1979 Player Profile - Al Fitzmorris

Al Fitzmorris Alan James Fitzmorris Bats: Both  Throws: Right Debut: September 8, 1969   vs. OAK 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 SO, 0 BB, 0 ER, W Final Game: September 29, 1978 Born: March 21, 1946 in Buffalo, NY

Al Fitzmorris didn't play for the California Angels during the 1979 season, but his 1979 Topps card was included in the set so I figured I'd start the 1979 player profiles with him.

I admit, I knew nothing about Al Fitzmorris before doing some research for this post.  I had intended to have a caption under his card stating, "Why is this guy smiling?", as in what does this nobody have to smile about.  But I learned Fitzmorris was a good player during his 10 year career, and was a very good starting pitcher between 1974 and 1976, winning 44 games. 

Fitzmorris spent 10 years in the major leagues, playing for 3 different teams.  Originally signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent in 1965 as a switch-hitting outfielder, Fitzmorris has the distinction of being drafted twice during major league expansion drafts, the first time in 1968 by Kansas City, and again in 1976 by the Toronto Blue Jays.  From bestofbuck.com:

In 1968 Al led the Carolina League in strikeouts and in November of that year was taken in the expansion draft by the Kansas City Royals. Fitzmorris was called up to the Major Leagues in 1969 and spent the next eight years in Kansas City. In 1976 he was a member of the first Royals team to win the Western Division Championship.

In his major league debut on Spetember 9, 1969, Fitzmorris won in three innings of relief against Oakland.  Primarily used as a reliever/spot-starter during his early career, the Royals converted him to a full-time starter during the 1974 season.  Fitzmorris responded by going 13-6 and finished 5th in the league with an ERA of 2.79 in 190 innings.  He built on his 1974 success by winning 16 games in 1975 with 11 complete games, compiling an ERA of 3.57 in 242 inning.  Kansas City went to the play-offs in 1976, but Fitzmorris didn't appear in any games.  I'm assuming he must have been hurt and unavailable as he was one of the Royals best starters during the season, a season in which he went 15-11 and with a very respectable 3.06 ERA.  He was left unprotected by the Royals, again I'm assuming because he was injured, and was selected in the 13th round by the Toronto Blue Jays, but he never played a game with Toronto, as he was traded the same day to the Cleveland Indians.  Fitzmorris spent the entire 1977 season with Cleveland, but struggled in 29 games (21 starts) losing 10 of 16 decisions and having a career worse 5.41 ERA and continued to struggle into the 1978 season by posting a 6.28 ERA in seven games.  On July 7th, Fitzmorris was released by the Indians and signed a week later by the Angels.  Used exclusively out of the bullpen the remainder of the season, he pitching 31.2 innings for the Halos with a team best 1.71 ERA.  Fitzmorris was granted free agency after the 1978 season and signed with the San Diego Padres, returning to the area he grew up.  He finished out his professional career as a player-coach in 1979 in Hawaii which was the Triple A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.