A 6'6" stringbean with a wicked sidearm delivery, Blackwell was virtually unhittable for righthanded batters as the ball seemed to explode at them from third base. As a Reds rookie in 1946 he had only a 9-13 record but a NL-leading six shutouts, and he started
a record streak of six straight
All-Star Game pitching appearances (later
tied by
Early Wynn). In 1947 he was dubbed The Whip, as he led the NL in wins
(22-8), complete games (23), and strikeouts (193) for the fifth-place Reds.
His 16 consecutive wins set a NL mark for righthanders. He came very close to
tying teammate
Johnny Vander Meer's 1939 feat of back-to-back no-hitters. On
the night of June 18, he no-hit the Braves; in his next outing he held the
Dodgers hitless into the ninth before
Eddie Stanky's one-out, broken-bat
single.
Arm miseries the next couple of years took the snap out of "The
Whip." In 1950 (when he won the All-Star Game) and '51, he came back partway
with 17 and 16 wins, but his arm problems returned. He was 3-12 in 1952 when
the Reds traded him to the Yankees on August 28. "I wish it could have been
earlier in my career," he said later. "There was no great difference between
the two leagues, but I'd have to say it was easier pitching in Yankee
Stadium." Down the stretch for New York he pitched 16 innings while
surrendering just one run and won his only decision. He started the fifth
game of the WS and surrendered four runs in five innings (no decision). The
next season, he had two wins before his arm problems led to his retirement in
mid-season (he had a two-game comeback with the A's in 1955). (RTM)
Ewell Blackwell
