Bill Dawley, who debuted with the Astros in 1983, had a standout first half of the season with a 1.88 ERA and an All-Star selection. He became known as 'The Vulture' for winning games despite the team's struggles.
Key points
Bill Dawley debuted with the Astros on April 15, 1983.
He won 5 games and had a 1.88 ERA in the first half of the season.
Dawley was selected as an All-Star in 1983.
He faced tough hitters like Andre Dawson and Jim Rice during his career.
Dawley enjoyed pitching in the Dome, despite giving up his first run to Dale Murphy.
Bill DawleyHouston AstrosChicago White Sox
CHICAGO - 1986: Bill Dawley of the Chicago White Sox pitches during an MLB game at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois during the 1986 season . (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | Getty Images
CHICAGO - 1986: Bill Dawley of the Chicago White Sox pitches during an MLB game at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois during the 1986 season . (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | Getty Images
Bill Dawley would appear in 275 games as a reliever during his major league career. He’d make his debut with the Astros on April 15th and set ablaze the first half of the 1983 season, winning 5 contests while posting a 1.88 ERA. That start would culminate with an All-Star Selection at Old Comiskey Park in the Mid-Summer Classic in Chicago.
Here’s the 12th installment of our continuing legends series.
**Q: Did you have any idea you were going to be dealt during spring training in 1983?**
*A: I had obviously been with the Reds for years and I thought that year I would make the club, but I didn’t make the starting five.*
*On one of the very last days of spring training, they demoted me, but back then you had 72 hours to report to the minor leagues. I was disappointed, but then I received a phone call from Chief Bender who was the man responsible for building the foundation for the Big Red Machine. He told me he about a trade to the Astros, so I get optioned to Tucson, AZ and now I’m in their system but not with the main club.*
*As fate would have it, the Astros started the year 0-9 and they brought me up.*
**Q: And then upon being brought up, you catch fire immediately and start paying dividends. What do you remember most from your first game?**
*A: I’m brought up and we’re playing the Expos. The first batter I faced, I actually hit in the ribs, that was Chris Spiers.*
*So, he’s on first and then Terry Francona comes up next and bunts into a double play with a hard ground ball to Phil Garner. I get the next guy out, we score a run the next inning, and all of sudden, I have my first win.*
*The team is 1-9 and I’m 1-0! (laughs) It happens again a few nights later, I get another win after the team loses a few, and I’m 2-0, but the team is 2-11. They quickly gave me the nickname “The Vulture”.*
**Q: All told the first half is so impressive, that you are named to the All-Star Team. What was that experience like?**
*A: I was sitting in a hotel in Atlanta, and back then the managers and coaches picked the pitching staff so Whitey Herzog calls and says “**Congrats!* *You’re an all-star.”*
*It all happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to think about it. Ironically, I had grown up a huge Red Sox fan, and the first guy I faced that night was Jim Rice.*
**Q: You get Rice, you face George Brett, Lance Parrish, and Manny Trillo. You got all of those guys out. What was that experience like?**
*A: I was pumped. I was on cloud nine. I struck out Parrish, I got Brett to foul out to third base. After Brett, Dave Winfield came up and I made him look silly on two sliders to start things, and thought I could get a fastball by him, but he hit it into right field and then I got Trillo. I still remember what I threw those guys and it sometimes feels like yesterday.*
**Q: Toughest hitter you ever faced?**
*A: Andre Dawson. When he was with the Expos, I think I got him out every single time. When he was traded to the Cubs, he just owned me. He hit three home runs against me, a fastball, a slider, and a change up. He was my toughest out by far.*
**Q: Pitching in the Dome. What comes to mind?**
*A: I loved it. You know my first 10 or 11 innings; I hadn’t given up a run. So, one night, the count is 2 balls and no strikes on Dale Murphy, and I just thought because the dome was so massive that I’d throw him a fastball on the outer half, because no one in the Dome hits a homerun to center field.*
*Well, I was wrong (laughs). Dale hits it over the fence and that was the first run I ever gave up. It was a great place to pitch, and I actually liked the AstroTurf because you rarely got any bad bounces along the way.*
Q&A
What was Bill Dawley's ERA during his first half of the 1983 season with the Astros?
Bill Dawley posted a 1.88 ERA during the first half of the 1983 season.
How did Bill Dawley earn the nickname 'The Vulture'?
He earned the nickname 'The Vulture' for winning games while the Astros struggled, starting the season with a 2-11 record.
Which All-Star players did Bill Dawley face in his first All-Star game?
In his first All-Star game, Bill Dawley faced notable players like Jim Rice, George Brett, and Dave Winfield.
What was Bill Dawley's experience pitching in the Dome like?
Bill Dawley enjoyed pitching in the Dome, noting that he initially had a streak of 10 or 11 scoreless innings before giving up his first run to Dale Murphy.
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