Randy Moffitt (1948–2025): More Than Billie Jean’s Brother

If you grew up watching Mets games on Channel 9, or if you were the kind of kid who memorized the backs of baseball cards the way other kids memorized multiplication tables, you probably knew this fun fact: Randy Moffitt, dependable reliever for the San Francisco Giants, was the younger brother of tennis legend Billie Jean King. It was one of those trivia nuggets that Mets broadcasters would slip in between pitches, and it stuck with you.

But Randy Moffitt was more than “Billie Jean’s brother.” He was a tough, rubber-armed reliever who spent a decade with the Giants, finishing games and putting out fires before the term “closer” became part of the baseball dictionary. Drafted in the first round in 1970 out of Long Beach State, he made it to the big leagues by 1972 and, for the better part of the decade, was part of a bullpen duo with Elias Sosa and later Gary Lavelle that gave the Giants some late-inning teeth.

Against the Mets, Moffitt quietly put together a very solid body of work. In 31 appearances, he went 3–4 with a 2.83 ERA. For a middle-to-late inning guy facing lineups that mixed scrappy veterans with streaky youngsters, that’s no small feat. From 1972 to 1982—wearing the orange and black of San Francisco, a short stint in Houston, and finally Toronto—he faced a who’s who of Flushing favorites.

And as always with baseball, some Mets hitters had his number, and some might still wake up in the middle of the night thinking about that baffling Moffitt sinker.

Who hit him well?

Doug Flynn, never exactly confused with Rogers Hornsby, became Ted Williams when Moffitt was on the mound. Flynn went 5-for-7 (.714), with a triple for good measure.

Ron Hodges, steady backup catcher and cult hero in Flushing, tattooed Moffitt for 3 hits in 4 at-bats, including a home run (.750, 1.500 SLG).

Felix Millán, the contact king with the choking-up grip, handled him nicely too, going 3-for-7 (.429).

And one of the few times Moffitt squared off against Willie Mays—yes, our Willie Mays—Willie picked up a hit, because of course he did.

Who did Moffitt dominate?

John Milner, the Hammer, went 0-for-7 with a strikeout. That’s a whole week of frustration packed into one reliever.

Ted Martínez and Dave Schneck also took the collar, with Moffitt putting them away without much trouble.

There were quirks, too. Tom Seaver faced Moffitt once—and went 1-for-1. Randy Moffitt himself went 1-for-2 against Mets pitcher Harry Parker — because if there’s one thing more unpredictable than relief pitching, it’s pitchers batting against pitchers.

Moffitt’s career had its ups and downs. By the late ’70s, he was battling a mysterious illness that left him weak and exhausted. For a while doctors even suggested it was “in his head.” Turns out it wasn’t—it was a parasite, cryptosporidium, likely picked up from a horse. Once diagnosed, he fought his way back, but by 1981 his time with the Giants came to an end. He spent one more year in Houston and finished up in Toronto.

When the book was closed, Moffitt had pitched in 534 games, all but one in relief. He finished 306 of them and notched 96 saves. In an era before closers were rock stars, he was the guy managers trusted to take the ball when the game was on the line.

Randy Moffitt passed away on August 28, 2025, at the age of 76. For Mets fans, he was one of those names that popped up just enough to stick in your memory—a tough reliever, a trivia connection to a sports icon, and a reminder that behind every box score was a guy battling, grinding, and trying to carve out a career in the game we all love.

Rest in peace, Randy. The Mets may have gotten you a few times, and you may have gotten them a few times, but the real victory was a 12-year big-league career and the respect of those who watched you pitch.