Suitors of Spring, The: The Solitary Art of Pitching, from Seaver to Sain to Dalkowski (Summer Game Books Baseball Classics) by Jordan Pat

Author:Jordan, Pat [Jordan, Pat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781938545283
Publisher: Summer Game Books
Published: 2014-03-26T00:00:00+00:00

A Talent for Refusing Greatness

A small boy is trying to bounce a bat off the rubber floor of the Cleveland Indians’ dugout and catch it as it bounces back. He misses repeatedly. Out on the field the Indians are taking batting practice while the Oakland A’s play pepper in front of their dugout.

“Heh, Moon,” calls Alvin Dark, the Cleveland manager, from behind the batting cage. “Weren’t you supposed to pitch today?”

Oakland pitcher Johnny “Blue Moon” Odom looks up from his pepper game and says, “Supposed to, Alvin. But I wasn’t feelin’ too good today.” He grimaces and massages his right shoulder.

“Jeez, that’s too bad, Moon,” says the Cleveland manager with an evil little grin. “Sudden will be very disappointed. You know, I saved Sudden just for you today.”

“I appreciate that,” says Odom, “but I guess I’d rather pitch tomorrow.”

“But we ain’t playing tomorrow,” says Dark.

“I still rather pitch tomorrow,” says Odom, and players on both clubs break into laughter.

“Sudden” is the nickname of the Cleveland Indians’ 27-year-old left-handed pitcher, Sam McDowell. McDowell was given that name by opposing batters, who when asked to describe how his fastball approached the plate, invariably replied, “All of a sudden, man, all of a sudden.” Ever since, McDowell has been signing autographs, shirts, photographs, gloves, baseballs and just about anything but checks, “Sudden” Sam.

On May 6, 1970, Sudden Sam McDowell fired his sudden pitch past 15 Chicago White Sox batters in eight innings. He lost the game 2–1. When Blue Moon Odom heard of McDowell’s feat he shook his head in disbelief. “Man, if I had Sudden’s stuff I’d win 25 games every year.”

Some people thought Odom had complimented McDowell—until they checked McDowell’s six-year major league record and discovered he had never come close to winning 25 games. In fact, McDowell had barely won that many games in two years. With what has been called by most major league hitters “the best stuff in baseball,” McDowell has managed records like 17-11, 13-15 and 15-14. His best year was in 1969 when he finished 18-14. His career record is 89-80, although admittedly he has never played with a good team. But then again, neither did Robin Roberts when he was winning 20 games all those years for the Phillies—and Roberts never had “the best stuff in baseball.”

Odom was not the first man to be critical of McDowell’s lack of ability to win baseball games, although it appeared to be the first time McDowell was stung by such a remark. He responded by winning his next seven of eight decisions for a 10-4 record, a 2.40 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 146⅓ innings. At one point he had all the club’s eight complete games to his credit. By July most opposing pitchers were discovering mysterious sore arms that disappeared the day after they missed their turns against McDowell. (Odom’s was not mysterious, however, and he was eventually placed on the A’s disabled list.)

To casual observers it would seem that Sudden Sam had finally silenced his critics.

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