Фрэнк Танана: Американдық бейсболшының өмірі мен мансабы

American baseball player (born 1953)

Frank Daryl Tanana (born July 3, 1953) is an American former professional baseball left handed pitcher. In a Major League Baseball career that stretched from 1973 to 1993, he pitched for the California Angels, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, and New York Yankees. He struck out 2,773 batters in his career and twice won playoff clinching games for the teams he was on, the 1979 Angels and the 1987 Tigers. Raised in northwest Detroit, Tanana was a first round draft pick by the Angels in 1971. He made his debut with the team in 1973 and won 14 games his rookie year. Tanana and fellow starter Nolan Ryan formed one of the toughest pairs of starting pitchers to hit against in baseball. Tanana led the American League (AL) in strikeouts in 1975, then made the AL All Star team three years in a row. He won 19 games in 1976 and led the AL with a 2.54 earned run average (ERA) in 1977. In 1979, he won the game that clinched the Angels' first ever playoff appearance. Injuries began to take their toll on him by the end of his tenure with the Angels, and he changed his style from relying on a hard fastball to throwing a repertoire of slower pitches, using deception to get hitters out instead. Tanana was traded to Boston for the 1981 season; he went 4–10 with the Red Sox before becoming a free agent and signing with the Rangers. He tied for the AL lead in losses his first year with Texas, then failed to make their starting rotation at the beginning of the 1983 season, though he returned to it in June. In 1984, he had a 15–15 record for the team, his most wins since 1978. After getting off to a poor start with Texas in 1985, he was traded to Detroit, the team he rooted for growing up. Tanana would stay with the Tigers through 1992, pitching eight seasons with the club. He threw a shutout in the final game of the 1987 season to clinch a playoff spot for the team, winning 15 games that year. In 1988, he won 14 games; in 1989, he posted a 3.58 ERA. He was removed from the rotation for a time in 1990, only winning nine games that year, but the next season, he became the Tigers' first pitcher besides Jack Morris to start on Opening Day since 1979. This was the fifth Opening Day start of Tanana's career, as he had made four for the Angels in the 1970s. He won 13 games apiece in 1991 and 1992 before pitching one more season with the Mets and the Yankees in 1993. After becoming a born again Christian in November 1983, Tanana became a leader among baseball's Christian community. He has continued to serve in the ministry following his retirement, serving as an elder in his church, assisting the Tigers' chaplain, and performing Bible studies and marriage counselling. He lives in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Tanana grew up in the northwest part of Detroit, Michigan. His father, also named Frank, had played professional baseball in the 1950s and was on the 1955 Eastern League championship team, the Reading Indians, before he left baseball and joined the Detroit Police Department to support his family. After young Frank got done with homework, he and his friends would spend the rest of the afternoon playing various sports.

Along with Nolan Ryan, Tanana anchored the pitching staff of the California Angels from 1973 to 1979. This led to the saying, "Tanana and Ryan and two days of cryin'", an indication of just how much the two meant to the rotation. (This was a variation on "Spahn and Sain, then pray for rain," referring to the pitchers of the Boston Braves of the late 1940s.) The duo were considered two of the toughest pitching teammates in history, drawing comparisons to Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale of the Los Angeles Dodgers. His next start, on September 14, also was against Kansas City—Tanana threw a complete game this time, only allowing two runs (one earned) to earn his first major league victory. He threw a complete game shutout in the Angels' last game of the year on September 30, allowing just two hits in a 3–0 win over the Minnesota Twins. In his first full season, Tanana was named the Angels' number two starter, behind Ryan. In his next start, September 27, he gave up two runs and was losing until pinch hitter Doug Howard drove in two runs in the seventh inning to give him and the Angels a 3–2 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Then, in the last game of the year against the Oakland Athletics, he threw a shutout in a 2–0 victory. In 39 games (35 starts) his rookie year, Tanana had a 14–19 record, a 3.12 earned run average (ERA), 12 complete games (four shutouts), and 180 strikeouts in 268 2/3 innings pitched. The 180 strikeouts were seventh in the American League (AL) (teammate Ryan led the league with 367), the four shutouts were tied for sixth (with five other pitchers), and