Doyle Alexander
Encyclopedia
Doyle Lafayette Alexander (born September 4, 1950 in Cordova, Alabama
) is a former pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers
, Baltimore Orioles
, New York Yankees
, Texas Rangers
, Atlanta Braves
, San Francisco Giants
, Toronto Blue Jays
, and Detroit Tigers
. He batted and threw right-handed.
east division. He did not pitch during the ALCS
, so he was tagged to start Game One of the World Series
against the Cincinnati Reds
, which he lost. Alexander signed with the Texas Rangers as a free agent
in the offseason and enjoyed one good year before falling apart. It would not be until a trade to the Toronto Blue Jays during the season that he would return to form.
The Blue Jays were on the rise in the mid 1980s, and Alexander was an instrumental part of their success, winning 17 games in both and , including the division-clinching win over the Yankees in 1985. His skill did not hold in the ALCS, however, where he went 0-1 with an 8.71 earned run average
in two starts as the Blue Jays fell to the Kansas City Royals
in seven games.
A slow start the next year resulted in his being traded to the Atlanta Braves, who dealt him in turn to the contending Detroit Tigers midway through the 1987 season for minor-leaguer John Smoltz
. Detroit got more than they could have possibly hoped for in Alexander, who went 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA to propel the Tigers to the division title. However, he struggled again in the ALCS going 0-2 with a 10.00 ERA, bringing his postseason totals to 0-5 with an 8.38 ERA. The following year, Alexander went 14-11 with a 4.32 ERA, earning his only All-Star appearance. In 1989, his performance declined (6-18, 4.44 ERA) and he retired following the season.
Cordova, Alabama
Cordova is a city in Walker County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 2,423.-History:Cordova was originally a settlement on the Warrior River Called "Dent" or "Dent's Place." The city was dubbed "Cordova" by Captain Benjamin M. Long in 1859. He named the city after a...
) is a former pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, and Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. He batted and threw right-handed.
Major League career
Alexander was an average pitcher for most of his career, with moments of brilliance that helped teams win divisions and pennants, as well as occasions of poor performance in the clutch. After being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in he made the big leagues in 1971, but was traded, along with Bob O'Brien, Sergio Robles, and Royle Stillman, to the Baltimore Orioles for Frank Robinson and Pete Richert in the offseason. He enjoyed his first winning season with the Orioles in 1973 when he went 12-8 with a 3.86 ERA. He was traded to the New York Yankees in a ten player deal in the middle of the 1976 season and went 10-5 to help the Yankees win the American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
east division. He did not pitch during the ALCS
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
, so he was tagged to start Game One of the World Series
1976 World Series
The 1976 World Series matched the defending champion Cincinnati Reds of the National League against the New York Yankees of the American League, with the Reds sweeping the Series to repeat. The Reds became the only team to sweep an entire multi-tier postseason. The Reds are also the last National...
against the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, which he lost. Alexander signed with the Texas Rangers as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in the offseason and enjoyed one good year before falling apart. It would not be until a trade to the Toronto Blue Jays during the season that he would return to form.
The Blue Jays were on the rise in the mid 1980s, and Alexander was an instrumental part of their success, winning 17 games in both and , including the division-clinching win over the Yankees in 1985. His skill did not hold in the ALCS, however, where he went 0-1 with an 8.71 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in two starts as the Blue Jays fell to the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
in seven games.
A slow start the next year resulted in his being traded to the Atlanta Braves, who dealt him in turn to the contending Detroit Tigers midway through the 1987 season for minor-leaguer John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
. Detroit got more than they could have possibly hoped for in Alexander, who went 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA to propel the Tigers to the division title. However, he struggled again in the ALCS going 0-2 with a 10.00 ERA, bringing his postseason totals to 0-5 with an 8.38 ERA. The following year, Alexander went 14-11 with a 4.32 ERA, earning his only All-Star appearance. In 1989, his performance declined (6-18, 4.44 ERA) and he retired following the season.
See also
- Best pitching seasons by a Detroit Tiger
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins