Overview
- His death was confirmed by his niece, Cindy Timmermann, in a social-media post reported by multiple outlets.
- The right-hander spent parts of six major-league seasons from 1969 to 1974 with Detroit and Cleveland after nearly a decade in the Tigers’ farm system.
- In 1970 he set a club record with 61 appearances, saved 27 games, and was honored by the Detroit BBWAA as Tiger of the Year.
- Across his MLB career he logged 548 innings with a 3.78 ERA, a 35–35 record, 35 saves, and 315 strikeouts.
- He was later identified as the biological father of former Angels pitcher Phil Leftwich, and after retiring he worked in industrial sales, remained active at Tigers alumni events, and was honored with a namesake field in Breese, Illinois.