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HE WAS A GIANT?
BILL BORDLEY – LHP – 1980 – # 34
By Tony the Tiger Hayes
After an astonishingly fortuitous 1978 season, the good times kept disco roller skating into 1979 for the Giants when the club somehow managed to land baseball’s most hyped amateur pitching prospect in years.
The signing rights to Bill Bordley, a former two-time first round draft pick and arguably the greatest college pitcher of his generation, landed in San Francisco’s lap when the club’s name was literally pulled out of a hat in early ‘79.
The strapping, hard-throwing uber blue-chipper out of USC. Bordley was viewed as a southpaw version of Tom Seaver with a brilliant college pedigree and a ceiling as high as the moon.
But like a lot of scenarios for the Giants during that late 1970s/early 1980s time frame, Bordley turned out to be more Fools Gold than Golden Ticket.
Why Was He a Giant?
While most ball players would be happy as a clam to be a Top fuve amateur draft pick, the Los Angeles born and raised Bordley was blessed with that distinction twice in his lifetime and on each occasion said, ‘hold my beer.’
After a dominant prep career, Bordley decided to accept a baseball scholarship to USC in 1976, spurning the advances of the Milwaukee Brewers, who selected the SoCal wunderkind with that year’s fourth overall selection.
Then, after cutting through collegiate batters like a hot knife through butter, Bordley turned his nose up at the Cincinnati Reds who took the dazzling southpaw with the third overall selection on the secondary phase. (The now defunct secondary phase was reserved for players who were previously drafted, but not signed.)
“I’m heart broken,” said a moist eyed Bordley. “It’s the saddest day of my life. And it’s my 21st birthday.”
It wasn’t the fact that he fell to the third pick of the secondary phase that distressed Bordley.
What wrecked Bordley’s day so much was the fact that he was NOT selected by the California Angels with the fourth overall pick of the draft.
Stating compelling family hardships, the venerated athlete personally requested that non-west coast clubs cross him off their wish lists. he was only willing to suit up for west coast clubs.
“I explained to them my dad had open heart surgery, my brother was in a serious car accident and my other brother was going into the Air Force,” he lectured
. “I was hoping to relieve some of the pressure on my mother by remaining close to home.”
Due to his special predicament on the home front, the blue chipper wanted to be selected by the Angels who had the fourth overall pick lined up.
Sans traffic the Halos “Big A” ballpark was about a 30 minute drive from the family compound in toney Rolling Hills Estate.
The Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays reluctantly ceded to Bordley’s request, but the Reds dug their heels in and went ahead and called Bordley’s name with their pick.
They were the Big Red Machine after all, the most dominant club of the 1970s era.
“ We are going to make him a substantial offer,” said a nonplussed Joe Bowen, the Reds top scout. “I think we honored him by selecting him.”
But Bordley immediately stated he intended to return to USC.
He would not budge. The Reds could pound sand on Redondo Beach for as much as Bordley cared.
In the “best interests of baseball” the pick was eventually voided – the Reds were awarded extra draft capital- and the Angels were reprimanded for unauthorized contact with the pitcher.
The Angels were found to be “guilty of misconduct in the assurances which they gave Bordley prior to the draft as to their willingness to meet his terms prior to the draft,” according MLB commissioner Bowie Kuenn.
In other words California secretly offered Bordley a boat load cash s and a guaranteed spot on their their major league roster if they drafted him.
Collusion or not, Bordley maintained his personal adversity was a legitimate.
“Nobody seemed to believe my family situation was real,”said Bordley after the drama was eventually settled.
“There was no way I was gonna sign with Cincinnati
I wasn’t going to prostitute myself to play with any
body. I had to set guidelines.”
It was determined that the swiftest and most most effective way to resolve the situation was for Bordley to select five clubs he’d be willing to play for – excluding the Angels – and hold a random drawing.
San Diego was not interested and Bordley disqualified Oakland.
Bordley settled on Seattle, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants and Milwaukee and Kansas City for some reason. The names were tossed into a hat and San Francisco’s name was randomly selected.
“I’m thrilled to death. San Francisco definitely fits into my plans,” said post-lottery.
Eager to beginning his pro career, Bordley waisted little time agreeing to terms with the Orange & Black. His contract called for a bonus in excess of $100,000, a spot on the 40-man roster and an invite to spring.
Before and After
Bordley was a super star all the way up to joining the Giants. At Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, the southpaw set school records across the board, leading to a scholarship to USC.
Once there He set the college freshman strikeout high watermark – a record that stood until Tim Lincecum broke it in 2004. After two seasons as a Trojan, Bordley’s record stood at 26-2 and led USC to the 1978 College World Series title.
Bordley was signed to a major league contract and fast tracked through the minors. Within a year he was with the Giants. Two years and two “Tommy John” elbow surgeries later he was out of pro ball.
Bordley went back to USC earned a degree in finance and then began a career with the Secret Service. He was on President Bill Clinton’s detail for several years and was called upon to testify in the Monica Lewinsky mess.
Eventually Bordley made it back to the big leagues and is now MLB’s Vice President for security.
He was no Tom Seaver. But…
He beat Tom Seaver. In his Giants debut, Bordley out dueled the Hall of Famer, allowing three runs over six innings in an 8-4 win over the Reds at Candlestick Park (6/30/80). He also collected his lone big league hit that day off Tom Terrific.
He faced the Reds on the road in his second start and again won. This time he allowed three runs over five innings in a 10-7 win (7/12/79).
After that, he never recorded another MLB victory as elbow woes hastened his exit from the pro ranks.
Giants Footprint
As baseball security chief, Bordley is not only in charge of keeping every MLB player safe from harms way but also every fan, he has visited AT&T Park several times during his time with the commissioners office.
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