Randy Moffitt pitching for the San Francisco Giants in 1976 when he had 14 saves and a 2.27 ERA.

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

He carved out his own legacy on the pitcher’s mound while sharing a famous family name off the field.

Randy Moffitt, who spent a decade anchoring the San Francisco Giants bullpen and was the younger brother of tennis icon Billie Jean King, died Thursday, Aug. 28, in his hometown of Long Beach, California, after a long illness. He was 76.

A right-hander known for durability and steady relief work, Moffitt pitched 12 Major League seasons from 1972–83. 

Drafted 18th overall by the Giants in 1970 after starring at Long Beach State, he debuted two years later and went on to appear in 533 of his 534 career games out of the bullpen. His best season came in 1976, when he logged 103 innings with a 2.27 ERA and 14 saves.

Over his career, Moffitt compiled a 43–52 record, 3.65 ERA, 455 strikeouts, and 96 saves. He finished his big-league run with single seasons for the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays. 

He was later honored with induction into the Long Beach State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986 and a spot on the Giants’ Wall of Fame in 2008.

Moffitt’s career also included overcoming health challenges. In 1979, he contracted a rare intestinal parasite that left him severely weakened and sidelined for much of two seasons, but he managed to return before being released by San Francisco in 1981.

He is survived by his daughters, Miranda Harrah and Alysha Gosse, four grandchildren, King, and her wife, Ilana Kloss.

King, age 81, is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. She won 39 Grand Slam titles and famously defeated Bobby Riggs in the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes,” a landmark moment for women’s sports. 

A tireless advocate for equality, she later founded the Women’s Tennis Association and was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among other accolades.