Bob Lacey

Robert Joseph Lacey Jr. (August 25, 1953 – June 4, 2026) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, California Angels, and San Francisco Giants.

Early career Lacey once struck out 19 batters during an American Legion playoff game as a youth. He was a 10th-round draft selection of the Oakland A's in 1972, and he was 13–2 in his first minor league season. However, as the A's dynasty began to crumble as the decade wore on, Lacey was given an opportunity at the major league level during the 1977 season.

Major league career

1978–1979 In just his fourth major league appearance, he struck out future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson twice in a crucial situation, enraging Jackson and the Yankees in the process. Later, he would engage in a brawl with the Kansas City Royals' Darrell Porter, who called Lacey a "crazy, immature, punk." Martin did give Lacey his first ever starting assignment on the next-to-last day of the season, and he blanked the Milwaukee Brewers. Naturally, it was a complete game.

Remaining career Lacey was traded to the San Diego Padres in late March 1981 with Roy Moretti for Tony Phillips, Kevin Bell, and Eric Mustad. He was with the Padres for three days, who in turn traded him to the Cleveland Indians. Lacey split time between the Indians and Rangers in 1981 and pitched for Saltillo in the Mexican League in 1982. He was a late-season call up for the California Angels in late 1983 and pitched in relief for the San Francisco Giants in 1984.

He bounced around the minors for the 1985 season before pulling the plug on his seven-year career. He made a comeback of sorts in the late 1990s as manager of the Greensville Bluesmen. Not content with just the dugout, Lacey appeared in eight games of relief over the 1988 and 1989 seasons, and four games each year.

Death Lacey died on June 4, 2026, at the age of 72.