Bill Singer

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#083c6b
bgcolor2=#083c6b
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white


name=Bill Singer
position=Pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1944|4|24
debutdate=September 24
debutyear=by|1964
debutteam=Los Angeles Dodgers
finaldate=July 16
finalyear=1977
finalteam=Toronto Blue Jays
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=118-127
stat2label=ERA
stat2value=3.39
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=1515
teams=
*Los Angeles Dodgers (by|1964–by|1972)
*California Angels (by|1973–by|1975)
*Texas Rangers (by|1976)
*Minnesota Twins (1976)
*Toronto Blue Jays (by|1977)
highlights=
*All star 1969 and 1973
*Pitched no-hitter on July 20, 1970

William Robert Singer (born April 24, 1944 in Los Angeles, California) is a former baseball pitcher with a 14-year career from 1964 to 1977. He played primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1964-72) and the California Angels (1973-75), spending his final two seasons with the Texas Rangers (1976), Minnesota Twins (1976) and Toronto Blue Jays (1977).

Major League Career

Singer won 20 games for the Dodgers in 1969, and again for the Angels in 1973, and was an All-Star both years. He threw a no-hitter on 20 July 1970, blanking the Phillies 5-0. He was the starting pitcher for the expansion Toronto Blue Jays in their first game in the American League in April 1977.

First Save

Singer is credited as the first pitcher to earn a save after the statistic was made official in 1969. [cite web|url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Bill_Singer_1944&page=chronology|title=Bill Singer from the Chronology|last=Charlton|first=James|accessdate=2007-06-05|publisher=BaseballLibrary.com] Singer earned the save on April 7, by|1969, in a season-opening National League game at Cincinnati, working three scoreless innings after taking over for Los Angeles Dodgers starting and winning pitcher Don Drysdale. Singer did not allow a hit, walking one batter and striking out one, as the Dodgers beat the Reds, 3-2. [cite book |coauthors= The editors of the Sporting News |title= Baseball A Doubleheader Collection of Facts, Feats, & Firsts |year= 1992|publisher=The Sporting News Publishing Co. |location=St. Louis, Mo. |isbn=0-88365-785-6 . ]

Post-Playing Career

After retirement he held various scouting and consulting positions with Florida, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles teams.

Racial Remarks Controversy

In 2003, he was terminated from his position as special assistant to General Manager Jim Duquette of the New York Mets following racially insensitive remarks made to Dodgers assistant general manager Kim Ng [http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym/news/nym_press_release.jsp?ymd=20031118&content_id=605478&vkey=pr_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyn] . ] in which he mocked Ng's Chinese heritage. As widely reported by ESPN and the Los Angeles Times the exchange went as follows:

Singer: What are you doing here?
Ng: I'm working.
Singer: What are you doing here?
Ng: I'm working. I'm the Dodger assistant general manager.
Singer: Where are you from?
Ng: I was born in Indiana and grew up in New York.
Singer: Where are you from?
Ng: My family's from China.
Singer: Nonsensically mock Chinese, then "What country in China?" [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1662212 ESPN - Report: 'No way' Singer can save job - MLB ] ]

He later apologized and blamed the Atkins diet and being drunk as the reasons for his remarks. [ [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2003/11/21/baseball_executive_strikes_out_ballet_receives_a_lift/ Boston.com / News / Boston Globe / Living / Arts / Baseball executive strikes out; ballet receives a lift ] ]

He was later hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks as a Major League scout in February 2005, with the Diamondbacks GM Joe Garagiola Jr stating "We satisfied ourselves by talking to him, to other people about him and doing a thorough background check." [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1662212 ESPN - Report: 'No way' Singer can save job - MLB ] ] In November 2006, he was added to the Washington Nationals' scouting roster where he coordinates scouting operations in Asia.

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

References

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/singebi01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/S/Singer_Bill.stm Baseball Library]