Caudill was a fireballing reliever who saved 106 games while demonstrating pitching proficiency and a wonderful sense of fun. He was nicknamed “The Inspector” by his Mariners teammates when he “investigated” their bats, sleuthing for hits that were mysteriously missing. Caudill would come in from the bullpen to the Pink Panther theme. During a one-sided game against the Blue Jays, Caudill emerged from the dugout between innings with one-half of his beard shaved off. After setting franchise records for saves, Caudill was traded to a stronger Oakland team, where he had a 36-save season in 1984. Toronto traded Alfredo Griffin and Dave Collins for Caudill and signed him to a hefty long-term contract with the expectation that he would be Toronto’s first genuine bullpen ace. But because Caudill’s arrival in Toronto coincided with the sudden emergence of Tom Henke, he didn’t get much opportunity to establish himself as a closer. He had shoulder problems that ended his career after a couple of seasons with the Blue Jays. His attempts to catch on with the A’s and Indians were unsuccessful.
