San Francisco Giants hat and glove on the bench against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Billie Jean King Pays Tribute to Her Brother, Late Giants Reliever Randy Moffitt

Originally posted on San Francisco Giants on SI
By Matt Postins | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 4:33 PM ET

The passing of San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Randy Moffitt tugged at the memories of Giants fans from the 1970s and early 1980s.

Moffitt was a solid reliever for the Giants from 1972-81 after a terrific college career at Long Beach State University, where is a member of the school’s athletic Hall of Fame. His career at LBSU led to the Giants taking him in the first round of the 1970 MLB draft. He needed just two years to make his MLB debut. He is a member of the Giants Wall of Fame.

He was also the brother of women’s tennis legend Billie Jean King. The pair grew up in Long Beach, Calif. While her brother went into baseball, she went on to win 12 Grand Slam singles titles, including a career Grand Slam and six titles at Wimbledon. She also won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles.

But, after Moffitt’s passing was reported on Friday at age 76, all she wanted to do was pay tribute to her brother.

Billie Jean King’s Tribute to Randy Moffitt

Randy Moffitt, my younger brother, passed away following an
illness on Thursday, August 28.

My childhood dream of having a sibling came true on October 13, 1948, the day he was born.

We grew up as close siblings who rarely fought. We had such love and admiration for each… pic.twitter.com/wA0Wksq58L
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) August 30, 2025

King took to social media to pay tribute to her brother. She wrote that her “childhood dream was to have a sibling.”

“We grew up as close siblings who rarely fought,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “We had such love and admiration for each other. And as two very competitive athletes, both fortunate enough to play in the pros, we respected each other's journey, drive, and determination.”

She wrote about Moffitt’s career and his accomplishments but also wrote about his love for his family and friends.

“Randy was loyal, kind, and caring. He was a father who loved his daughters, Miranda and Alysha, and a grandfather who loved his four grandchildren,” she wrote.

Randy Moffitt’s Career

Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Moffitt made his MLB debut in 1972 and carved out a role as a quality reliever. He started just one game of the 534 games he appeared and played all but two of his MLB seasons in the Bay Area.

With San Francisco he went 35-46 with a 3.68 ERA, with 397 strikeouts and 249 walks in 682.1 innings. He also had 83 saves. He had his best season in 1978 as he went 8-4 with a 3.31 ERA. In 1979, Moffitt dealt with health issues that were eventually diagnoses as cryptosporidia enteritis, which led him to lose 25 pounds. It caused him to pitch in just 23 games in 1980 and 1981, and it led to his release.

He played two more seasons, with the Houston Astros in 1982 and the Toronto Blue Jays in 1983. He finished his career with a 43-52 record and a 3.65 ERA, along with 96 saves.

This article first appeared on San Francisco Giants on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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