Bill Laskey

{{for|the American football player|Bill Laskey (American football)}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name=Bill Laskey

| image=Bill Laskey 1983.jpg

| position=Pitcher

| bats=Right

| throws=Right

| birth_date={{Birth date and age|1957|12|20}}

| birth_place=Toledo, Ohio, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate=April 23

| debutyear=1982

| debutteam=San Francisco Giants

|finalleague = MLB

| finaldate=August 13

| finalyear=1988

| finalteam=Cleveland Indians

|statleague = MLB

| stat1label=Win–loss record

| stat1value=42–53

| stat2label=Earned run average

| stat2value=4.14

| stat3label=Strikeouts

| stat3value=325

| teams=

San Francisco Giants ({{mlby|1982}}–{{mlby|1985}})
Montreal Expos ({{mlby|1985}})
San Francisco Giants ({{mlby|1986}})
Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1988}})

}}

William Alan Laskey (born December 20, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player who was a pitcher for six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1982 to 1986 and in 1988. He played for the San Francisco Giants, Montreal Expos, and Cleveland Indians. Laskey stands {{convert|6|ft|5|in|cm}} tall and weighs {{convert|190|lbs|kg}}. When he played he batted and threw right-handed.

Early life

William Alan Laskey was born on December 20, 1957, in Toledo, Ohio. He attended Woodward High School and graduated in 1975, where he excelled in baseball. He was inducted into Woodward High School's Hall of Fame in 1999 and the City of Toledo's Hall of Fame in 2002.{{Cite web|url=https://www.woodwardhalloffame.org/1999-laskey|title = 1999_laskey}}

College career

Laskey played collegiately for Monroe Community College and Kent State University. In 1977, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Cardinals of the Cape Cod Baseball League.{{cite web|author= |url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf |title=Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |date= |accessdate=September 25, 2019}}

Professional career

=Drafts and minor leagues=

Laskey was drafted twice by the Detroit Tigers in the 1977 MLB draft. On January 11, he was drafted in the eighth round of the January Draft-Regular Phase from Monroe Community College (Rochester, NY), but did not sign. On June 7, he was drafted in the first round (23rd overall) of the June Draft-Secondary Phase, but did not sign. On June 6, the Kansas City Royals drafted Laskey in the second round of the 1978 MLB draft in the June Draft-Secondary Phase from Kent State University (Kent, OH), and he signed.

On December 11, 1981, Laskey was traded along with Rich Gale to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Jerry Martin.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1982/06/06/giants-win-as-gale-hits-first-homer-in-majors/1bcc6d32-b113-423c-9098-ba74a7a17982/ |title=Giants Win as Gale Hits First Homer in Majors |date=1982-06-06 |newspaper=The Washington Post |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}}{{Cite web|url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/rich-gale/|title=Rich Gale – Society for American Baseball Research}}

=San Francisco Giants (1982–1985)=

On April 23 at Candlestick Park, Laskey made his Major League debut in relief against the Los Angeles Dodgers. On April 28 at Candlestick Park, in a 7–0 win over the Montreal Expos, Laskey started his first Major League game and pitched his first career Major League complete game and shutout. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Laskey recorded his first career Major League hit and run batted in, an RBI single off Bill Gullickson to right field that scored Jack Clark. To end the top of the fifth inning, Laskey struck out Tim Raines for his first career Major League strikeout.{{Cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/04/29/Chances-are-there-will-never-be-a-day-in/9014388900800/|title = Chances are there will never be a day in}} In 1982, Laskey was selected to the MLB All-Star Game but was persuaded by Tommy Lasorda to relinquish his roster spot to make room for a soon-to-retire Phil Niekro as a gesture. Niekro went on to pitch five more years, and Laskey was never selected for another All-Star Game. Laskey has said he "never should have trusted Tommy Lasorda." That year, as a rookie, Laskey won a career-high and team-leading 13 games. He received the Rookie Right Handed Pitcher of the Year Award from Baseball Digest and Topps Baseball Cards in 1982. Laskey led the Giants in wins, ERA and most innings pitched in 1982 and 1983.

=Montreal Expos (1985)=

On August 1, 1985, Laskey was traded along with Scot Thompson to the Montreal Expos in exchange for Dan Driessen.{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/fbafd56a95d4c4b6aa28613b8d6ef3b8|title = Two months after Dan Driessen demanded a trade, the Montre|website = Associated Press}}

=Second stint with the Giants (1986)=

On October 24, 1985, Laskey was traded back to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Alonzo Powell and George Riley. On May 2 at Candlestick Park, against the Chicago Cubs, Laskey recorded his first career Major League hold. On May 13, 1986, at Wrigley Field, in a 6–5 win over the Chicago Cubs, Laskey recorded his first career Major League save.

=Detroit Tigers=

On February 4, 1987, Laskey signed as a free agent with the Detroit Tigers.

=Cleveland Indians (1988)=

On January 1, 1988, Laskey signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Indians.

Post-playing career

Laskey served as the head coach of the girls varsity softball team at Aragon High School in San Mateo, California. He retired with a 78–62–3 overall record as their coach. He also coached at Palo Alto High School and Crystal Springs Uplands School.{{Cite web|url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2015/04/30/palo-alto-pitchers-no-hitter-was-just-perfect-this-time|title=Palo Alto pitcher's no-hitter was just perfect this time|date=April 30, 2015 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.csus.org/news-detail?pk=839197|title=News from the Field: Bill Laskey|date=21 September 2016}} Laskey has also had a broadcasting career. He was formerly a baseball analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area, and is now a radio host and on-air personality for KNBR, hosting Extra Innings with Bill Laskey.{{Cite web|url=https://www.knbr.com/billlaskey/|title = Extra Innings with Bill Laskey | KNBR}} He is President of Celebrity Connection, a sports talent agency. Laskey also runs the Giants fantasy camp.{{cite web| url = https://www.mlb.com/giants/fans/fantasy-camp/bill-laskey| title = Bill Laskey {{!}} Giants Fantasy Camp {{!}} San Francisco Giants| website = MLB.com}}