Tanana did not lead the league in losses, as four other pitchers tied him for third behind Lolich (21) and Clyde Wright (20). In the first game of a doubleheader on June 21, 1975, Tanana struck out 17 batters in a 4–2 victory over the Texas Rangers, becoming the first left hander in AL history to have that many strikeouts in a game. "Everybody stood up and applauded for me in the ninth inning," he remembered. "I felt invincible." At season's end, Tanana's 269 strikeouts led the American League; it would be the only time from 1972 to 1979 that anyone other than teammate Ryan, injured, led the AL in strikeouts. He and Kaat tied for fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting after the season. With Ryan coming off a year in which he had missed time with injury, Tanana was named the Angels' Opening Day starter for 1976. As it turned out, 1976 would be the first of four straight Opening Day starts for Tanana. He was named an All Star for the first time in 1976. The Angels' offense did not always score a lot for him; on August 27, 1976, he and Catfish Hunter of the New York Yankees each pitched 13 scoreless innings in a game where both men received a no decision. It was the second year in a row Tanana had thrown 13 scoreless innings without getting a decision, but the Angels would lose this one in 15, 5–0. At season's end, he was among the league leaders once again in wins (19, tied with Mark Fidrych and Ed Figueroa for fourth), ERA (2.43, behind Fidrych's 2.34 and Vida Blue's 2.35), strikeouts (261, second to a healthy Ryan's 327), and complete games (23, tied with Jim Palmer for second behind Fidrych's 24). With a 19–10 record, he came close to winning twenty games, missing the mark because of a midseason injury and also an August 22 outing against the Yankees where, having allowed only two hits going into the ninth, he started taking it easy, gave up six runs and was removed, and received a no decision, though the Angels eventually won 11–8 in eleven. For the second year in a row, Tanana made the All Star Game in 1977. Shortly after the streak, though, he got an inflamed tendon in his left arm and had to be shut down for almost two weeks. After he returned, his arm was still tired, and the Angels had to shut him down for the rest of the year after September 5. His 205 strikeouts were good for third in the league, behind Ryan's 341 and Dennis Leonard's 244. He finished ninth in Cy Young voting after the season. Tanana started the 1978 season strong, with a 1–0 shutout of Oakland on Opening Day. He was named to the All Star Game for the third year in a row. Through the end of July, he had a 14–6 record and a 2.99 ERA. However, his numbers were not as good in his final 11 starts; though his record was 4–6, his ERA hopped up to 5.22. Still, Tanana finished the year with an 18–12 record, tying with Lary Sorensen and Fergie Jenkins for ninth in the AL in wins. He threw ten complete games and tied with four others for fifth in the league in shutouts, with four. His 3.65 ERA was the highest of his career at the time, though, and his strikeout total dropped to 137, even though he threw 239 innings. After giving up six runs in two innings on June 10, 1979, against the Detroit Tigers, Tanana was shut down for a couple months with shoulder tendinitis. The injury kept him out two months of the 1979 season with a shoulder injury, but through intensive therapy, he was able to pitch in September. Tanana started Game 3 of the AL Championship Series (ALCS) against the Baltimore Orioles, limiting them to one run through five innings. He was taken out in the sixth, though, after giving up two straight singles and a walk to open the frame. Don Aase came in and got three straight outs, but the first was a sacrifice fly off the bat of Doug DeCinces that scored a run, tying the game for the Orioles and making Tanana ineligible for the win. The Angels ultimately prevailed 4–3, but that would be their only win of the series, as Baltimore beat them in four games. Tanana slipped to fifth in the Angels' starting rotation in 1980. After going 2–6 through the month of May, he had his turn in the rotation skipped at the beginning of June. Through June 4, he had a 7.93 ERA. After that, he pitched better for the rest of the year, with his ERA going down to 3.33 in his last 23 starts. In 32 games (31 starts), Tanana had an 11–12 record, a 4.15 ERA, and 113 strikeouts in 204 innings pitched. "I stunk," Tanana summarized his performance for Boston. He pitched for the Red Sox for a single season, earning only 4 victories against 10 losses (the 10 losses tied with five others for 8th in the AL in a strike shortened season). While his 4.01 ERA was better than the previous season, he struggled to pitch at Fenway Park, where he had a 5.36 ERA. He would have finished 3–10, but he threw a shutout against the Cleveland Indians on October 3 in his last start of the year (at Cleveland Stadium, not Fenway). Despite the finish, he was granted free agency by the Red Sox on November 13, 1981. For the first time in his career in 1983, Tanana was not a part of his team's starting rotation, opening the season as a long reliever for the Rangers. He had a 1.57 ERA in eight games, though, and returned to the rotation June 10, allowing one run and three hits in six innings in a 4–2 victory over the Twins. Through August 22, he had a 7–4 record, but he went on a five game losing streak to end the year, finishing up 7–9. He finished the season with a 15–15 record, a 3.25 ERA, and 141 strikeouts in 246 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA went down with Detroit, and he won each of his last five starts. In 20 starts for Detroit, Tanana had a 10–7 record, a 3.34 ERA, and 107 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings pitched. In a combined 33 starts between Texas and Detroit, he had a 12–14 record, a 4.27 ERA, and 159 strikeouts in 215 innings. Twice that year, he had ten strikeout games—the first in a 14–0 shutout of the Seattle Mariners on August 23, and the second in only seven innings on September 25, though Tanana allowed four runs and took the loss to the Toronto Blue Jays that day. In 32 games (31 starts), he had a 12–9 record, a 4.16 ERA, and 119 strikeouts in 188 1/3 innings. He picked up his 2,000th strikeout July 12 against the Angels, though the milestone came in a 5–4 loss. Through August 6, he had a 3.40 ERA, but he struggled after that, posting a 9.00 ERA in his next eight starts and prompting manager Sparky Anderson to take him out of the rotation in September. However, Tanana only missed one start before rejoining the rotation with the Tigers in the middle of a pennant race. "That game was probably the highlight of my career,” Tanana said. He went 15–7 in 34 starts as he helped the Tigers win the division, posting a 3.91 ERA and striking out 146 in 218 2/3 innings pitched. The Tigers faced the Twins in the ALCS; in Game 4, Tanana was matched up against Frank Viola. He allowed six hits over 5 1/3 innings, walking four batters and giving up four runs (three earned) in a 4–3 defeat. The Twins won the series in five games. After the 1987 season, Tanana went to arbitration with the Tigers. Seeking a two year contract initially, Tanana ultimately received a one year, $1.1 million deal, $300,000 more than the Tigers had wanted to pay him. Tanana won eight of his first ten decisions in 1988, matching the best start of his career (he also won eight of his first ten decisions in 1977 and 1978). His only two complete games of the year came in back to back starts, a win against Texas on July 29 and a loss to Kansas City August 3 when he only went eight innings due to it being a road game. In 32 starts, Tanana had a 14–11 record, a 4.21 ERA, and 127 strikeouts in 203 innings. After Tanana beat the White Sox on August 6, 1989, Anderson praised his pitcher: "Tanana should have at least 15 wins this year. He is pitching the best for me this year since he came over here. He's a real pitcher. He knows what he's doing even when he makes a mistake." He struck out 10 in a two hit shutout of the Orioles on August 16. Tanana's 3.58 ERA would be his lowest ever for the Tigers, save for the 20 starts he made for them in 1985. He had a 10–14 record, striking out 147 batters in 223 2/3 innings. He became a free agent after the season but re signed with the club a week later. The season saw him struggle, though—he had a 6.47 ERA through July 28, prompting the Tigers to re sign Walt Terrell to replace him in the rotation. It was during this time that Tanana got the only save of his career, inducing Oscar Azócar to hit a foul pop up and stranding a runner on second in the 14th inning of a 6–5 triumph over the Yankees August 2. He rejoined the rotation August 25 and posted a 2.44 ERA for the remainder of the year. He gave up four runs in five innings against the Yankees, leaving with the game tied, but the Tigers beat New York 6–4. He threw a shutout against the White Sox April 18, then threw another shutout against the Angels June 7. Also, June 18, he came within one out of throwing another shutout but left after giving up two straight singles in the ninth; Mike Henneman finished a 2–0 victory over Oakland. On September 27, he became the last player to throw a pitch in the history of Memorial Stadium, allowing one run in a complete game, 7–1 victory over the Orioles. He made 33 starts for the Tigers in 1991, posting a 13–12 record, a 3.77 ERA, and 107 strikeouts in 217 1/3 innings pitched. He rejoined the rotation after that and posted a 3.96 ERA the rest of the way. There were no shutouts for Tanana in 1992, but he did throw eight scoreless innings for the win in a 6–0 victory over Texas on August 16. In 31 starts, he had a 13–11 record, a 4.39 ERA, and 91 strikeouts in 186 2/3 innings pitched.

