Ted Abernathy and his remarkable 1967 season

On November 28, 1966 the Reds acquired an itinerant 33 year old relief pitcher from the Braves in the Rule 5 draft. Ted Abernathy had already pitched for four teams with varying success at a time when the role of relief pitchers was rapidly changing. Little did the Reds know that they had just acquired a pitcher that in 1967 would post the highest bWAR of any relief pitcher in team history (Fangraphs ranks several Rob Dibble seasons as the best in team history).

Abernathy 1Ted Abernathy came up with the Washington Senators at age 22 in 1955 where he struggled as a swingman (14 starts/26 relief appearances). He had already adopted a sidearm delivery after a serious shoulder injury in high…