Baseball Career
Finley is best known for his long career with the Angels, during which he won more than 15 games six times. His finest season was in 1990, when he won 18 games to just 9 losses and posted a 2.40 ERA — to date, the lowest by an Angel left-hander on a season, surpassing Frank Tanana's 2.43 in 1976. After departing the Angels, Finley signed with the Indians before the 2000 season. He went 16–11 with a 4.17 ERA and posted an 8–7 record with a 5.54 ERA with the Indians in 2001. In 2002 he was 4–11 with a 4.44 ERA in 18 games before being traded to the Cardinals for outfielder Coco Crisp. He finished the season and subsequently his career with the Cardinals, going 7–4 with a 3.80 ERA for the remainder of the season,
Finley during his career was the only pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball to record 4 strikeouts in a single inning more than once; he accomplished the feat 3 times; A.J. Burnett in 2011 became the second pitcher to record multiple four-strikeout innings. Finley accomplished the feat on May 12, 1999, then later again that season on August 15, both with the Anaheim Angels, and then for a third time on April 16, 2000, with the Cleveland Indians. This oddity can mainly be attributed to the fact that he used an excellent split finger pitch as his strike out weapon; that pitch would often end up in the dirt, eluding both batter and catcher.
Finley was selected by the Angels in the 15th round of the 1984 amateur draft out of Northeast Louisiana University, but he did not sign. The Angels chose him again in the 1st round (4th pick) of the secondary phase of the 1985 amateur draft.
Finley became eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. 75% of the vote was necessary for induction, and 5% was necessary to stay on the BBWAA ballot. He received 0.2% of the vote and dropped off of the ballot.
On April 9, 2009, Finley was to be inducted into the Angels' Hall of Fame along with former teammate Brian Downing before the start of the game that day. However, due to the death of Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, the ceremony and game was postponed until August 27, 2009.
On July 11, 2010, Finley was the winning pitcher in the 2010 Legends & Celebrity Softball Game at Angel Stadium.
Read more about this topic: Chuck Finley
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