A standout college pitcher at the University of Puget Sound, Hand signed with the Indians in 1969 and jumped into the Cleveland rotation after less than a season in the minors. He was 8-19 in a year and a half and gained a reputation for being hard to coach. He was returned to the minors, then swapped to the Rangers. In 1972, he was 10-14 with a 3.32 ERA for Texas but developed a sore arm and was through at 26.