Global InformationDoug Rau information
| Doug Rau | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: December 15, 1948 Columbus, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 2, 1972, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 26, 1981, for the California Angels | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 81–60 |
| Earned run average | 3.35 |
| Strikeouts | 697 |
| Teams | |
| |
Douglas James Rau (born December 15, 1948), is an American former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1972 to 1981. Rau attended Texas A&M University, and was a first-round draft pick of the Dodgers in the secondary phase of the June 1970 amateur draft. He played almost exclusively for the Dodgers in his major league career.[1]
Rau broke in with the Dodgers in 1972, earning a 2.20 ERA in 32+2⁄3 innings and giving up just 18 hits. In 1974, Rau became a starter and they won the NL pennant. His record was 13-11. In 1975, he went 15-9 with a 3.11 ERA. In 1976, he finished with a record of 16-12 and a 2.57 ERA, second in the National League.
In 1977 and 1978, Dodgers won the pennant again and Rau was a mainstay in the starting rotation. In 1977 he went 14-8, with a winning percentage of .636, while in 1978 he went 15-9 with a winning percentage of .625. In the 1977 World Series he did not pitch effectively, but in the 1978 World Series he gave up no runs in 2 innings pitched.
Rau's career was close to an end, though, because of injury problems. In 1979, he pitched in only 11 games, with a record of 1-5, and had rotator cuff surgery. He was not in the majors in 1980, and when he came back in 1981 with the California Angels, he appeared in only 3 games, going 1-2.
Rau was involved in an argument during Game 4 of the 1977 World Series with manager Tommy Lasorda. After Rau gave up 2 doubles, a single and one run to start the 2nd inning, Lasorda went to the mound to remove him from the game; the two men then got into a profanity-filled argument on the mound in which team captain Davey Lopes tried to calm them down. The argument was recorded on Lasorda's microphone.[2]
- ^ Baseball Almanac
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