Pat Dobson

Baseball career

Born in Depew, New York in 1942, Dobson signed with Detroit in 1959. After spending seven years in the minor leagues and winter ball, pitching both in relief and starting, he made his debut with the big team in the 1967 season after starting the season 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA in six starts for the AAA Toledo Mud Hens. Dobson would spend the next 2 1/2 years as a reliever and spot starter for the Tigers including pitching 4 2/3 innings of relief in the team's 1968 World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Unable to claim a spot in the Tigers' rotation of Mickey Lolich, Denny McLain, Earl Wilson, and Joe Sparma, Dobson was traded to San Diego in 1969 along with Dave Campbell for a young Joe Niekro. After going 14-15 with 185 strikeouts and a 3.76 earned run average as the staff ace for the last-place Padres, he was traded to Baltimore on December 1 as part of a six-player swap.

In 1971 Dobson had a winning streak of 12 games (including nine consecutive complete games) and a scoreless inning streak of 23. On September 24, he recorded his 20th win, a 7–0 shutout against the Indians. Dobson posted a 20-8, 187, 2.90 season record, and was part of the Orioles' "Big Four" pitching staff along with Dave McNally (21-5), Mike Cuellar (20-9), and Jim Palmer (20-10). Baltimore went on to win 101 games, with the distinction of having four 20-game winners in a season; only one other team in MLB history, the 1920 Chicago White Sox, have had four 20-game winners. On November 2, 1971, Dobson threw a 2-0 no-hitter against the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo. It was the first no-hit game in the Japanese-American baseball exhibition history.

Dobson was an All-Star in 1972. His 2.65 ERA was a major improvement from his 20-win season, but he went 16-18, tying for the AL lead in losses with Yankee Mel Stottlemyre. On November 30, 1972, he was traded to the Braves along with Davey Johnson in a five-player trade for Earl Williams. After starting the 1973 season 3-7, Dobson was sent to the Yankees on June 7 for four minor league players (none of whom panned out). Escaping Atlanta, he again blossomed and finished the season with a 9-8 record for the Yankees. Dobson started the 1974 campaign weakly, achieving only a 6-11 record by mid-season. However, Dobson anchored the Yankees' pitching staff in the second half of the season, finishing with a 19-15 record and a 3.07 ERA, the best numbers that year for a Yankee pitcher. After a slumping 11-14, 4.07 in 1975, Dobson was traded to the Indians, and recovered in 1976 with a 16-12, 3.48. After his 3-12, 6.16 record in 1977, he finished his career.

In his 11-season career Dobson had a record of 122-129, with 1,301 strikeouts, a 3.54 earned run average, 74 complete games, 14 shutouts, 19 saves, and 2,120 ⅓ innings pitched in 414 games.

Later life

After his playing days, Dobson became a respected pitching coach with the Brewers, Padres, Royals, and Orioles. From 1989 to 1990, he was the manager of the Fort Myers Sun Sox of the Senior Professional Baseball Association, leading the team to a 37-35 record and a playoff berth in his first season and an 11-14 record at the time of the league's demise on December 26, 1990. In 1997, Dobson joined the San Francisco Giants organization and worked as an advance major league scout and assistant to general manager Brian Sabean.

Dobson died from leukemia in 2006 in San Diego, California at the age of 64, one day after being diagnosed with the disease. He is survived by six children (Patrick Dobson III, Nancy Dobson Kost, Stacy Dobson, Christopher Dobson, Shannon Christaldi-Dobson, and Stephanie Dobson) and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.