Today we go and add the fire-baller Sam McDowell to my on-going 1970 "in-Game Action" sub-set, a future custom printed set in 2022:
At
the time this card would have seen the light of day had it been
released in 1970, the man was a beast on the mound, already a four-time
league leader in strikeouts, with a high of 325 1965 when he also led
the league with a brilliant 2.18 ERA.
In
1970 he'd put in arguably his finest as a Big Leaguer, winning 20 games
while leading the American League with 304 strikeouts, completing 19 of
39 starts while tossing a league-leading 305 innings.
Those
numbers gave him a third-place finish in the Cy Young race by season's
end, as well as his fifth All-Star nod in six years.
Over his 15-year career he was at times unhittable, six times topping 200 strikeouts, two of those seasons saw him top
300.
He’d go on to lead the league in K’s five times during his amazing run between 1965 and 1970, along with a 20-win season in 1970 and a career low 1.81 ERA in the “Year of the Pitcher” 1968.
It’s a shame he only had ten full seasons during his career, seeing as he ended up with 2453 career strikeouts with a 141-134 record and a nice 3.17 ERA.
Once he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Gaylord Perry after the 1971 season his career went downhill quickly, barely hanging on the final four years before retiring after 1975.
Nevertheless between 1964 and 1971 he was a monster on that mound, striking fear in opposing batters while racking up the K’s and getting named to six all-star teams.
He’d go on to lead the league in K’s five times during his amazing run between 1965 and 1970, along with a 20-win season in 1970 and a career low 1.81 ERA in the “Year of the Pitcher” 1968.
It’s a shame he only had ten full seasons during his career, seeing as he ended up with 2453 career strikeouts with a 141-134 record and a nice 3.17 ERA.
Once he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Gaylord Perry after the 1971 season his career went downhill quickly, barely hanging on the final four years before retiring after 1975.
Nevertheless between 1964 and 1971 he was a monster on that mound, striking fear in opposing batters while racking up the K’s and getting named to six all-star teams.
