Andrew Earl Hassler (October 18, 1951 – December 25, 2019) was a
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the 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 ...
. He played for the
California Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
(1971, 1973–1976 and 1980–1983),
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
(1976–1978),
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
(1978–1979),
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
(1979),
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
(1980) and
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
(1984–1985).
Career
Hassler was drafted in the 25th round of the 1969 amateur draft by the California Angels and made his Major League debut on May 30, 1971, pitching four innings in a 7–4 loss to the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
.
Hassler was a member of the Royals'
American League Western Division
The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams curr ...
winning team in 1976–1977, the Angels team who won the same division in 1982, and he helped the Cardinals win the 1985 National League Pennant. He lost 17 straight
games
A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...
(as a starter and in relief) between 1975 and 1976. Hassler's final Major League appearance was on May 7, 1985, against the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
.
In 14 seasons, Hassler had a 44–71 win–loss record and a 3.83 career
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
. Though he played for six teams (including two separate stints with the Angels) during his Major League career, Hassler was never involved in a trade. His contract was purchased several times and he signed as a free agent twice.
Hassler died on December 25, 2019, at his home in
Wickenburg, Arizona
Wickenburg is a town in Maricopa and Yavapai counties, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 7,474, up from 6,363 in 2010.
History
The Wickenburg area, along with much of the Southwest, became part of ...
.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hassler, Andy
1951 births
Baseball players from Texas
Major League Baseball pitchers
Boston Red Sox players
California Angels players
Kansas City Royals players
New York Mets players
Pittsburgh Pirates players
St. Louis Cardinals players
Salt Lake City Angels players
Louisville Redbirds players
Arkansas Travelers players
El Paso Sun Kings players
2019 deaths
People from Texas City, Texas