Former Major League Baseball closer Ed Farmer dies at age 70

Former Major League Baseball closer Ed Farmer of Evergreen Park, Illinois passed away at the age of 70 on Thursday. The cause of death was kidney disease according to Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report. 

Farmer played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1974 and again from 1977 to 1983. He played for the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics.

In 1980, Farmer was an all-star with the White Sox. He pitched in 64 games, had a record of seven wins and nine losses, with 30 saves and an earned run average of 3.34. In 99 2/3 innings, Farmer gave up 92 hits, 37 earned runs and 56 hits to go along with 56 walks. He also had 54 strikeouts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.49. Farmer’s 30 saves set a White Sox single season franchise record at the time according to the Associated Press.  

It is interesting that Farmer was an all-star even though he ended up with more walks than strikeouts to finish the 1980 season. According to John Labombarda of the Elias Sports Bureau,Farmer is only one of six pitchers since 1961 to be an all-star and have more walks than strikeouts in a season. He is joined by Mike Williams of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies (2003), Don Schwall of the Boston Red Sox (1961), Mike LaCoss of the Cincinnati Reds (1979), Joaquin Andujar of the Houston Astros (1979) and Don Stanhouse of the Baltimore Orioles (1979).

Farmer finished his career with 30 wins and 43 losses to go along with an earned run average of 4.30 in 370 games. He also had 75 saves and had 395 strikeouts in 624 career innings.

After his career, Farmer became a scout for the Baltimore Orioles for three seasons from 1988 to 1990. He then became a broadcaster. He was the radio colour-commentator for the White Sox organization from 1991 to 2005. Then since 2006, Farmer was the White Sox radio play-by-play announcer.

According to Nick Selbe of Sports Illustrated, Farmer is survived by his wife Barbara and daughter Shanda. In lieu of flowers, the White Sox organization and the Farmer family is asking people to make a donation to the Polycistic Kidney Disease Research Foundation. The disease took the life of Ed Farmer’s mother Marilyn when she was only 38 years of age.