the NL in saves with 44 in 1996. That season, he finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting and 21st in NL Most Valuable Player Award voting, as the Dodgers reached the playoffs before getting swept in the NL Division Series by the Atlanta Braves. Worrell pitched one final season, recording 35 saves but posting a 5.28 ERA in 1997 before retiring. He threw a fastball and a slider. Early life Worrell was born on September 28, 1959, in Arcadia, California. His middle name, Roland, was also his father's first name. Worrell was raised in Arcadia, and his father frequently took him to Los Angeles Dodgers games at nearby Dodger Stadium when he was growing up. In 1978, he enrolled as a Bible student at Biola University in La Mirada, California, where he also played baseball. At Biola, Worrell played a number of different positions. He was used mostly as a catcher during his junior year, though he also pitched as a long reliever. As a senior, he was used as a pitcher more often, but he played the outfield on days when he was not pitching. He was throwing up to 94 miles per hour (mph) his senior year, when he caught the attention of Steve Flores, a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals who attended a Biola game to watch Tony Woods of Whittier College play. Flores was impressed with how hard Worrell threw, and the Cardinals selected him in the first round of the 1982 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. Professional career Minor leagues The Cardinals were hoping Worrell would be a starting pitcher for them in the future. He began his professional career in 1982 with the Erie Cardinals of the Single-A short season New York-Penn League. In nine games (eight starts), he had a 4–1 record, a 3.31 earned run average (ERA), 57 strikeouts, 15 walks, and 52 hits allowed in innings pitched. By his second professional season, he was already pitching for the Louisville Redbirds of the Triple-A American Association. Manager Jim Fregosi was impressed with the prospect, saying he had not seen a pitcher with a better arm since he managed Nolan Ryan. Worrell had a 4–2 record in 14 starts for Louisville, but his ERA was 4.74 and he had almost as many walks (42) as strikeouts (46). He also spent part of the year with the Arkansas Travelers of the