Paul Mirabella pitched in the big leagues for 13 years, tossing nearly 500 innings for six different teams, mostly in relief. He was never an All-Star, never a league leader, never a closer, and never appeared in the playoffs. Considering those facts, his longevity is a remarkable achievement and a testament to power of a lefty arm that teams can dream on.
Paul Thomas Mirabella
Born: March 20, 1954 (Belleville, NJ)
Yankees Tenure: 1979
Mirabella was born just 20 miles from his future home at Yankee
Stadium, in Belleville, NJ. A standout at Parsippany High and Montclair State University, the Rangers made the youngster their first-round pick in the 1976 MLB Draft. Mirabella rose quickly through their system, making his big-league debut in his third professional season. He struggled in a cup of coffee with Texas, allowing 18 runs in 28 innings.
That offseason, the 24-year-old would be a central figure in a blockbuster deal. Despite winning the Cy Young Award in 1977, the following season Sparky Lyle lost his closer job to Goose Gossage, making him expendable (and personally interested in a change of scenery regardless). The Yankees spun the reliever to the Rangers in a nine-player trade that also brought back Dave Righetti, who would spend 11 years in New York, winning Rookie of the Year honors in ’81, throwing a no-hitter in ’83 and making two All-Star teams after converting to closer a few years later.
Central to the deal was Mirabella himself. With Lyle departing, the Yankees needed to replace the sole lefty in their bullpen. And, while Mirabella could not reasonably be expected to replicate the three-time All-Star’s performance on the mound, he helped the Yankees fill an area of need.
Despite his status as the team’s lone lefty reliever, Mirabella was not guaranteed a spot on the Yankees’ roster out of spring training camp, instead competing with several others for a final bullpen slot. “If I do get sent on to Columbus, I’m going to be disappointed,” said Mirabella at the time. “It will be a letdown, but I’d have to pick up the pieces and do well. Whatever decision they make, I’ll accept it. I won’t fight it. I won’t tell them I’m going to go home. I’ll do what they say.”
He would win out, debuting in the season’s fourth game on April 10th. Brought on to face the left-handed Al Bumbry, he allowed a single that loaded the bases and was promptly removed. It was a sign of things to come. As our own Matt Ferenchick detailed a few years back, Mirabella’s time in New York was a disaster. He allowed 14 earned runs in 14.1 innings, putting up an astonishing -1.0 bWAR in limited action, and would end up spending most of the year down at Triple-A Columbus after all.
That offseason, Mirabella was once again involved in a memorable transaction. This time, he joined erstwhile playoff hero Chris Chambliss and up-and-comer Dámaso García in shipping up north to Toronto in a deal that brought back catcher Rick Cerone, a fellow New Jersey native who would finish seventh in MVP voting the following season and end up spending seven years with the team. (Incidentally, Cerone would be dealt for Brian Fisher, who by sheer coincidence, we profiled two days ago for his birthday.) For his part, Mirabella would embark on a nomadic career that took him back to Texas, then to Baltimore, then Seattle, and finally Milwaukee. It was on that last stop that he posted a career year in 1988 at the age of 34, recording a 1.65 ERA in 60 innings for a Brewers squad that missed the playoffs by just two games.
Mirabella hung up his cleats after the 1990 season. While his time in New York was a lowlight in his career, the left-hander bounced back admirably to have a long run in the show. Join us in wishing a happy 72nd birthday to Belleville’s own, Paul Mirabella.
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