Former major league pitcher Bobby Bolin passed away earlier this month, as noted by the New York Post’s David Russell. He was 84.
A South Carolina native, Bolin entered the professional ranks in 1956 when he signed with the Giants out of high school. He reached the majors four years later, debuting in April ’61 not long after his 22nd birthday. The 6’4″ righty worked mostly in relief over his first few seasons.
Immediately effective, Bolin posted a sub-4.00 ERA in each of his first six campaigns. San Francisco increasingly entrusted him with rotation work midway through the decade. By 1966, he’d make 34 starts and log a personal-high 224 1/3 innings while pitching to a 2.89 ERA. Bolin rebounded from an uncharacteristic 4.88 mark to allow only 1.99 earned runs per nine over 176 2/3 frames in 1968.
Even in the colloquial “Year of the Pitcher,” that was standout run prevention. Bolin ranked seventh among qualified hurlers in ERA that season. He remained in San Francisco through the end of the decade. After the 1969 campaign, San Francisco traded Bolin to Milwaukee for outfielders Dick Simpson and Steve Whitaker. The Brewers wound up flipping him to the Red Sox later in the season.
Bolin closed his career with three-plus seasons in Boston. Moved back into exclusive relief work, he finished with another pair of sub-3.00 ERA campaigns.
Altogether, Bolin pitched in parts of 13 big league seasons. His peak came with the Giants, for whom he worked to a 3.26 ERA in just shy of 1300 innings. He tallied 1576 frames over 495 appearances (164 starts) overall. Bolin had a career 3.40 ERA, won 88 games, struck out just shy of 1200 batters and collected 51 saves. He never won a World Series but was on a San Francisco team that claimed the NL pennant in 1962; Bolin pitched twice against the Yankees in that year’s Fall Classic.
MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, loved ones and friends.
I thought it said Bobby Bonilla for a second. How poetic would it be if Bobby Bonillas final day on this earth years from now is on a Bobby Bonilla day.
I hope he hung em up on his terms. His last 2 seasons with a sub 3 era and only in his mid thirties, would seem like the tank wouldn’t have been empty yet.
0.2 and 0.5 WAR pitcher. Basically replaceable.
1.6 WAR w/15 saves in his last season is well above replaceable IMO.
Great trivia question on who was second in ERA behind Gibson
Forever Giant R.I.P. Bobby Bolin
He was the Red Sox closer in his last season and it’s not like they had someone else in mind. Staff had 69 complete games so relievers were less in demand at that time. The team did make moves that offseason but didn’t release Bolin until Spring Training. Their closer in 1974 was Diego Segui, so it’s not like a youth movement. The staff had 71 complete games that year. Clearly, the bullpen was kind of an afterthought.
Oh well, sad day to hear of his passing.
Bolin was a no-name in a parade of legends: Gibson, Veale, Koosman, Blass, Drysdale, Seaver, Marichal, Gaylord Perry, Phil Niekro, Sutton, Jenkins. And that 1.97 by Bolin would’ve won the National League ERA title except Gibson famously had a 1.12.
Another hero of our youth who is now on Heaven’s pitching staff.
He was certainly quality as a reliever. RIP.
RIP Bobby
I remember Bobby Bolin. Very serviceable pitcher. I recall I had a lot of his baseball cards too. Funny your memories of these guys often are involving what their baseball cards looked like. RIP.
Condolences to the family. He might have been a ball player, but to many, he was dad, cousin, brother, uncle. MLB for most was only a small portion of their lives.
Thanks to MLBTR for these notices. It is a wonderful thing to remember these guys one last time. Even if they were cup of coffee players, they achieved something that so few other
Condolences to the family. He might have been a ball player, but to many, he was dad, cousin, brother, uncle. MLB for most was only a small portion of their lives.
Thanks to MLBTR for these notices. It is a wonderful thing to remember these guys one last time. Even if they were cup of coffee players, they achieved something that so few others do.
RIP
Bobby Bolin
FOREVER GIANT !!
He was one of my Strat-O-Matic heroes. RIP!!
SOM is the best game ever. Used to play with my older brother’s cards from 1967-71 and have noticed many passings of the men they represented. Same for my old Topps cards.
Holy cow Jammin. Few mention strat. How I miss those days. Heck, I’d wear out 3 dice every year it seemed (or I’d lose them under a China closet). First teams I had were 1970 teams. But I listened to Giants starting around 1966,Bolin was one of my favorites. Thx for the flashback Jammin.
Wasn’t his nickname Bookie Bolin?
Actually the New York (football) Giants had a guard in the late 60’s named Bookie Bolin. Wore #63