Nicknamed “The Hitman”, Easler spent parts of 14 years playing in the majors. He came up with the Houston Astros in 1973 and spent three seasons there. He made a brief stop with the California Angles in 1976 before joining the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1977. It took a couple years, but Easler eventually became a regular with the Pirates in 1980 and responded with a fantastic season, hitting .338 with 21 home runs and 74 RBIs. He finished 20th in the National League MVP vote that year and made the All-Star team the following season. He remained with Pittsburgh until 1983 when he was traded to the Boston Red Sox for John Tudor. Easler flourished in his first season for Boston, hitting .313 and setting career highs in home runs (27), RBIs (91) and runs scored (87). He stuck around Fenway for one more year before Boston dealt him to the New York Yankees for Don Baylor. Easler played a year and half in the Bronx before they traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies. He appeared in just 33 games for Philadelphia in 1987 before they sent him back to the Yankees. Easler finished the year in pinstripes. It would turn out to be his last season in the bigs.
Easler replaced Pirate teammate Dave Parker in right field during the 1981 All-Star Game in Cleveland. He had two plate appearances, drawing a walk and scoring a run.
Easler was a member of the Pirates’ team that won the 1979 World Series. He played in 55 games that year for Pittsburgh and saw action in two World Series contests. He had two plate appearances as a pinch hitter in two World Series games and drew a walk.
For his career, Easler hit .293 with 118 home runs. Following his days as a player, he served as the hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers.
