Floyd Bannister was a left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 15 seasons. He was born on June 10, 1955, in Pierre, South Dakota, and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. Bannister attended Arizona State University, where he played college baseball and was a standout pitcher. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the first round of the 1976 MLB draft.
Bannister made his MLB debut with the Astros in 1977 and spent three seasons with the team. He was then traded to the Seattle Mariners, where he played for four seasons. Bannister had his best season in 1982 when he posted a 16-10 record with a 3.58 ERA and 209 strikeouts. He was named to the American League All-Star team that year.
In 1984, Bannister was traded to the Chicago White Sox, where he played for five seasons. He had another strong season in 1987 when he went 10-9 with a 3.35 ERA and 142 strikeouts. Bannister was then traded to the Kansas City Royals, where he played for two seasons before finishing his career with the California Angels in 1992.
Throughout his career, Bannister was known for his fastball and slider. He was a strikeout pitcher and finished his career with 1,978 strikeouts in 2,692 innings pitched. Bannister also had a reputation for being a fierce competitor on the mound.
Off the field, Bannister was known for his philanthropic work. He was involved with several charities, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Bannister was also a member of the Arizona State University Sports Hall of Fame.
Overall, Floyd Bannister had a successful career as a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for five different teams and was named to the All-Star team once. Bannister was known for his fastball and slider and finished his career with nearly 2,000 strikeouts. He was also involved in philanthropic work off the field and was a respected member of the baseball community.
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