Jack Fisher: 1960's Mets Pitcher Who Says He Started the Tradition Of Pitchers Warming Up In the Bullpen (1964-1967)

John Howard Fisher known as "Fat Jack", was born on March 4, 1939, in Frostburg, Maryland. The six-foot two right hander was signed out of high school in 1957, at Augusta, Georgia by the Baltimore Orioles. 

In 1958 he won 14 games going 14-12 at the low levels of the minors' leagues, getting up to AAA Miami the following season. There he was 8-4 making it to the big leagues as part of the Orioles “kiddie corps” pitching staff, going 1-6 on the year.

MLB Career: He made his debut in New York pitching three innings of relief allowing four runs on seven hits. He earned his first win pitching a three-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox on September 11th. 1960 was his only winning season, as he went 12-11 with a 3.41 ERA, striking out 97 batters in 197 innings pitched. 

Trivia: He went into the record books that season, giving up Ted Williams last career HR (#521) in Williams' final major league at bat. The next season he gave up another famous HR, this one was Roger Maris’ #60 tying him with Babe Ruth for the single season record. 

Overall, he was 10-13 in 1961, pitching ten complete games posting a 3.90 ERA, while leading the league with 10 wild pitches. He saved one game & pitched eleven games in relief as well making 25 starts. After another season in Baltimore (7-9) he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Mike McCormick & two other players.

After just one season in the Bay Area (going 6-10), where he led all N.L. pitchers in fielding, he was drafted away by the New York Mets before the 1964 season. 

Mets Career: Fisher went into the Mets record books right away, by starting the first game ever played at Shea Stadium on April 17, 1964.

Opening Day at the New Shea Stadium: According to Fisher, the crowd noise was so overwhelming during the pregame, he asked manager Casey Stengel if he could warm up in the bull pen rather than on the mound.

 Due to this request, he credits himself with starting the tradition of having the starting pitcher warm up in the bullpen before a game. "I could actually feel the sound waves hitting me on the chest," he said of the game that day. 

As Bob Murphy made the call, Fisher threw a strike on the outside corner of the plate christening the beginning of Mets baseball at the new Shea Stadium. 

Fisher pitched into the 7th inning that Opening day, although he allowed eleven hits, he only gave up three runs while getting no decision. That day he also allowed the first HR at Shea Stadium, to Pittsburgh’s future Hall of Famer; Willie Stargell. 

 Fisher got two more starts that April, taking a loss to the Pirates in Pittsburgh. 

On May 13th he pitched into the 8th inning allowing two runs to the Milwaukee Braves, but the Mets supported him with five runs as he earned his first win. On May 17th he lost a heart breaker in San Francisco, as Ron Herbel beat him in a 1-0 pitcher's duel. The only run scored when he threw a wild pitch allowing Orlando Cepeda to score in the 2nd inning.

At the end of May he tossed back-to-back complete games were allowed just one earned run each time. On May 26th the Mets scored 19 runs in the 19-1 win for Fat Jack. He then beat the Giants at Shea Stadium in a complete game victory to get to 3-3.

On June 6th he gave up six earned runs in a 9-2 loss to the Dodgers. He came back to win his next start beating the Cubs. He was 5-6 at the end of June with a 4.05 ERA.

Fisher started out July with three straight losses falling to 5-9. On July 19th he allowed just two runs, in a complete game 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cards, beating Curt Simmons in the first game of a double header.

By the All-Star break Fisher was 5-8 and put up the same win loss record in the second half. 

On August 15th he gave up a season high eight runs in terrible 8-1 loss to the Phillies. On August 21st Fisher pitched his best game of the year, a seven-hit shutout at Shea Stadium beating the Chicago Cubs. In September he was 1-2 & also pitched four games in relief. 

He finished up 1964 at 10-17 (5th most losses in the league) with a 4.23 ERA. He topped the staff in many categories, innings (227) hits (256), HRs (27) & a league leading 107 earned runs. 

1965: Fisher began the year losing a 2-1 game to Sandy Koufax & the Dodgers in Los Angeles. He started out 0-3. But then had a good May winning three straight games, beating the Cardinals, Braves & Reds all at home. 

After a loss to St. Louis he collected a pair of wins on the road at Wrigley Field, Chicago & at Pittsburgh which brought him to 5-4 by early June.

But then it got worse from there. Fisher then lost 12 of his next 14 decisions, from June 9th thru the end of the season he was 3-20. In September he went 0-7 losing eight straight from August 29th on. 

On October 3rd, in the last game of the season, he pitched 13 innings at Shea Stadium against the Philadelphia Phillies. He allowed just three runs, but a top of the 13th an RBI single to "Dr. Strange Glove" Dick Stuart, ended up being the game winning hit & he took the loss. 

Fisher led the league in losses that season, going 8-24, he also allowed the most earned runs in the league, for the second straight year (111). He pitched in 253 innings which gave him a respectable 3.94 ERA, strangely the best ERA on the staff. More amazingly, he actually led the staff with his eight wins.

 1966: Fisher started out the year at 0-4, giving him twelve straight losing decisions, dating back to the previous season. He broke the string with a win against the San Francisco Giants, on May 14th, pitching into the 8th inning., allowing four runs in an 11-4 Mets win. 

