1984 Fleer #376 - Bill Laskey

• This Tuesday's "Obscure Giant" is pitcher Bill Laskey.
• Love that name on the glove. I did that way back when. Do players still do this today?

• Laskey was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1977 (8th round in January, 1st round in June), but he didn't sign either time. Bill was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the second round in 1978 and finally signed.
• Bill pitched well in the minors from 1978-1981, but he never made it to the majors. After the 1981 season Laskey was traded to the Giants (with pitcher Rich Gale) for outfielder Jerry Martin.
• Laskey started the 1982 season in AAA Phoenix. Bill started two games and was 1-0 while allowing two runs in 14 innings. Laskey was called up and made his Giants debut on April 23, 1982 (a three batter stint in a blowout game against the hated Dodgers). Bill made his first start on April 28 and it was a great one. Laskey shut out the Montreal Expos 7-0 while allowing only three hits. Bill went on to go 13-12 with a 3.14 ERA in 31 starts.
• Bill went 13-10 in 25 starts in 1983, but his ERA rose to 4.19. Laskey missed the last six weeks of the 1983 season with an injury. He and Atlee Hammaker made a good 1-2 punch of young starters for the Giants.
• Before the 1984 season Bill was rumored to be traded to the Cleveland Indians. The Giants supposedly had a lot of pitching and needed to replace Darrell Evans, who had left as a free agent. Nothing came of the trade rumors. 
• Laskey went 9-14 with a 4.33 ERA in 34 starts in 1984. 
• Bill started the 1985 season with the Giants (5-11, 3.55 ERA in 19 starts) but was traded (with OF Scot Thompson) to the Montreal Expos on August 1 for first baseman Dan Driessen. Laskey struggled with the Expos, going 0-5 with a 9.44 ERA.
• Laskey was traded back to the Giants before the 1986 season. Bill had ripped the San Francisco organization when he was first traded to the Expos, but he was glad to go back. Laskey disagreed with manager Jim Davenport and GM Tom Haller, but since different guys were running the Giants he was willing to go back.
• The Giants converted Bill to a reliever. Laskey was 1-1 with 1 save and had a 4.28 ERA in 20 appearances from April to June 1986. Bill was sent to AAA Phoenix in late June and became a starting pitcher again (5-5, 3.43 ERA in 13 starts).
• Laskey was released after the 1986 season and signed with the Tigers. Bill spent the entire 1987 in AAA Toledo (12-6, 3 saves, 3.86 ERA in 56 appearances). 
• Bill became a free agent after the 1987 season and signed with the Indians. He split the 1988 season between AAA Colorado Springs (1-1, 2 saves, 5.61 ERA in 12 games) and Cleveland (1-0, 1 save, 5.18 ERA in 17 appearances). Laskey became a free agent in late August after refusing another assignment to Colorado Springs.
• Laskey spent three more years (1989-1991) pitching for various AAA teams. He never got back to the majors after the 1988 season. Bill ended up with a 42-53 lifetime record with a 4.14 ERA in six seasons in the majors.
• According to his LinkedIn profile, Bill has run a sports talent agency and has been a high school softball coach since his retirement from baseball. Laskey is also an analyst for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

1983 Topps Giants - Part 5 (more pitchers)

Fred Breining (#747) was 11-12 with a 3.82 ERA in 32 starts in 1983.

Mike Krukow (#58T) was 11-11 with a 3.95 ERA in 31 starts.

Bill Laskey (#518) was 13-10 with a 4.19 ERA in 25 starts.

Alan Fowlkes (#543) didn't pitch for the Giants in 1983. He spent the 1983 and 1984 seasons with AAA Phoenix and was released during spring training in 1985. Fowlkes signed with the California Angels and pitched in two games before going back to the minors for good.

Gary Lavelle (#791) was 7-4 with 20 saves and a 2.59 ERA in 56 games in 1983.

Rich Gale (#719) didn't pitch for the Giants in 1983. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds before the 1983 season for Mike Vail.

Others who pitched for the Giants but didn't receive a 1983 Topps Giants card:

• Mark Davis (6-4, 3.49 in 20 starts)
• Mark Calvert (1-4, 6.27 in 18 games - 4 starts)
• Mike Chris (0-0, 8.10 in 7 games)
• Randy Lerch (1-0, 3.38 in 7 games)
• Pat Larkin (0-0, 4.35 in 5 games)
• Brian Kingman (0-0, 7.71 in 3 games)

1984 Topps Giants - Part 4

Mike Krukow led the team in victories with 11. He was 11-12 with a 4.56 ERA in 33 starts.

