"McDowell came to the Giants last year in a swap of pitching superstars with Gaylord Perry moving to Cleveland. He was a bit of a flop with a 10-8 record and a 4.34 earned run average while Perry was winning the Cy Young Award in the American League. McDowell still had his strikeout pitch working, though, fanning 122 to raise his career total to 2,281. That's 14th on the all-time list and only Bob Gibson among active pitchers has more.
Born in Pittsburgh, McDowell pitched his high school team to the Pennsylvania state championship, hurling a no-hitter and slamming a homer in the final game. He was working on a shutout in his first major league start when he was forced to leave the game in the seventh inning. He had broken two ribs by throwing too hard."
-Hal Bock, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1973 Edition
"The arrival of Sam McDowell from the Giants in June was a big addition to the Yankees' pennant hopes. But Sam saw it as more than an addition.
'You can tell'em the Yanks have won it,' he said. 'Sudden Sam is here.'
Indeed he is- complete with a fastball whose devastating velocity will soon put him among baseball's top-ten strikeout pitchers.
Sam's done it all in his career- a 20-win season, an ERA title, five strikeout titles, six All-Star Games and two seasons of better than 300 strikeouts. His years of success in Cleveland make him well known to both Yankee fans and American League hitters. The fans are happy he's now on their side- the hitters are sorry to see him back. You see, Sam's done it all in the American League- except play in a Series. And that's where his sights are set."
-The New York Yankees Official 1973 Yearbook
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