Bill Campbell obit

 

Former Twins ironman reliever Bill Campbell dies at 74

The reliable righthander is the only player in major league history with 17 wins and at least 17 saves in a season. 

He was not on the list.

Bill Campbell, the ironman reliever for the Twins in the mid-1970s, died Friday because of cancer. He was 74 and had been in hospice care in the Chicago area.

Campbell was called up by the Twins at midseason 1973 and then became the anchor of the bullpen in 1974. He pitched 120⅓ innings as a reliever in 1974, and 121 innings in 1975.

Then Gene Mauch became the manager in 1976 and put no limits on his ace reliever. Campbell became the only pitcher in major league history to record 17 wins and at least 17 saves (he had 20) in a season. He pitched in 78 games and an astounding 167⅔ innings. He threw his featured pitch — the screwball as a changeup — so often that his right arm was no longer lined up normally.

"Gene was running him out there every day, and you never heard a complaint from 'Soup,' " said Roy Smalley, Mauch's nephew and the Twins shortstop in 1976 for the last four months of the season. "He was as good of a guy as you could meet.

"Soup made fun of himself and everybody else. Glenn Borgmann was the catcher, kind of the grumpy guy you need on a team. Soup and Borgy would get on each other and it was hilarious.

"Soup was a strong, wiry guy … not one ounce of fat on him. He was a great athlete, and so was Tom Burgmeier, his partner out there in the pen. They would have contests running down fly balls during batting practice that were amazing. They both could've played outfield in the big leagues."

Campbell became an early free agent after the 1976 season and signed a lucrative contract with Boston. He had an exceptional first season in Boston, leading the AL with 31 saves in 1977 and finishing fifth in Cy Young Award voting.

He had an arm problem in 1978, as the Red Sox collapsed and blew the pennant to the Yankees. He came back from that and would lead the NL in appearances with 82 for the Chicago Cubs in 1983. He last pitched in the big leagues for the Montreal Expos in 1987.

Nicknamed "Soup" after the Campbell Soup Company, Campbell was signed as an amateur free agent pitcher by the Twins and began his career with the Class A minor league Wisconsin Rapids in 1971. In 1972, he moved up to Minnesota's AA level Charlotte affiliate, and in 1973 he started the season with AAA Tacoma and had 10 wins and 5 losses when he was called up to the major leagues in July.

 

Campbell made his Twins debut on July 14, 1973, in relief of Jim Kaat.

 

After leaving the major leagues, Campbell spent two seasons with the Senior Professional Baseball Association. According to 1987 news articles, Campbell was among those who were swindled by sports agent LaRue Harcourt, and lost approximately $800,000. He remained involved in baseball, and served on the coaching staff of the Milwaukee Brewers in 1999. In retirement, he was a resident of the Chicago area. He also coached for the Red Sox organization and was a volunteer coach for youth baseball leagues.

 

On March 26, 1984, the Cubs traded Campbell and Mike Diaz to the Philadelphia Phillies for Gary Matthews, Porfi Altamirano, and Bob Dernier. On April 6, 1985, the Phillies traded Campbell and Iván DeJesús to the St. Louis Cardinals for Dave Rucker. He was released by the Cardinals after the 1985 season and signed with the Detroit Tigers for the 1986 season. He signed with the Montreal Expos for the 1987 season, but was released on May 1.

 

Campbell was born in Highland Park, Michigan, and raised in Pomona, California. He graduated from Ganesha High School in Pomona, and attended Mt. San Antonio College.

 

After being drafted for military service in 1968, Campbell joined the United States Army. He served as a radio operator in Vietnam during the Vietnam War and was discharged in 1970.

 

MLB statistics

Win–loss record  83–68

Earned run average            3.54

Strikeouts            864

Saves   126

 

Teams

Minnesota Twins (1973–1976)

Boston Red Sox (1977–1981)

Chicago Cubs (1982–1983)

Philadelphia Phillies (1984)

St. Louis Cardinals (1985)

Detroit Tigers (1986)

Montreal Expos (1987)

 

Career highlights and awards

All-Star (1977)

2× AL Rolaids Relief Man Award (1976, 1977)

AL saves leader (1977)