Bill Fischer (baseball)

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William Charles Fischer (born October 11, 1930 in Wausau, Wisconsin) is a retired American Major League Baseball pitcher who toiled for five American League teams in his nine-year career (1956-64). He later was a longtime pitching coach for three MLB clubs. He stood 6' (183 cm) tall, weighed 190 pounds (86 kg), and threw and batted righthanded.

As a pitcher, Fischer won 45 games and lost 58 (.437), with a career earned run average of 4.34. He appeared in 281 games, starting 78, and compiled 16 complete games and 13 saves. Fischer made his debut on April 21, 1956 with the Chicago White Sox. In the middle of the 1958 season, he was traded along with Tito Francona to the Detroit Tigers for Ray Boone and Bob Shaw. He was eventually claimed by the Washington Senators, who traded him back to Detroit in 1960 for Tom Morgan. He was later traded to Kansas City with Ozzie Virgil for Jerry Staley and Reno Bertoia. The Minnesota Twins drafted Fischer in the Rule V Draft in 1963, and he concluded his major league career with the club. The White Sox resigned Fischer as a free agent following his stint with the Twins, but he never returned to the majors and was released by the White Sox in 1968.

In 1969, he joined the fledgling Kansas City Royals as minor league pitching instructor, beginning a long-time association with then-Royals executive John Schuerholz. Although he never was MLB pitching coach of the Kansas City club, he held that post with the Cincinnati Reds (1979-82), Boston Red Sox (1985-91) and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000-01). At Boston, he was a favorite of star righthander Roger Clemens. After his firing by the Red Sox, he rejoined Schuerholz with the Atlanta Braves and served many years as the Braves' minor league pitching coordinator.

He entered the 2008 baseball season still active in the game. At age 77, he is listed by the Royals as their minor league pitching coordinator.