All-Time Indians: Ernie Camacho

The first Indians closer to save more than 21 games in a season had a brief Major League career, but for a time, was a one of the best closers in Cleveland history.

Ernie Camacho was born in Salinas California and was taken 17th overall in the 1976 amateur draft by the Oakland Athletics out of Hartnell College in his home city. As are most pitchers taken in the first round of the draft, Camacho was a starter and 44 of his 48 appearances in his first three minor league seasons were in this capacity. It wasn’t until 1980 when his struggles as a starter pushed him into a relief role and in the midst of his most successful minor league season he made his Major League debut, jumping into five games in relief for the A’s, striking out 9 in 11.2 innings in what was an otherwise forgetful debut.

The year before he was drafted by Oakland, Camacho was drafted by the Pirates in the fourth round, but didn’t sign and they continued their interest through 1981 when they acquired him from Oakland for a reliever they had just received in part of a six player deal five months earlier that sent Bert Blyleven to the Indians, Bob Owchinko. While he was only used as a reliever in AAA where he started the year, Camacho was brought up as a spot starter in May and, while he was better than his first year, it still wasn’t enough to get excited over. He was traded again before the next season started to the White Sox in a four man deal, but didn’t make it to the end of the season as he was released, then signed and released by the Orioles.

Now officially a journeyman, Camacho signed as a free agent with the Brewers and while he didn’t pitch much at the Major League level, was a valuable piece as he helped them acquire Rick Manning and Rick Waits in a June 1983 trade. Making just four appearances for the Tribe after the deal, Camacho’s wait for greatness was almost over.

The 1984 season was the first in Camacho’s career where he didn’t have to play in the minor leagues after nearly a decade in professional baseball and it would wind up being the best season he would ever have. Nine games into the season, Camacho made his first appearance and earned a two inning, one run save against Baltimore, the first of his career. He allowed just one hit that appearance and wouldn’t allow a run in his first six.

The Indians weren’t great that year, winning just 75 games, but Camacho saved 23 of those, won five more and had three unofficial holds. With Blyleven winning 19 games, it seemed as if the Indians couldn’t buy a win if Bert didn’t start it and Ernie didn’t finish it off. In all, Camacho pitched in 69 games with a 2.43 ERA, .217 average allowed and 100 innings pitched. Prior to the 1980’s, the Indians generally went with what would be called today a ‘closer by committee’ and the only year really comparable to this one was Dave LaRoche in 1976, but he was used in a much smaller percent of the club’s save situations.

Unfortunately for Camacho and the Indians, the closer had pain in his elbow to begin 1985 and pitched in just two games before having surgery. When this surgery didn’t work, he had another in October to remove bone chips and he missed the entire season. Luckily, he was able to recover quickly and got back into the game for the 1986 season, his second and final as the Indians closer.

Coming out strong, Camacho saved his first six attempts and allowed more than one hit and no runs just once in nine April appearances. Three appearances where he allowed ten runs in 3.2 innings cost his ERA as it ballooned to 4.10 for the season, but otherwise he was generally automatic, saving 20 of 30 attempts. While he didn’t pitch as many innings, Camacho did his job and the Indians couldn’t ask for a better closer. Without asking, however, they received one as Doug Jones, who was signed as a free agent in 1985, would revolutionize the position for Cleveland from 1987 through 1990.

After 15 appearances and 14 runs allowed in 13.2 innings in 1987, Camacho’s short, but effective run as the Indians closer was over. After his third blown save in four chances on May 24th, Camacho went on to dominate AAA batters in Buffalo, but would never return to the Indians again. At the end of the year he was let go, signing with the Astros as a free agent for the 1988 season.

His two great years in Cleveland where he amassed 43 saves (his other save came in ’87) were the aberration in a career filled with many teams and limited success. After Cleveland, the Astros, Giants and Cardinals all took a shot with Camacho, but each time he was ultimately released after less than 30 innings pitched. He had two partial seasons in San Francisco, signing with St. Louis in 1990 after being let go during the middle of the year. It took just five more innings, however, for the Cardinals to see that at 35 years old, Camacho was done and he was let go one last time.

In 1992, Camacho played for a bit with the Jalisco Charros, but otherwise, he has been out of professional baseball since his final season in 1990. While the position has changed greatly since 1984 and many others have been placed in it, Camacho still ranks 13th in Indians history with 44 total saves with only four pitchers who threw before him ahead of him on the list, none of whom played only two full seasons with the Tribe.