Books and articles about Sam McDowell

McDowell seemed capable of becoming the greatest strikeout pitcher the game had ever known, but by 1976 he was out of baseball, a victim of alcoholism.

RELATED LINKS Submissions » The Top 100 Greatest Indians » The 1971 Swap Meet by Bruce Markusen Around the Web » McLain explains why Martinez probably won't win 30 games from sfgate.com (7/18/99) Jump directly to Library content from any website!

A lanky 6'5" lefthander with a ferocious fastball, a good changeup, and just enough wildness to keep hitters nervous, McDowell was overwhelming from 1965 to 1970, winning five strikeout titles and twice fanning over 300 batters by the age of 28 (only Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, Walter Johnson, and J.R. Richard have struck out 300 batters as many times). McDowell started one game for the Indians as a 19-year-old in 1961, and found little success in Cleveland in 1962-63, walking almost seven batters per nine innings. By 1964 he was beginning to harness his tremendous talent, and in 1965 he dominated AL hitters. McDowell led the AL with a 2.18 ERA, despite walking a league-high 132 batters, and allowed only 178 hits in 273 innings while striking out 325, at the time the fourth-best total in modern ML history. He struck out 15 Tigers in 10 innings June 5, and his 10.71 strikeouts per nine innings set a ML record broken by Dwight Gooden in 1984.

Sudden Sam continued to terrorize AL hitters in 1966, leading the league in strikeouts and shutouts and pitching back-to-back one-hitters. After losing the strikeout title to Jim Lonborg in 1967, he regained it in 1968, with 283, and recorded a 1.81 ERA (second-best in the AL). He also walked a league-high 110. He struck out 279 in 1969, and in 1970 McDowell was TSN Pitcher of the Year with 20 wins and 304 strikeouts. He fanned 16 Angels on May 1, 1968, and 15 batters three more times.

His biggest problem was not batters. "I was the biggest, most hopeless, and most violent drunk in baseball," McDowell would admit later. He won only 13 games in 1971, walking a career-high 153, as his drinking began to affect his on-field performance. He was traded to the Giants for 1972, winning 10 games for the last time. He finished in the Pirates' bullpen in 1975.

