Ken Tatum

Tatum\'s professional career began when he signed with the Angels in 1966 after he was selected in the second round of the secondary phase of the 1966 Major League Baseball Draft. In his fourth minor league season, in 1969, he was converted from a starting pitcher to a relief role, and he was recalled by the Angels in May. He quickly established himself as the team\'s top short reliever—the term "closer" was not then in use. By the end of July, he had amassed seven saves and three wins in relief, with an earned run average of 0.95 in 21 games. He finished the year with a win-loss record of 7–2, 22 saves, and an earned run average of 1.36 in 45 games pitched. He placed fourth in American League Rookie of the Year balloting.\n', '

Tatum began 1970 with another skein of excellent relief pitching. During the season\'s first two months, he appeared in 20 games, won two of three decisions, ne…