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When Fingers reached the major leagues, the role of relief pitchers was limited, as starting pitchers rarely left games while holding a lead; but as team offense increased following the 1968 season, a
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| nd especially with the American League's introduction of the designated hitter in 1973, managers became more willing to replace starters in the late innings with a lead in order to forestall any late | |
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| rallies by opponents. Through the 1960s, both leagues' annual saves leaders tended toward totals of 20-25 saves; few pitchers remained in the role more than a two or three years, with significant exce | |
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ptions such as Roy Face and knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm. But in the 1970s, in an era allowing for greater opportunities for closers than had previously been available, Fingers' excellence in relief all
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| owed him to gradually increase his annual saves totals past 30. He eventually earned 341 career saves, greatly surpassing WIlhelm's record of 227. Fingers is regarded as a pioneer of modern relief pit | |
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| ching, essentially defining the role of the closer for years to come. As had generally been true in baseball through the 1960s, Fingers was originally moved to the bullpen – and eventually to his ro | |
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as a closer – due to struggles with starting. Before Fingers' time, a former starter's renewed success in the bullpen would have led back to a spot in the starting rotation; but since the successes
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| not only Fingers but also contemporaries such as Sparky Lyle and Goose Gossage, it has been widely accepted that an excellent pitcher might actually provide a greater benefit to his team as a closer t | |
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