Who is the man: Dave McNally had finished his third straight 20-win season in 1970, piling up 24 victories. He also won a game in the ALCS and the World Series and became the only pitcher to hit a grand slam in the Series when he went yard against the Reds' Wayne Granger in Game 3.
Can ya dig it: Fittingly enough, McNally appears to be on top of the world in this photo. Look at that flag in the distance. It's tiny.
Right on: This is one of the first 1971 cards I ever saw. I don't remember the circumstances, but the card was in a lot worse shape than this one.
You see this cat McNally is a bad mother: Well, the guy did hit a grand slam in the World Series. But your probably want something else. Well, let's see, he also won 20 games in a season four straight years. He's the greatest baseball player to come out of the state of Montana. Oh, and he also helped bring down baseball's reserve clause.
Shut your mouth: Even though he helped open the door to huge baseball salaries, there were some aspects of free agency that confused McNally. When Alex Rodriguez signed his 10-year, $252 million deal with Texas, McNally told the Billings Gazette, "My first thought when I saw that was: Did Texas offer him $250 million and he wanted two more? How did they get to $252 million?"
No one understands him but his woman: Shortly after McNally announced his retirement from the Expos in 1975, he suffered a bout of the hiccups. They lasted so long that he was hospitalized. About two weeks later, they ended. "I think he's quite relieved," his wife, Jean, said.
(A word about the back): Those 277 hits allowed led the American League in 1970.
Great post,I would bet if he had one more 20 win season, he would be in the Hall of Fame.
ReplyDeleteI agree. He is kind of a forgotten member of those great Oriole pitching staffs.
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