Renie Martin was 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 12 games. Martin spent quite a bit of the season with the Phoenix Giants. He was traded to the Phillies with Al Oliver for Kelly Downs and George Riley on August 30.

Fred Breining didn't pitch for the Giants in 1984. He was traded to the Montreal Expos for Al Oliver before the season.

Mark Davis was 5-17 (0uch!) with a 5.36 ERA. He appeared in 46 games and started 27 of those games.

Jim Barr didn't pitch for the Giants in 1984. He was released during spring training.

Greg Minton was the closer for the Giants in 1984. He saved 19 games and was 4-9 with a 3.76 ERA in 74 appearances.

Gary Lavelle was a setup man and did some closing for the Giants in 1984. He had 12 saves and was 5-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 77 appearances.

Bill Laskey was 9-14 with a 4.33 ERA in 34 starts in 1984.

Atlee Hammaker was 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA in six starts. He didn't start a game until June 26, made five starts, then was out again until September 1. He started that day and didn't pitch again in the 1984 season. He made two starts (probably a rehab assignment) for the Phoenix Giants.

Andy McGaffigan didn't pitch for the Giants in 1984. He was sent to Montreal before the season as part of the Al Oliver deal.

Others who pitched for the Giants but didn't get a regular 1984 Topps Giants card:

• Jeff Robinson (7-15, 4.56 ERA in 33 starts)
• Frank Williams (9-4, 3.55 ERA, 3 saves in 61 appearances)
• Randy Lerch (5-3, 4.23 ERA, 2 saves in 37 games-4 starts)
• Bob Lacey (1-3, 3.88 ERA in 34 games)
• Mark Grant (1-4, 6.37 ERA in 10 starts--he had a save in his only relief appearance)
• Scott Garrelts (2-3, 5.65 ERA in 21 appearances--3 starts)
• Mark Calvert (2-4, 5.06 ERA in 10 appearances - 5 starts)
• George Riley (1-0, 3.99 ERA in 4 starts)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

1985 Topps Giants Part 4

Dave LaPoint (#71T) was 7-17 with a 3.57 ERA in his only season with the Giants.

Jim Gott (#40T) was 7-10 with a 3.88 ERA in 26 starts for the Giants.

Scott Garrelts (#38T) was the Giants' representative to the 1985 All Star Game. He was 9-6 with 13 saves and a 2.30 ERA. He's wearing some killer glasses!

Atlee Hammaker (#674) was 5-12 with an ERA of 3.74 in 29 starts in 1985. He wasn't quite the same after being shelled in the 1983 All Star Game.

Jeff Robinson (#592) pitched in 8 games with no record and a 5.11 ERA.

Mark Davis (#541) was 5-12 with 7 saves and a 3.54 ERA in 77 games.

Jeff Cornell (#514) didn't pitch for the Giants in 1985. He pitched in his last major league game on August 16, 1984. He started with AAA Phoenix and was released on April 30, 1985. He hooked on with the Chicago Cubs and pitched in their system in 1985 and 1986, but he didn't make it back to the majors.

Frank Williams (#487) pitched in 49 games and had an ERA of 4.19 and a record of 2-4.

Gary Lavelle (#462) didn't pitch for the Giants in 1985. He was traded to Toronto for Jim Gott and two minor leaguers before the season.

Bill Laskey (#331) was 5-11 with a 3.55 ERA in 19 starts.

Randy Lerch (#103) didn't pitch for the Giants in 1985. He was granted free agency after the 1984 season and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in May 1985.

There are a lot of cards with green folding chairs in the background. It might be Scottsdale Stadium. The Giants started training there in 1984.

Mike Krukow (#74) was 8-11 with a 3.38 ERA in 28 starts in 1985.

Greg Minton (#45) was 5-4 with a 3.54 ERA and had 4 saves in 68 games.

Other pitchers who didn't get 1985 Topps cards:

Mike Jeffcoat (0-2, 5.32 ERA, 19 games)

Roger Mason (1-3, 2.12 ERA in 5 starts)

Bobby Moore (0-0, 3.24 ERA in 11 games)

Colin Ward (0-0, 4.38 ERA in 6 games)