Denny McLain: 2 Cy Youngs, an MVP, and criminal record

[vuduchile 1,940]

He was at a card show yesterday selling autographs for $25, $50 and $100.

I guess he was a real sh!theel for awhile.  Probably a bigger POS than Pete Rose.  Did 2 stints in prison.  Embezzlement, money laundering, dealing cocaine and other stuff.  

Anyway, I told my kids not to bother paying for his auto since there's not a lot of value there.  They did buy one of his $20 mystery envelopes for a chance to win Cubs/White Sox tickets.  They didn't get the tickets, but we hung around and talked to the guy for awhile.  He was pretty interesting.  In fact, he could not have been better to the kids.  He told them all about pitching against Mantle, Yaz, Robinson and others.  They hung on every word.  Some guy asked him who was the toughest hitter he ever faced and he said, "Nobody.  I never faced anyone who I couldn't get out.  As a pitcher, you can't think that way."

Before we left, he gave my sons each a signed ball and a bonus pack of cards.  They were thrilled.  He signed the balls: Study, Study, Study, then study some more.  Denny McLain. 

 

[Mike Honcho 4,010]

3 minutes ago, vuduchile said:

He was at a card show yesterday selling autographs for $25, $50 and $100.

I guess he was a real sh!theel for awhile.  Probably a bigger POS than Pete Rose.  Did 2 stints in prison.  Embezzlement, money laundering, dealing cocaine and other stuff.  

Anyway, I told my kids not to bother paying for his auto since there's not a lot of value there.  They did buy one of his $20 mystery envelopes for a chance to win Cubs/White Sox tickets.  They didn't get the tickets, but we hung around and talked to the guy for awhile.  He was pretty interesting.  In fact, he could not have been better to the kids.  He told them all about pitching against Mantle, Yaz, Robinson and others.  They hung on every word.  Some guy asked him who was the toughest hitter he ever faced and he said, "Nobody.  I never faced anyone who I couldn't get out.  As a pitcher, you can't think that way."

Before we left, he gave my sons each a signed ball a bonus pack of cards.  They were thrilled.  

 

[TimmySmith 2,782]

He obviously lived large.  His 31 win season in '68 may have been the best pitching season that any pitcher ever had.  He had 2 bad outings in 41 starts.  He could have easily won 35-36 games.

[Mike Honcho 4,010]

I think the worst thing he ever did was write that God awful 'American Pie' song.  

[vuduchile 1,940]

1 minute ago, TimmySmith said:

He obviously lived large.  His 31 win season in '68 may have been the best pitching season that any pitcher ever had.  He had 2 bad outings in 41 starts.  He could have easily won 35-36 games.

Didn't we already establish that games won by a pitcher is a meaningless stat?

Also, he doesn't think it's meaningless.  "30 game winner" is all over his marketing stuff.  

 

 

[Strike 3,950]

He's in the HOF, right? 

[vuduchile 1,940]

Just now, Strike said:

He's in the HOF, right? 

Nope.  Just a footnote about his 1968 season, but not actually inducted.  

[patweisers44 697]

He's been a piece of since his playing days and still is today.    Drained the pension fund of two separate companies, among myriad other offenses.

[kilroy69 993]

No one outside of Michigan would ever even know who he is. 

[vuduchile 1,940]

Bill Cartwright was there signing stuff too, but we never went over to his table.  

[Cloaca du jour 2,064]

Any Virgil sightings?

[shorepatrol 1,736]

6 hours ago, vuduchile said:

Bill Cartwright was there signing stuff too, but we never went over to his table.  

He was good on the bulls first 3peat 

[vuduchile 1,940]

2 hours ago, Cloaca du jour said:

Any Virgil sightings?

Virgil who?

[Voltaire 4,555]

That '68 season must have been crazy fun for a Tigers fan. Baltimore was on Detroit's ass all year until the last game of the year.

Mayo Smith had sent out McLean, Lolich, some other guy, and McLean again in games 1-4 and found himself down 3-1 with games 6 and 7 in St. Louis with Bob Gibson who'd destroyed the Tigers in games 1 and 4 on tap for game 7.

And Mayo says "fock it". Without rain delay help, sends Lolich out for 5, McLean out on two days rest for 6, then Lolich out on two days rest to take on Bob Gibson in game 7. 

McClean was the star pitcher with the 31 wins, but he was 1-2 including a shellacking in game four. It was Lolich who had three complete game wins who was the singular Tigers pitcher worth a d@mn against the Cardinals. 

As I kid in he 70s, I remember we had a great relief pitcher in John Hiller. All th Detroit teams sucked when I was a kid, including the Tigers, but Hiller was a carry over legacy from the legendary '68 team before I was born. So I'd thought Hiller must have been lights out in helping to beat the Cardinals. I'd found out later, no, Hiller was stomped too. It literally was all Lolich. 27 innings of Lolich.

Game seven of the 68 World Series is on Youtube. Lolich pitches a complete game on two days rest after pitching a complete game. He was asked afterwards how he felt, and he said his arm was dead after the 3rd inning and he had no idea how he was getting them out.

 

[Cloaca du jour 2,064]

10 hours ago, vuduchile said:

Virgil who?

https://deadspin.com/heres-the-very-last-virgilbag-ever-1785044888

Didnt know if it was only baseball...or sports in general..

[vuduchile 1,940]

1 hour ago, Cloaca du jour said:

https://deadspin.com/heres-the-very-last-virgilbag-ever-1785044888

Didnt know if it was only baseball...or sports in general..

Most sports were represented but Wrasslin' is not a sport.