He had a good June, starting out by beating Don Drysdale & the Dodgers 6-2 on June 3rd. going 3-1 & pitching four complete games. On June 12th he earned no decision, allowing just two runs & striking out a season high ten batters, in nine innings to the Reds. The Mets won it in the 11th inning on Jerry Grote's walk off hit. In his next start in the battle of the Fisher's he beat Hank Fischer & the Reds 2-1 in Cincinnati. On June 22nd he & the Cardinals Al Jackson matched zeroes for nine innings before the Mets came up with a 2-0 win in the 10th inning.

After two losses, On July 4th, in the second game of a twin bill, he pitched a one run complete game striking out seven Phillies in Philadelphia for his 6th win. But on July 8th in the second game of a doubleheader he gave up a season high eight runs taking a 9-2 loss.

On July 20th, he pitched ten innings at Candlestick Park, against the Giants allowing just two runs, earning the victory, to get to 7-9. On July 24th the Dodgers beat him in L.A. as he earned his tenth loss.

After starting out August with a loss, he collected two victories over the St. Louis Cardinals, beating Al Jackson & Ray Washburn. He would lose two more games then win two more in September. On September 30th,  he closed out the season with a four-hit shutout in Houston & a six hit shutout at Shea Stadium against the same Astros. 

1966 would be his best Mets season, as Fat Jack went 11-14 with a 3.68 ERA, striking out a career high 127 batters in 230 innings pitched, while walking just 54.

 He allowed 26 HRs which was 7th most in the league & his 229 hits allowed was tenth most. Fisher was always a good fielding pitcher; he led the league with 26 put outs.


1967: Fisher started the third game of the year, allowing four runs on eight hits against the Philadelphia Phillies, taking the 5-1 loss. When the Phillies came to Shea, he beat them next time around 6-3. 

In May he began the month pitching two consecutive games of eleven innings. On May 2nd he pitched into the 12th inning when the Giants went ahead 2-1 & Don Shaw got the last out of the inning. The Mets rallied for two in the bottom of the 12th to win the game, with Fat Jack getting no decision. In his next start he pitched 11 innings earning a win when Tommy Davis hit a walk off HR to beat the Reds Mel Queen.

He won his next start by beating the St. Louis Cardinals on a six hit, one run complete game performance, besting his record to 3-2. But then he lost five straight games from mid-May until mid-June, before seeing another victory. 

Two Hitter: It took a two-hit shutout against the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium to earn his next win. The rest of the year wasn’t much better; he lost eight of his last 12 decisions, although he pitched until the eighth inning or beyond eight more times. 

On July 14th he lost a 1-0 pitcher's duel to the Reds Gary Nolan, Tony Perez ended the game with a 10th inning walk off HR. 

Fisher again went on to lead the league in losses (18) & earned runs (115). He allowed 25 HRs (5th in the league) & 221 hits (3rd most). He was 9-18 pitching in 220 innings with a 4.80 ERA, he struck out 116 batters walking 68 in 220 innings pitched. 

Mets Career Stats: In his Mets career Fisher, led the league in losses twice & earned runs three times. Every year allowing the most HRs, hits & earned runs on the New York staff each as well. In his four seasons with the Mets, he was 38-73 posting a 4.12 ERA. He struck out 475 batters & walked 242, allowing 92 HRs, 427 earned runs in 160 appearances., making 133 starts & finishing 14 games with one save.

Trivia: In the movie The Odd Couple, Fisher is the Mets pitcher who throws the pitch to the Pirates, Bill Mazeroski who grounds into a triple play. The movie was filmed at Shea Stadium that summer.

Post Mets Career: On December 15, 1967, Fisher was traded along with Tommy Davis, Buddy Booker, and Billy Wynne to the Chicago White Sox for Tommie Agee and Al Weis. 

Fisher went 8-13 in Chicago with a 2.99 ERA for the 8th place White Sox. In 1969 he was traded to Cincinatti for Don Pavletich & Don Secrist. He went 4-4 with the Reds, getting traded to the Angels in 1970 but was released.

Career Stats: In his eleven-year career he went 86-139 with 1017 strikeouts & 605 walks in 1975 innings pitched posting a 4.06 ERA in 400 appearances (265 starts). 

Retirement: After his pitching career, he was a long tome pitching coach in the New York Mets organization.

He then went on to open his own business. He opened Fat Jack's Sports Bar in Easton, Pennsylvania, running the establishment himself, until he sold it in 1998.

His former high school named one of the streets on its campus Jack Fisher Way in the Academy of Richmond County  at Augusta Georgia.

Trivia: While living in Easton he lived just a few blocks away from former Heavyweight boxing champ, Larry Holmes. 

In 2008, after attending a banquet event that week for retired ball players, he visited the skeleton of Shea Stadium as it was being demolished. He got some press upon his arrival & was received well among long time Mets fans.

Quotes-Jack Fisher upon viewing a demolished Shea Stadium: "I guess it's trying hard to stand up, like we were as a young ballclub, It's a pretty sad scene." 

He can still be found at autograph shows signing "first pitch at Shea- Fat Jack".

In July of 2019 he came to Citi Field & joined Howie Rose in an on line One on One episode. 

He later joined Howie's daughter, Alyssa Rose as she taught him how to use social media.