1973 Profile: Lindy McDaniel

"Suddenly, again, there was Lindy McDaniel in top form in mid-1972. The forkball was doing whatever it does and the hitters were missing it with their bats. Courage, quiet internal courage, and strong determination carried Lindy through a season and a half of substandard McDaniel performance. Patiently encouraged by Manager Houk, he never stopped working. Then suddenly it was all back, all the McDaniel skill working with telling effect in the second half of '72, and ready to pick up again in 1973.
One can't speak of Lindy McDaniel the relief pitcher without speaking of Lindy McDaniel the preacher, for they are one and the same man, and indeed, Lindy's religion is the motivating force in his life. And while he is by nature a soft-spoken, reserved man, he is also possessed with the will to win so necessary for the competitive world of athletics. It is this chemistry of the man - his profession, his family and his religion, that makes Lindy unique in his field and distinguished in his labors."

-The New York Yankees Official 1973 Yearbook

"Lindy once again came back from an adverse season and was the Yanks' second leading bullpen artist, appearing in 37 games and posting a 3-1 record with an ERA of 2.25. He now has 102 lifetime wins as a relief pitcher, second only to Hoyt Wilhelm's 123 on the all-time list. Lindy is also third in lifetime saves with 160; Wilhelm finished his career with 216 and Elroy Face with 194. McDaniel is recognized as one of the top all-time relief pitchers in baseball. He's won the Fireman of the Year Award twice (best relief pitcher of the year), in 1960 and 1963 and came a close second to Ron Perranoski in 1970.
Originally signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1955 for a reported $55,000 bonus, Lindy is entering his 19th season of professional baseball, and all except a part of the 1958 season have been spent in the major leagues. He began his career as a starter but switched to relief pitching when he returned from his brief stint in the minor leagues.
He also began as a side-arming righthander, but later switched to a three-quarter delivery, and then to strictly overhand, which is his present delivery. Lindy's best pitch is a forkball, very effective for a reliever (it is a sinking pitch that induces batters to hit it on the ground).
Lindy is from a baseball family. Two of his brothers, Von and Kerry, were also signed by the Cardinal organization. His father, a farmer, nicknamed him Lindy after the famous flyer, Charles A. Lindbergh.
McDaniel is a religious man of strong convictions who is a preacher in the off-season and intends to make this his life's work upon retirement from baseball. But the way Lindy bounces back, that appears a long way off."

-1973 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide