Pete Redfern – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Pete Redfern’s baseball career is a story of promise, grit, and, sadly, unexpected tragedy. He pitched right-handed for seven seasons in Major League Baseball, all with the Minnesota Twins, before things came to a close in 1982.

Born Peter Irvine Redfern on August 25, 1954, in Glendale, California, he really embodied the classic American dream—a kid working his way up to the big leagues.

Redfern put together a 42-48 record with a 4.54 ERA and 426 strikeouts from 1976 to 1982. He served as a steady starter for the Twins the whole time. His path from the University of Southern California to the majors moved fast—he was the Twins’ first-round pick and the top overall selection in the secondary phase of the 1976 draft.

After just four games in the minors, Redfern found himself pitching at the highest level.

He had some memorable moments, like starting the first game ever at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on Opening Day 1982. But there’s more to his story than numbers on a stat sheet.

From his early days through his last season and the tough times that followed, Redfern’s journey shows both the big opportunities and the tough breaks that come with life as a pro athlete.

Early Life and Amateur Career

Pete Redfern’s road to professional baseball started in California, where he grew up playing ball and honing his skills from a young age.

His talent really took off at the University of Southern California, setting him up for his shot at the majors.

Childhood and Education

Redfern was born August 25, 1954, in Glendale, California. Growing up in Southern California, he got to play baseball all year round.

The warm weather gave him plenty of chances to work on his pitching skills. He showed a knack for pitching even as a kid.

His family always backed his baseball dreams. Living near big league teams gave him a front-row seat to professional baseball culture.

He went to local Glendale schools, balancing schoolwork with his growing love for the game.

High School Achievements

There aren’t a lot of details about Redfern’s high school career, but his recruitment to USC makes it clear—he stood out as a pitcher.

His performance got the attention of college scouts. Southern California’s tough high school baseball scene helped shape his skills.

The area produced a lot of future pros at the time. Redfern’s pitching separated him from the pack.

His success in high school paved the way for college ball. Those years were key in getting him ready for tougher competition.

College Baseball at USC

Redfern played college baseball at the University of Southern California. USC had a reputation for turning out pro players.

The Trojans offered strong coaching and top-notch competition. That environment sharpened his pitching and his mindset.

Scouts took notice of his college performances. USC’s baseball program had a lot of connections in the pro world.

His time at USC got him ready for the draft. He picked up the tools he’d need for the big leagues.

He wrapped up his college career by representing Team USA in the 1975 Pan American Games. The team took home a silver medal.

That international experience put him up against some of the best. It showed he was ready for pro ball.

Path to the Major Leagues

Pete Redfern’s jump to the majors happened fast. The Minnesota Twins picked him first overall in the secondary phase of the 1976 draft.

After a quick stop with the Tacoma Twins, he made his MLB debut just weeks later.

Draft Selection by the Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins saw something special in Pete Redfern and picked him as their first-round pick in the 1976 draft’s secondary phase. That made him the first overall pick in that round.

The secondary phase was for players already drafted who hadn’t signed before. The Twins’ move showed they believed in Redfern’s talent.

Getting drafted like that was a huge step in Redfern’s career. The Twins clearly saw him as someone who could help them soon.

Performance with Tacoma Twins

Redfern’s stint with the Tacoma Twins, Minnesota’s minor league team, was really short. He pitched in just four games before the Twins called him up.

Most guys spend way more time in the minors, sometimes years, before getting their shot.

His brief time in Tacoma suggests he made a strong impression. The quick promotion showed he was ready for the big leagues.

Transition from Minor to Major Leagues

Pete Redfern debuted in the majors on May 15, 1976, facing the California Angels. That was just weeks after he got drafted and played a few minor league games.

In his first game, he pitched five innings and gave up four runs. Still, he picked up the win in a 15-5 Twins blowout over Sid Monge.

Jumping from draft pick to major league pitcher that fast is rare. Usually, players need a lot more minor league experience. Redfern’s rise showed both his ability and the Twins’ need for arms.

Major League Career Highlights (1976–1982)

Pete Redfern spent all seven of his MLB seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He debuted against the California Angels in May 1976 and finished with a 42-48 record and 426 strikeouts.

His best year came in 1979, when he went 7-3 with a 3.49 ERA. He also had a promising rookie season, going 8-8 and throwing a complete game shutout.

MLB Debut Against California Angels

Redfern made his big league debut on May 15, 1976, against the California Angels at just 21. He threw five innings, allowed three hits, struck out two, and walked three.

That debut came almost immediately after the Twins drafted him. He was the top pick in the secondary phase and only pitched four games in Tacoma before the call-up.

Even though he gave up four runs, Redfern got the win. That early success hinted he could handle the majors. The Twins clearly trusted his abilities.

Impact Seasons with the Minnesota Twins

Redfern’s rookie year in 1976 showed he could be a reliable starter. He finished 8-8 with a 3.51 ERA in 23 starts, including a shutout. He threw 118 innings, showing some real durability for a young pitcher.

His top season came in 1979. He posted a 7-3 record with a 3.49 ERA in 40 games, including six starts. He helped the Twins as both a starter and a reliever.

He struck out 85 batters in 108.1 innings that year, his best strikeout season. That gave him a 2.43 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a personal best. It really showed his growth as a pitcher.

Notable Games and Career Achievements

Redfern tossed three complete games in his career, two of them in 1980 and 1981. He threw a shutout as a rookie, showing early promise.

He finished with 426 strikeouts over 714 innings. Redfern appeared in 170 games, starting 111. He even picked up three saves, proving he could close games too.

In 1981, he went 9-8 with three complete games. But 1982 was tough—he finished 5-11 with a 6.58 ERA. That season ended his big league career at just 28.

