Former Yankees Pitcher Al Closter Dies

Pitcher Al Closter, who made 21 major league appearances across four seasons with the Washington Senators, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves, died June 11. He was 82.

Closter finished with a career record of 2-2 and a 6.62 ERA in the majors - the tip of the iceberg on a decorated pitching career.

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A native of Creighton, Nebraska, Closter was a star athlete at St. Ludger High School. He was the Comets' ace on their Class C state championship teams of 1959 and 1961, and averaged 20 points on their 1961 state tournament basketball team.

Closter closed out his high school career by throwing three consecutive no-hitters in the playoffs, then followed it up with a save in the second game of the state tournament. His exploits earned him a spot in the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame.

After turning down a two-sport offer from Creighton University, he played for Iowa State and made the 1964 U.S. Olympic exhibition baseball team. After playing at the Tokyo Olympics, the team embarked on a “goodwill tour” of Asia.

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Before graduating, Closter signed his first professional contract with the New York Yankees in 1965. The left-hander was impressive enough at Class-A Greensboro (11-7, 2.25 ERA) that the Cleveland Indians selected him in the Rule 5 draft after the 1965 season.

The Indians sent Closter to the Senators in a cash trade in April 1964. So it was that he made his major league debut at age 22. Closter retired future Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio to end the eighth inning of a 14-8 loss. He would not appear in another major league game for five years.

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A promotion from the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, the Yankees’ top farm team, offered Closter his longest big-league exposure in the summer of 1971. He went 2-2 with a 5.08 ERA in 14 games, making one start.

The 1972 and 1973 seasons saw Closter spent most of the season in Syracuse - his fourth and fifth seasons with the Chiefs. In 2006, Closter was inducted into the Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame.

Closter finished his career in the Atlanta Braves organization, making four appearances for the Braves in 1973 and spending two seasons at Triple-A Richmond in 1974 and 1975.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 2:48 PM.