Reardon, Jeffrey J.
Baseball
b. Oct. 1, 1955, Pittsfield, MA
Reardon pitched for the University of Massachusetts before entering professional baseball in 1977. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder was a starter in the minor leagues, but he became a relief pitcher when he joined the New York Mets during the 1979 season.
A right-hander, Reardon was traded to the Montreal Expos in 1981 and he led the league with 41 saves in 1985, when he was named The Sporting News fireman of the year. He shared the award in 1987, after being traded to the AL's Minnesota Twins.
Reardon signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in 1990 and was traded to the Atlanta Braves during the 1992 season. He joined the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent in 1993 and pitched briefly for the New York Yankees in 1994 before retiring.
Reardon had a 73-77 record with 367 saves and a 3.16 ERA. He struck out 877 hitters and walked 358 in 1,132 1/3 innings. Reardon briefly held the major league record for most career saves, but was passed by Lee Smith. He currently ranks fourth, behind Smith, John Franco, and Dennis Eckersley.