Final MLB Season and Departure

Pete Redfern’s 1982 season turned out to be his last with the Twins. The team released him on March 25, 1983.

His exit got messy with a contract dispute over severance pay tied to an elbow injury.

Opening Day at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

The 1982 season was a big one for the Twins—they moved into the new Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Redfern experienced the change up close as part of their pitching staff.

Switching from the old outdoor stadium to the Metrodome was a big adjustment. The turf and indoor conditions changed things for pitchers and hitters alike.

Redfern’s 1982 stats reflected the challenges of adapting to that new environment. The season ended up being his last in pro baseball.

Release from the Minnesota Twins

On March 25, 1983, the Twins cut Pete Redfern, ending his MLB run. The decision came during spring training.

Redfern had spent his whole seven-year career with Minnesota. At 28, he suddenly found himself looking for a new team.

Most other clubs had already set their pitching staffs by then, making things tricky for him.

His release closed out a career that included 426 strikeouts. The Twins moved on with younger pitchers.

Contract and Severance Dispute

After the release, Redfern and the Twins got into a dispute over severance pay. The argument was about how much he should get.

In 1983, released players usually got $26,000 in severance. Redfern and his lawyers pushed for $160,000 instead.

Key points:

• Standard severance: $26,000
• Redfern asked for: $160,000
• Reason: Elbow injury shown by X-rays

His legal team presented medical evidence of an elbow injury. That could have meant he deserved more than the standard payout.

The dispute showed how complicated player contracts and injury compensation can get in pro baseball. Medical records ended up being key to the case.

Post-Twins Career and Minor League Stint

After his time with the Twins ended in 1982, Pete Redfern signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1983.

He tried to make a comeback with the Albuquerque Dukes, hoping for another shot at the majors despite ongoing arm problems.

Signing with Los Angeles Dodgers

Redfern joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1983. This came after elbow surgery that moved his ulnar nerve—a fix for the arm pain that ended his Twins career.

The Dodgers gave him a chance in their farm system, using him as a reliever instead of a starter. That move was supposed to take some pressure off his arm.

Playing for Albuquerque Dukes

Redfern reported to the Albuquerque Dukes, the Dodgers’ Triple-A team. He pitched out of the bullpen in 1983.

“In Albuquerque, my arm started feeling real good,” Redfern said. The lighter workload and high altitude seemed to help.

But his comeback didn’t last. The Dodgers released him during the season. He got his release notice on October 29, 1983—the same day he had his diving accident at Balboa Island.

That marked the end of his pro baseball career. Ironically, he felt like his arm was finally coming around.

Life After Baseball and Personal Challenges

Pete Redfern’s retirement from baseball in 1982 started a whole new chapter—one that tested him more than any game ever could.

A tragic diving accident in 1983 left him paralyzed from the neck down, and he faced a long road of rehab with his family by his side.

Diving Accident and Paralysis

On October 29, 1983, Pete Redfern’s life took a sharp turn during what was supposed to be a chill day at Newport Beach. He’d just gotten his release notice from the Los Angeles Dodgers, which ended his comeback attempt with their Albuquerque farm team.

Redfern and some friends went boating near Balboa Island. He decided to dive from a 4-foot sea wall to help his sailing companions. Right in the air, he realized he’d messed up—the water below was barely one to two feet deep.

“It all happened so fast,” Redfern said later. “I’m not sure to this day how I landed. Everything went numb.”

The impact snapped his neck between the fourth and fifth vertebrae. He floated there, face down, paralyzed and completely stuck, unable to turn over. He held his breath for almost two minutes. Scott Swett, his friend, finally turned him over just before he would’ve drowned.

Doctors gave Tina, his wife, some crushing news at first. The first physician said Pete would be lucky to ever sit up in a chair again. But then another doctor checked him out and found the spinal cord was pinched, not severed, so there was a bit of hope.

Rehabilitation and Adaptation

Redfern threw himself into rehab, treating it like a new kind of training. He brought the same stubbornness he’d used to strike out hitters in the majors. His recovery started with six weeks at Hoag Memorial Hospital. After that, he spent five months at Northridge Hospital Foundation Medical Center.

“I work as hard at walking again as I once did at striking out Reggie Jackson,” Redfern said while recovering.

He went through physical and occupational therapy, pool sessions, and motor skills practice five days a week. He’d dropped from 195 pounds to 165 while stuck in bed, but rehab helped him get back up to 180.

He celebrated tiny wins. Feeding himself, drinking on his own, even brushing his teeth felt huge. Two weeks after he first walked on parallel bars, he managed to write unassisted for the first time—no hand splints.

Redfern chose a manual wheelchair instead of an electric one. He figured it would keep his arms strong. “That’s not going to do my arms any good,” he said about the electric chair.

He signed up for computer classes at Mission College, thinking ahead about work he could actually do. Swapping talk about fastballs for lessons on modems and software felt weird at first, but it was a practical step toward a new future.

Family and Legacy

Tina Redfern stood by Pete, and her support made all the difference in his recovery. When the first doctor gave them a grim prognosis, she just wouldn’t accept it as the final word.

“The doctor told me Pete would be lucky if he could ever even sit up in a chair,” Tina remembered. “I thought it was just too soon for him to know that.”

Her strength carried the family through those rough days. She worked as a manicurist, and private nurses came to help Pete four days a week.

Major League Players Association insurance stepped in and paid for almost all of Pete’s medical costs.

“She showed a strength I didn’t think she had,” Pete said about his wife. “Without that strength, I don’t think I would have had the strength to go on.”

Their 4-year-old son Chad gave them both extra motivation. Pete set his sights on hugging his wife and son again, even before he thought about walking.

“If I can walk, that will be a blessing from God, but now I can hug my kid and my wife, and that was my goal to begin with,” he said.