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Samuel Edward McDowell
Cleveland Indians
Pitcher
Born: September 21, 1942, Pittsburgh, PA
Signed: Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams: Cleveland Indians 1961-1971; San Francisco Giants 1972-1973; New York Yankees 1973-1974; Pittsburgh Pirates 1975
Bolstering the Indians' starting pitching rotation through the mid to late-1960s, Sudden Sam McDowell was a six-time All-Star, won the ERA title in 1965 and led the league five times in strikeouts. He was a superstar with the Indians, and his sneaky fastball contributed to 8 seasons in a row with at least 9 or more wins between 1964 and 1972. His best season came in 1970 when he finished third in the A.L. Cy Young voting behind Jim Perry (#351) and Dave McNally (#249). That season, McDowell went 20-12 with a 2.92 ERA over 305 innings pitched, which led the league. He also led the league with 304 strikeouts, the second time in his career he had reached the 300 strikeout plateau in a season. While he missed out on the Cy Young, The Sporting News named him their A.L. Pitcher of the Year.
McDowell struggled somewhat with his control throughout his career and those struggles intensified following the 1971 season when he demanded a trade from the Indians. McDowell was dealt to the Giants for future Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry (#193) and the two pitchers' careers headed in opposite directions. McDowell pitched briefly for the Yankees and Pirates before retiring. He struggled with alcoholism before entering a rehabilitation facility and then eventually earning a college degree in sports psychology and addiction. McDowell served as a sports addiction counselor with the Blue Jays and Rangers, earning a 1993 World Series ring with the Blue Jays.
Building the Set
December 25, 2020 from Marco Island, FL - Card #193
This is one of 32 cards (mostly commons) I received from Jenna and our sons on Christmas morning, as I was asked to do some surrogate shopping on their behalf and I gladly obliged. Hunting specifically for first series cards, this is one of 11 cards I added from eBay seller njlionsfan from Clinton, New Jersey. This McDowell card was $1.50.
The Card / Indians Team Set
The photos for McDowell's 1964 and 1965 Topps cards were taken seconds apart, with #17 moving closer for the 1965 Topps photo. Assuming the photo was taken at some point in 1963, that's Mike de la Hoz (#183) talking to a fan as the infielder wore that number for Cleveland that season. On the back, McDowell's two shutouts from 1964 are mentioned. The first came on June 12th against the Athletics, with the second coming on September 30th against the Red Sox. McDowell would lead the league with 5 shutouts in 1966.
His wildness is also mentioned here. Along with his five seasons leading the league in strikeouts, McDowell also led the league five times in walks, including a career high 153 in 1971.
1965 Season
The ace of the Indians' pitching staff, the 22-year-old McDowell went 17-11 with a league-leading 2.18 ERA in 42 games, including 35 starts. He threw 14 complete games, which included 3 shutouts. The Indians still finished in 5th place in the American League, but McDowell was arguably the MVP of the team. In his 11 losses, the Indians provided little to no run support for McDowell, getting shut out 3 times and scoring only one run 4 times. McDowell led the league with 325 strikeouts, becoming only the fifth pitcher since 1900 to strike out 300 or more in a season.
1965 Season
The ace of the Indians' pitching staff, the 22-year-old McDowell went 17-11 with a league-leading 2.18 ERA in 42 games, including 35 starts. He threw 14 complete games, which included 3 shutouts. The Indians still finished in 5th place in the American League, but McDowell was arguably the MVP of the team. In his 11 losses, the Indians provided little to no run support for McDowell, getting shut out 3 times and scoring only one run 4 times. McDowell led the league with 325 strikeouts, becoming only the fifth pitcher since 1900 to strike out 300 or more in a season.
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First Mainstream Card: 1962 Topps #591
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13): 1962-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2013 Panini Golden Age #71
159 - McDowell non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/3/21.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia
Previous Card: #75 Deron Johnson - Cincinnati Reds
Next Card: #77 Doug Camilli - Los Angeles Dodgers
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