McDowell struck out 2,453 batters in his career. His total of 74 games with 10 or more strikeouts is fourth behind Ryan, Koufax, and Steve Carlton, and his career average of 8.86 strikeouts per nine innings trails only Ryan and Koufax. He led the league in walks five times and wild pitches three times, but averaged only seven hits allowed per nine innings for his career. McDowell has been employed by the Texas Rangers as a counselor to drug- and alcohol-addicted players. (FK)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » September 15, 1962: At Cleveland, 22-year-old Sudden Sam McDowell pitches six scoreless innings, striking out 7. He leaves after one out in the 7th after his hard throwing causes him to breaks two ribs. With two outs in the 9th, the Twins score three against Funk to win, 3–2. Lee Stange, in relief, gains his first ML win. McDowell, just recalled from Portland (PCL), where he compiled an 8–0 record, including a one-hitter and no-hitter in consecutive starts, will go 11–4 this year. » September 12, 1964: The Indians score six in the 1st, and outlast the White Sox, 11–10. For 2nd-place Chicago, it is their 4th loss in six games. The loss goes to starter Ray Herbert, with Sam McDowell the victor. » September 30, 1964: In a rarity at Fenway, the Indians shut out the Red Sox in a doubleheader winning 5–0 and 3–0. Rookie Luis Tiant and Sam McDowell go the distance in applying the whitewash. » October 3, 1965: "Sudden" Sam McDowell (17–11) loses a 2–1 decision to Baltimore's Steve Barber, but the 22-year-old Tribe southpaw wraps up the AL lead in ERA (2.18) and strikeouts (325). Rocky Colavito plays his 162nd consecutive errorless game (274 chances), a ML season record. » May 1, 1966: In his 2nd start, Sam McDowell has to settle for a one-hitter. Don Buford's 3rd-inning double is Chicago's only hit in Cleveland's 1–0 win. McDowell becomes the first pitcher since Whitey Ford (September 1955) to pitch back-to-back one-hitters. » June 16, 1966: In New York, Rocky Colavito robs Mantle of a 1st inning homer by making a great catch at the bullpen gate. Mantle then hits a 3rd inning homer to the opposite field off Sam McDowell, and New York goes on to top the Indians, 7–6. » June 27, 1967: Detroit RF Al Kaline breaks his hand jamming his bat into the bat rack after striking out against Sam McDowell, as the 2nd-place Tigers lose to Cleveland 8–1. Kaline will miss 28 games. » May 1, 1968: Sudden Sam McDowell of Cleveland strikes out 16 batters and defeats Oakland 3–1. » April 10, 1969: Bill Freehan smashes two homers—one with the sacks full—to lead the Tigers to a 12–3 win over the Indians. Mickey Lolich beats Sam McDowell. » June 24, 1970: In a doubleheader with the Indians at Yankee Stadium, Bobby Murcer ties Lou Gehrig's record of four straight homers. The Yanks lose the opener 7–2, despite Murcer's 9th-inning home run off Sam McDowell. Murcer next connects off game 2's starter Mike Paul, hitting a solo shot in the 1st inning. A walk in the 4th, then a 2-run homer off Paul in the 5th, and a game-tying homer in the 8th, off Fred Lasher. New York scores in the bottom of the 9th to salvage a 5–4 win. Cleveland 1B Tony Horton hears a hoo and literally crawls back to the dugout after fanning on two of Yankee hurler Steve Hamilton's "folly floaters." Sensitive to fans' booing during the season, Horton will be hospitalized, and at 25, this is his last season. » September 2, 1970: In the first six innings, Rangers starter Sam McDowell walks six Nats batters, five intentionally. Three of the intentional passes go to Frank Howard in his first three at bats, twice when he leads off the inning. McDowell moves to 1B in the 6th inning, with two on and no outs, and Dean Chance comes in allowing both runners to score. McDowell comes back to the mound to finish, losing 4–1 to Dick Bosman. » September 17, 1970: Sudden Sam McDowell wins his 20th game as the Indians beat the Tigers, 6–2. Niekro (21-13) is the loser. » September 27, 1970: The Orioles rally for two runs in the 8th inning to beat the Indians Sam McDowell, 4–3. Dick Hall wins his 10th game with three innings of hitless relief. He also walks no one and ends the year with more wins than walks—10 wins and only six walks in 61 innings. Not since Slim Sallee's 21 wins in 1919 when he walked 20 has a pitcher accomplished this. Bret Saberhagen in 1994 will be the next, winning 14 and walking 13. Before Sallee, Christy Mathewson had two seasons of more wins than walks. » November 6, 1970: The Twins Jim Perry wins the American League Cy Young Award in a close race. Perry, who won 24 games during the season, receives 55 points to edge out Dave McNally (47), Sam McDowell (45), and Mike Cuellar (44). » May 2, 1971: Sam McDowell is suddenly knocked out in the 1st inning at Oakland and charged with the 8–5 loss. Sam gives up five runs, three on a homer by Reggie Jackson. But McDowell comes back in game two to win in relief, 7–3, in 10 innings. Ted Ford's 3-run homer is the big blow. » November 29, 1971: In three blockbuster deals, the Cubs trade P Ken Holtzman to the A's for OF Rick Monday; the Giants trade P Gaylord Perry and SS Frank Duffy to the Indians for P Sam McDowell; and the Reds trade 1B Lee May, 2B Tommy Helms, and OF Jimmy Stewart to the Astros for 2B Joe Morgan, OF Cesar Geronimo, and P Jack Billingham. This trade, criticized in the Cincinnati press, is one of the best in Reds history, and puts the wheels on the big Red Machine, as future Hall of Famer Morgan will win two MVPs. » April 16, 1972: Hitting for the cycle, Dave Kingman drives in six runs to lead the Giants to a 10–6 win over the Astros. The third sacker makes out in his final at bat after clouting a 3-run homer in the 7th. Sudden Sam McDowell, making his NL debut, pitches five 2/3 inning for the win despite allowing 3-run homers to Bob Watson and Tommy Helms. » June 23, 1972: Following up a 2-hitter against the Pirates in his previous start, San Diego's Steve Arlin allows just one hit in beating San Francisco, 4–1. Garry Maddox triples in the 2nd inning for the lone hit. Nate Colbert's three run homer, off Sam McDowell, is the deciding blow. » June 7, 1973: The Yankees trade three players -- 1B Frank Tepedino, OF Wayne Nordhagen and a player to be named -- to the Atlanta Braves for P Pat Dobson. Dobson had struggled in his one year in Atlanta after the Braves had acquired him from the Orioles. The player to be named will turn out to be 2—Alan Closter and Dave Cheadle. The Yanks also purchase 30-year-old Sam McDowell (1–2) from the San Francisco Giants for $100,000+. McDowell, who will later admit to a drinking problem (teammate Dick Radatz later remarked, "We thought he was just stupid. It turned out he was never sober") will pitch two seasons in New York before being released.