Fred Gladding

Fred Earl Gladding (1936–2015) was a right-handed relief pitcher who spent parts of 13 seasons in the major leagues (1961–1973) with the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros. Born in Flat Rock, Michigan, he compiled a career record of 48–34 with 109 saves and a 3.13 ERA across 450 appearances. In seven seasons with Detroit, his .703 winning percentage ranks as the highest in franchise history among pitchers with at least 200 appearances. He led the National League in saves with Houston in 1969, the first season the statistic received official recognition. After retiring, he served three seasons as Detroit's pitching coach under manager Ralph Houk.