Joe Sambito
Born: 6/28/1952 in Brooklyn, NY, USA
MLB Debut: 1976-07-20 | Final Game: 1987-10-03
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 lbs
Full name: Joseph Charles Sambito
Biography
Joe Sambito, born in 1952, was a prominent pitcher who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1976 until his retirement in 1987. Known for his exceptional control and ability to close out games, Sambito registered a career record of 37-38 with a commendable earned run average (ERA) of 3.03. Over his 11-year career, he struck out 489 batters and notched 84 saves, showcasing his effectiveness in high-pressure situations. His performance earned him an All-Star selection, highlighting his status as one of the more reliable relief pitchers of his time.
Sambito began his professional career during an era that saw a transition in baseball styles, moving away from the deadball era and embracing a more offensive approach. Despite the challenges of competing against powerful hitters, Sambito's skill set allowed him to thrive in the bullpen, where he often played a crucial role in securing victories for his teams. His contributions to the game were marked by both his solid statistics and his ability to perform under pressure, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of baseball.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 38 | 461 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 84 | 629.0 | 562 | 212 | 48 | 195 | 489 | 3.03 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | HOU | NL | 3 | 2 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 53.3 | 45 | 21 | 14 | 26 | 3.54 | 126.8 |
| 1977 | HOU | NL | 5 | 5 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 89.0 | 77 | 23 | 24 | 67 | 2.33 | 2448.6 |
| 1978 | HOU | NL | 4 | 9 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 88.0 | 85 | 30 | 32 | 96 | 3.07 | 3257.6 |
| 1979 | HOU | NL | 8 | 7 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 91.3 | 80 | 18 | 23 | 83 | 1.77 | 2470.1 |
| 1980 | HOU | NL | 8 | 4 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 90.3 | 65 | 22 | 22 | 75 | 2.19 | 3499.2 |
| 1981 | HOU | NL | 5 | 5 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 63.7 | 43 | 13 | 22 | 41 | 1.84 | 521.8 |
| 1982 | HOU | NL | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12.7 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0.71 | 564.5 |
| 1984 | HOU | NL | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47.7 | 39 | 16 | 16 | 26 | 3.02 | -285.1 |
| 1985 | NYN | NL | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.7 | 21 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 12.66 | -453.6 |
| 1986 | BOS | AL | 2 | 0 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 44.7 | 54 | 24 | 16 | 30 | 4.84 | 193.4 |
| 1987 | BOS | AL | 2 | 6 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37.7 | 46 | 29 | 16 | 35 | 6.93 | -716.0 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 462 | 52 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 19 | 0.135 | 0.274 | 0.154 | 0.428 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | HOU | NL | 20 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0.222 | 0.0 |
| 1977 | HOU | NL | 54 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.154 | 0.0 |
| 1978 | HOU | NL | 62 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1979 | HOU | NL | 63 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0.286 | 0.0 |
| 1980 | HOU | NL | 64 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1981 | HOU | NL | 49 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1982 | HOU | NL | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1984 | HOU | NL | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1985 | NYN | NL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1986 | BOS | AL | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1987 | BOS | AL | 47 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | ALCS | BOS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1986 | WS | BOS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1981 | NWDIV | HOU | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1980 | NLCS | HOU | 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 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 6.3 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8.53 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | ALCS | BOS | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 1986 | WS | BOS | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 27.00 |
| 1981 | NWDIV | HOU | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 16.20 |
| 1980 | NLCS | HOU | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4.91 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 461 | 5 | 35 | 104 | 9 | 13 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | HOU | P | 20 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 1977 | HOU | P | 54 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| 1978 | HOU | P | 62 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 3 |
| 1979 | HOU | P | 63 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 2 |
| 1980 | HOU | P | 64 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 2 |
| 1981 | HOU | P | 49 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
| 1982 | HOU | P | 9 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1984 | HOU | P | 32 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | NYN | P | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | BOS | P | 53 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987 | BOS | P | 47 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 461 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Player of the Week | Week of 1980-08-22 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | BOS | AL | $360,000 |
| 1986 | BOS | AL | $500,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $860,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Cy Young Award | NL | 5th | 1.0 | 120 | 0 |
| 1979 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 21th | 9.0 | 336 | 0 |