Pat Dobson, 64; former pitcher for the Orioles

Pat Dobson, one of four pitchers to win 20 games for the Baltimore Orioles in 1971, has died. He was 64.

Dobson, a resident of El Cajon, died Wednesday night in the San Diego area, the San Francisco Giants said Thursday. He was a special assistant to Giants General Manager Brian Sabean this year, his ninth with the club. The team didn’t immediately know the cause of death.

A right-hander with a big curve ball, Dobson went 20-8 with a 2.90 ERA for the AL champion Orioles in 1971. He rounded out a rotation that also included Hall of Famer Jim Palmer (20-9), Dave McNally (21-5) and Mike Cuellar (20-9). The 1920 Chicago White Sox are the only other team in major league history to have four 20-game winners in a season.

“He was a real gamer, a real competitor. He didn’t give in to anybody,” said Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, Dobson’s teammate with the Orioles.

An All-Star with Baltimore in 1972, Dobson was 122-129 with a 3.54 ERA in 11 major league seasons and won a World Series ring with the 1968 Detroit Tigers. He also pitched for San Diego, Atlanta, the New York Yankees and Cleveland.

Dobson spent eight seasons as a big league pitching coach for Milwaukee (1982-84), San Diego (1988-90), Kansas City (1991) and Baltimore (1996).

He joined the Giants in 1997 and served as an advance scout before becoming a special assistant to Sabean.

Dobson was born on Feb. 12, 1942, in Depew, N.Y. He agreed to terms with the Tigers for a $35,000 bonus in 1959.

He is survived by his wife, Kathe, and six children: Pat, Nancy, Stacy, Chris, Shannon and Stephanie.