231  .333  .538 

George Brett       18   3   1   0   0   3   0   2   0   0   0  .167  .286  .222 

Carlton Fisk        5   1   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .200  .200  .200 

Ken Griffey        24   3   0   0   1   1   0   7   0   0   0  .125  .160  .250

Tony Gwynn         10   2   0   0   1   0   0   1   0   0   0  .200  .200  .500 

Rickey Henderson    6   2   0   1   0   0   0   1   0   0   0  .333  .333  .667 

Chipper Jones       9   3   1   0   0   2   0   4   0   0   0  .333  .455  .444 

Jeff Kent           4   1   0   0   0   1   0   1   0   0   0  .250  .400  .250 

Jeffrey Leonard     4   3   0   0   1   0   0   0   0   0   0  .750  .750 1.500 

Edgar Martinez      4   2   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .500  .500  .500 

Don Mattingly      10   2   0   0   0   6   1   1   0   0   1  .200  .471  .200 

Fred McGriff       29   6   1   0   0   1   0   9   0   0   0  .207  .233  .241

Kirby Puckett       5   3   2   0   1   0   0   0   0   0   0  .600  .600 1.600 

Tim Raines          9   3   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .333  .333  .333

Cal Ripken          6   1   0   0   0   1   0   1   0   0   0  .167  .286  .167 

Sammy Sosa          3   2   1   0   1   1   1   0   0   1   0  .667  .750 2.000 

Jim Thome           4   2   1   0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0  .500  .500  .750 

Alan Trammell       6   2   0   0   1   5   2   0   0   0   0  .333  .636  .833 

Lou Whitaker       11   5   2   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0  .455  .455  .636 

Bernie Williams     7   3   0   0   1   0   0   1   0   0   0  .429  .429  .857