Joey Richard McLaughlin (born July 11, 1956) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

player who was a right-handed

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...

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), ...

from 1977 to 1984. He played for the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

, and Texas Rangers. McLaughlin was drafted by the Braves in the second round of the 1974 amateur draft.Baseball-Reference - Joey McLaughlin Statistics
/ref> He played his first game with the Braves on June 11, 1977, against the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

. McLaughlin did not play for the Braves in 1978, then returned to the team for the 1979 season. After the 1979 season, McLaughlin was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays along with Barry Bonnell and

Pat Rockett Patrick Edward Rockett (born January 9, 1955) is an American former baseball shortstop who played for the Atlanta Braves between 1976 and 1978. Rockett was drafted by the Braves as the tenth pick of the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft, 1973 amate ...

in exchange for Chris Chambliss and Luis Gómez.Baseball Almanac - Joey McLaughlin Trades and Transactions
/ref> Almost exclusively used as a reliever, McLaughlin became increasingly unpopular in Toronto in the 1983 season in which he recorded 9 saves, but also recorded 11 blown saves. He remained with the Blue Jays until May 13, 1984, when he was released by the team. McLaughlin was signed by the Texas Rangers ten days later on May 23, but was released by the Rangers after the season, ending his career.

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1956 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Atlanta Braves players Greenwood Braves players Hawaii Islanders players Kingsport Braves players Major League Baseball pitchers Oklahoma City 89ers players Richmond Braves players Savannah Braves players Baseball players from Tulsa, Oklahoma Tacoma Tigers players Texas Rangers players Toronto Blue Jays players {{US-baseball-pitcher-1950s-stub