Born and raised in San Jose, the Pioneer High School graduate became one of major league baseball’s brightest stars of the 1980’s. While attending San Jose City College, the left-hander was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 1977. In  1981, as a member of the New York Yankees, he was named the American League Rookie of the Year. After throwing a no-hitter in 1983, he moved to the bullpen, and led the majors with a record 46 saves in 1986. He retired in 1995 with 1,112 career strikeouts, 252 career saves and a 3.46 ERA.

An ace as both a starter and reliever, Righetti was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.