Jeff Russell, baseball player, 1983-1996

Jeff Russell

Born: 9/2/1961 in Cincinnati, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1983-08-13 | Final Game: 1996-09-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Jeffrey Lee Russell

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Biography

Jeff Russell, born in 1961, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1983 to 1996. Known for his versatility on the mound, Russell made a significant impact in Major League Baseball during a time when the game was transitioning into the more offense-heavy era of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Over his thirteen-year career, he compiled a record of 56-73, with a career earned run average (ERA) of 3.75, and struck out 693 batters. His ability to close games was highlighted by his impressive total of 186 saves, establishing him as a reliable option in high-pressure situations. Russell was selected as an All-Star twice, a testament to his skill and consistency on the field. His contributions to various teams—including the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, and the Boston Red Sox—were marked by his competitive spirit and adept pitching style, which combined effective fastballs and sharp breaking pitches. As a notable figure in a rapidly evolving era of baseball, Russell's career not only reflected the challenges and triumphs of a pitcher in the late 20th century but also left a lasting legacy as a prominent closer in the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
56 73 589 79 11 2 186 1099.7 1065 458 100 415 693 3.75 0

Career ERA 3.75 vs. league average 4.04 across their career seasons — 7.1% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1983 CIN NL 4 5 10 10 2 0 0 68.3 58 23 22 40 3.03 3.87 (+22%) -16.5
1984 CIN NL 6 18 33 30 4 2 0 181.7 186 86 65 101 4.26 3.81 (-12%) -273.9
1985 TEX AL 3 6 13 13 0 0 0 62.0 85 52 27 44 7.55 3.89 (-94%) -1368.0
1986 TEX AL 5 2 37 0 0 0 2 82.0 74 31 31 54 3.40 3.97 (+14%) -825.7
1987 TEX AL 5 4 52 2 0 0 3 97.3 109 48 52 56 4.44 4.29 (-3%) -727.9
1988 TEX AL 10 9 34 24 5 0 0 188.7 183 80 66 88 3.82 3.73 (-2%) -1454.4
1989 TEX AL 6 4 71 0 0 0 38 72.7 45 16 24 77 1.98 3.71 (+47%) 2279.8
1990 TEX AL 1 5 27 0 0 0 10 25.3 23 12 16 16 4.26 3.86 (-10%) -58.4
1991 TEX AL 6 4 68 0 0 0 30 79.3 71 29 26 52 3.29 3.91 (+16%) -921.4
1992 TEX AL 2 3 51 0 0 0 28 56.7 51 12 22 43 1.91 3.75 (+49%) 746.9
1992 OAK AL 2 0 8 0 0 0 2 9.7 4 0 3 5 0.00 3.75 (+100%) 0.0
1993 BOS AL 1 4 51 0 0 0 33 46.7 39 14 14 45 2.70 4.19 (+36%) 2223.8
1994 BOS AL 0 5 29 0 0 0 12 28.0 30 16 13 18 5.14 4.51 (-14%) -159.5
1994 CLE AL 1 1 13 0 0 0 5 12.7 13 7 3 10 4.97 4.51 (-10%) 62.4
1995 TEX AL 1 0 37 0 0 0 20 32.7 36 11 9 21 3.03 4.45 (+32%) 504.1
1996 TEX AL 3 3 55 0 0 0 3 56.0 58 21 22 23 3.38 4.61 (+27%) -414.6

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
591 79 3 11 3 0 1 10 0 5 33 0.139 0.188 0.215 0.403 -463.7

Career AVG .139 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 46.5% below league average.

Career OBP .188 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 42.5% below league average.

Career SLG .215 vs. league average .396 across their career seasons — 45.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.403 vs. league average 0.723 across their career seasons — 44.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1983 CIN NL 10 21 1 3 1 0 1 3 0 1 6 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1984 CIN NL 34 57 2 8 2 0 0 7 0 4 27 0.140 .259 (-46%) .322 (-40%) .384 (-54%) .707 (-48%) -463.7
1985 TEX AL 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1986 TEX AL 37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1987 TEX AL 52 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1988 TEX AL 35 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1989 TEX AL 71 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1990 TEX AL 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1991 TEX AL 68 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1992 TEX AL 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1992 OAK AL 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1993 BOS AL 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1994 BOS AL 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1994 CLE AL 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1995 TEX AL 37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1996 TEX AL 55 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1996 ALDS2 TEX 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1992 ALCS OAK 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 0 5 0 0 5.0 5 3 4 1 5.40

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1996 ALDS2 TEX 0 0 2 0 0 3.0 3 1 0 1 3.00
1992 ALCS OAK 1 0 3 0 0 2.0 2 2 4 0 9.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 589 79 71 192 10 17

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1983 CIN P 10 10 2 10 1 0
1984 CIN P 33 30 7 34 2 4
1985 TEX P 13 13 6 10 0 1
1986 TEX P 37 0 6 17 0 3
1987 TEX P 52 2 11 17 0 2
1988 TEX P 34 24 12 37 5 3
1989 TEX P 71 0 6 14 0 3
1990 TEX P 27 0 1 5 1 0
1991 TEX P 68 0 6 18 1 1
1992 TEX P 51 0 8 8 0 0
1992 OAK P 8 0 0 0 0 0
1993 BOS P 51 0 2 10 0 0
1994 BOS P 29 0 0 1 0 0
1994 CLE P 13 0 1 1 0 0
1995 TEX P 37 0 2 2 0 0
1996 TEX P 55 0 1 8 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 589

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1989 Reliever of the Year Award
1989 TSN Fireman of the Year

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1996 TEX AL $615,000
1995 TEX AL $615,000
1994 BOS AL $2,975,000
1993 BOS AL $2,175,000
1992 TEX AL $2,600,000
1991 TEX AL $2,200,000
1990 TEX AL $1,166,667
1989 TEX AL $480,000
1988 TEX AL $190,000
1986 TEX AL $80,000
Total Career Earnings $13,096,667

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Gulf Coast Community College Panama City FL 1980

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1989 Cy Young Award AL 9th 1.0 140 0