Tanana signed as a free agent with the New York Mets for the 1993 season. The Mets were interested in him partly as a mentor for left handed prospect Pete Schourek. Tanana's manager with the team, Jeff Torborg, was his catcher in his MLB debut in 1973. He won seven games for the last place team but lost 15 (tied for 6th in the National League (NL)) before being traded to the New York Yankees for Kenny Greer on September 17, as the Yankees sought pitching help in an attempt to capture the AL East pennant. Tanana lost two of his three starts for the Yankees, and they did not reach the post season. In his last start of the season (and ultimately, his final major league appearance) on October 1, he held the Tigers to four runs (three earned) over 6 1/3 innings and left with the Yankees leading 5–4. Bobby Muñoz blew the lead, costing Tanana the chance for the win, but the Yankees prevailed 9–6. Tanana's combined totals for the season were a 7–17 record, a 4.35 ERA, and 116 strikeouts in 202 2/3 innings pitched. Following the year, he again became a free agent. He competed for a starting spot in their rotation but was released in favor of Mark Leiter after going 0–3 with a 13.50 ERA in spring training, marking the end of his professional career. In 21 seasons in the major leagues, Tanana had a 3.66 lifetime ERA. He mixed his repertoire of off speed pitches very effectively, using deception rather than speed to get hitters out. The new style extended his career, and he accumulated 34 shutouts, 4,188 1/3 innings pitched, and 2,773 strikeouts. In a 21 year career, Tanana never had any sort of surgery on his arm. "I had sore arms, of course, that just goes right along with pitching. You're going to have sore arms on occasion." When his arm did get sore, Tanana treated it with physical therapy and strengthening exercises. In a 2019 interview, he speculated that young pitchers were having arm surgery more often because they threw too much when they were young, and they focused too much on baseball when they were young, instead of playing other sports as well during the year. His 236 losses rank 17th all time, and he holds the AL record for most home runs allowed (422). Tanana's 4,188 1/3 innings pitched are the 35th most in baseball history, his 1,704 earned runs allowed are 21st, and his 17,641 batters faced rank 37th. He has the most career WAR (57.1 according to Baseball Reference) of any player to appear on the BBWAA ballot and not receive any votes. Tanana is one of five Hall of Fame eligible pitchers who rank in the top 25 all time in career strikeouts and who have not been elected to the Hall. Tanana's 2,773 strikeouts rank him at number 23 all time. Also not in the Hall of Fame are Roger Clemens (#3 with 4,672 strikeouts), Curt Schilling (#15 with 3,116), Lolich (#20 with 2,832), and David Cone (#25 with 2,668). Tanana is in the top 10 among Angels in several categories. His 102 wins with the team are tied for fifth with John Lackey, his 3.08 ERA ranks fifth, and his 1,233 strikeouts rank fifth in franchise history. His 269 strikeouts in 1975 are still the most by a left handed pitcher for the Angels.

When Tanana first reached the major leagues, he quickly earned a reputation as a partier and drinker. He told reporters his idol was himself, that he was already one of the greatest pitchers of all time, and that "Nothing I do awes me." Since then, Tanana has been a leader in the Christian community within professional baseball. He credits God for the success of his marriage and the longevity of his career. He and his wife, Cathy, serve on the Pro Athletes Outreach Board of Directors. They have four daughters—Lauren, Jill and Kari (twins), and Erin—and several grandchildren. The couple now reside in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and he is an Elder at Highland Park Baptist Church in Southfield. Frank has coached young athletes at Southfield Christian School. In 1996, Tanana was inducted into the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2006, Tanana was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.