1975 Profile: Pat Dobson

"The Snake. Pat lives by the curve ball.
'I'm a ground ball pitcher,' he says. 'If the guys pick it up, I win. If they don't, I lose.' A fine competitor, he had an 11-2 record over the last two months of the season when the Yankees needed it most. A 20-game winner with the Orioles in 1971, Pat narrowly missed another 20-game season last year.
'My fastball is as straight as a string,' he says. 'I depend on getting hitters out by throwing them the unexpected.' A crafty veteran, Pat was born in Depew, New York.
'This is all I've ever wanted to do,' he says. 'My father was a policeman. I never wanted to be a cop when I was a little kid. I wanted to be a pitcher.'"

-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1975 Edition

"'The Dobber' really showed what he was made of last season. Pat Dobson spelled it out every time he took the mound - here is a proud man made up of a total competitive spirit, with a will to win difficult to approach.
Things got off poorly for Pat last year, but the former Oriole star stayed with it, knowing things would turn. And how they did! When the Yanks got hot, Pat was right in the middle of it, winning 13 of his last 17 decisions, showing a poise and a professionalism on the mound that served as the spirit of the club.
By season's end, he had tied for the club lead in victories, and had proven that big years are still a part of him with more to come.
Dobson, 33, was born in Depew, New York, but now calls Florida home. He signed his first pro contract in 1960 and remained in the Tiger organization through 1969, participating in the 1968 World Series. He went to San Diego and then came back to the American League to win 36 games in two years in Baltimore. The Yankees got him from Atlanta in June of 1973, and he's been a big man in the starting rotation ever since."

-The New York Yankees Official 1975 Yearbook

"A real professional on the mound, Pat is one of the great competitors in baseball.
He enjoyed his second highest victory total last year by tying Medich for the club lead at 19. In 1971, he was one of four Oriole pitchers to win 20, a feat not performed since 1920; Cuellar, McNally and Palmer were the others.
Pat was one of the best pitchers in baseball in the second half of 1974. He started the season slowly, his record falling to 6-11 on July 7. An official scorer's decision 24 hours after that game added three earned runs to his season total. From that point on, however, 'The Dobber' was 13-4 with eight complete games and a 2.57 ERA. Pat's best performance was the first game of that span, a two-hit shutout against Oakland on July 12.
The veteran right-hander, who attended Lancaster (New York) High School, signed with the Tigers and spent seven years in the minors. He then became a member of Detroit's 1968 World Champions before drifting on to San Diego. Pat had big years in Baltimore, including selection to the 1972 All-Star team. Dealt to Atlanta in the Earl Williams trade, he was brought into the American League for the third time when the Yankees swung the trade for him.
Pat hurled a no-hitter in Japan during the 1971 Oriole tour, the only one ever tossed there by an American."

-1975 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide