Bill Campbell, who pitched for the Red Sox from 1977-81, died on Friday. He was 74 and in hospice care after being diagnosed with cancer.
Mr. Campbell played 15 seasons in the majors, with seven teams, from 1973-87. He was an All-Star in 1977, finished fifth in the Cy Young voting, and was named American League Fireman of the Year after going 13-9 with 31 saves over 60 appearances and 140 innings.
Mr. Campbell was 28-19 with a 3.57 ERA in 192 games for the Sox. He is 12th in team history with 51 saves.
Bill Campbell, best of the best, died today. Our hearts are with Linda and the kids. Not only was he the first player signed after the 1st Free agent draft inNov., 1976, but a great man
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) January 7, 2023
In an era when relievers were often workhorses, Mr. Campbell threw 549 innings over 257 games during a four-year period from 1974-77, finishing 211 games and collecting 75 saves.
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A native of Highland Park, Mich., Mr. Campbell also played for the Cardinals, Cubs, Expos, Phillies, Tigers, and Twins.
Mr. Campbell signed with Minnesota in 1970 as an amateur free agent after serving in the Army from 1968-70. He spent part of that time as a radio operator in Vietnam.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.