Is McLain not aware that the Blue Jays are NOT in the Tigers' division? Actually, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Somehow I don't think he's going to match Bob Feller in terms of age.

Wouldn't a better nickname be "the last 30 game winner"?

Speaking of douches...any of you spry older guys want to reflect on whether McLain threw games back in the day? I remember reading where Dick McCauliffe thinks he cost them the pennant one year.

I'm not your guy, buddy.

I'm not your Buddy Guy.

There were rumors that the toe he broke in 1967 was actually broken for him by an impatient creditor.

Most of what I know about McLain I read in Behind the Mask, Bill Freehan's memoirs, which I read when they were published in 1970, and I was 11, and they weren't exactly Ball Four in their forthcomingness. Anyway, IIRC 39 years later, Freehan admired McLain enormously. The book came out just as the furore over McLain's gambling activities was breaking, and one would guess that Freehan didn't have to praise McLain in the book if he was dubious about McLain's efforts during the '67 pennant race. It would also be odd if mobsters had enough pull over McLain to influence the '67 race, but then turned around and left him to his own devices the next two years, when he was unbeatable. But one version of the story has the mobsters merely temporarily disabling McLain, not leaning on him to actually fix games.

You know who else hates pitch counts? Hitler.

Kuhn did not investigate McLain's mess himself, of course. The case was handled by Henry Fitzgibbon, a former FBI agent recently hired to run baseball's new security office. Fitzgibbon and his staff were to keep abreast of players' off-field problems, specifically those involving drugs and gambling. McLain was the staff's first big investigation. (Their second one involved Rose, whose gambling problems raised red flags for baseball as early as 1970. Fitzgibbon suspected for many years that Rose bet huge sums of money with bookmakers, which Rose almost certainly did, but Fitzgibbon was never able to catch him. The bookies, of course, were not talking.)

From that B-Pro article. That crazy Pete Rose!

Anyway this is the article I remember reading about McLain. It's pretty damning, I think. Where's GGC? What was up with Kuhn and McLain? Why did he get off so lightly?

Denny McLain: Come on Guy...Let 'Em Pitch!

Translation: Misery loves company. Why won't these sissies all blow out their arms in their 20's like I did?

Translation: Misery loves company. Why won't these sissies all blow out their arms in their 20's like I did?

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing Andy. It's pretty rich for a guy who's last effective season was at age 25 to be lamenting that pitchers today aren't used the way he was.

What was up with Kuhn and McLain? Why did he get off so lightly?

Because Kuhn was a Horse's ass

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing Andy. It's pretty rich for a guy who's last effective season was at age 25 to be lamenting that pitchers today aren't used the way he was.

I'm about four months younger than McLain and it wouldn't surprise me if I could get more steam on my fast ball than McLain could today.

Of course after about five pitches my right arm might wind up like Dave Dravecky's left arm, but what a moment of glory, not to mention a nice little case of political / medical symmetry....

Dear Denny,

You seriously need to STFU.

Sincerly,

The World

PS: Yes, you won 31 games once. You're still a dick.

Where's GGC? What was up with Kuhn and McLain? Why did he get off so lightly?

I haven't looked at my file on this in ages, but I think that Kuhn thought that Denny was too dumb to be a mastermind of this scheme and was more likely a sucker.

I haven't looked at my file on this in ages, but I think that Kuhn thought that Denny was too dumb to be a mastermind of this scheme and was more likely a sucker.

Yikes!

You know who else hates pitch counts? Hitler.

But pitch counts make little Baby Jesus cry.

But pitch counts make little Baby Jesus cry.

Are you saying Hitler IS Jesus? Wow, man. Just wow.

they may have destroyed Bonderman (who stole $40 million dollars) when he was very young and now he is literally almost out of the game, but they are making up for it by getting Porcello out of the game before he does something silly or does something to hurt himself.

It's hilarious, because he provides his own counter-example right before his says something foolish.

They destroyed Bonderman, that's why they're taking it easy on Porcello. Duh!

Are you saying Hitler IS Jesus?

I thought little Baby Jesus grew up to be Bill James, not Hitler, but things are a bit foggy ever since I was excommunicated from The Church.

I haven't looked at my file on this in ages, but I think that Kuhn thought that Denny was too dumb to be a mastermind of this scheme and was more likely a sucker.

Also known as the Pedro Guererro defense.

I recommend all pitchers throw over 1300 innings from age 21-25 and less than 500 for the rest of their career.

Where's GGC? What was up with Kuhn and McLain? Why did he get off so lightly?

I haven't looked at my file on this in ages, but I think that Kuhn thought that Denny was too dumb to be a mastermind of this scheme and was more likely a sucker.

I thinks it's as simple as not doing anything against MLB's rules. But reckless enough that Kuhn could act.

Denny McLain may have the most fascinating Wikipedia page of any baseball player I've ever read. Drinking a case of Pepsi a day, signing autographs at a 7-11 while on work release from prison, teaming up with Jim Northrup to try and create a nude calendar featuring baseball players (not surprisingly this failed although I bet John Montefusco would have been game), not to mention all the allegations involving his activity with gamblers.

I'm only 25 so I obviously don't remember anything about Denny McLain's playing days other than what I've read and been told by my Dad who was/is a big Tigers fan. However, I remember back in high school I was helping my friend clean out his grandparents house after they had passed away and in the attic we found a box of old records and one of them was "Denny McLain at the Organ". We couldn't believe it was the old ballplayer and when we took it home and played it on some old record player, we couldn't believe how good he sounded. That album became our background music through our summer of endless nights playing "Goldeneye" on 64. It's not surprising that we were both without girlfriends that summer. It is surprising that we didn't grow up to become serial killers or something.

It's not surprising that we were both without girlfriends that summer. It is surprising that we didn't grow up to become serial killers or something.

RDF

It is surprising that we didn't grow up to become serial killers or something.

So you say...

I suppose I can only speak for myself...although now that I think about it, it does seem odd that most of my friends furniture appears to be made out of human bones. I had never made that connection before.

Xenia Onatopp!

I suppose I can only speak for myself...although now that I think about it, it does seem odd that most of my friends furniture appears to be made out of human bones. I had never made that connection before.

Mostly it's your handle that gives you away.

Sorry, I don't mean to get off topic from Denny McLain's craziness, which is definitely worthy of further discussion, but I feel compelled to add that I was unstoppable with Jaws with an automatic shotgun in the Temple level. I couldn't draw a layout of my house, but I'm pretty sure I could draw in my sleep a detailed layout of the Temple level in "Goldeneye", with shading, trap doors, weapons and body armor locations, even though I haven't played the game in probably a decade. I have wasted my life.

Tough trivia: What do Denny McLain, Don Blasingame and Jose Rijo have in common? (Other than that they have never been in my kitchen).

Tough trivia: What do Denny McLain, Don Blasingame and Jose Rijo have in common? (Other than that they have never been in my kitchen).

Ain't so tough: they're all sons-in-law of major league stars.

sons-in-law of major league stars

So is Bobby Valentine. I mean, not that anyone cares.

I remember back in high school I was helping my friend clean out his grandparents house after they had passed away and in the attic we found a box of old records and one of them was "Denny McLain at the Organ". We couldn't believe it was the old ballplayer and when we took it home and played it on some old record player, we couldn't believe how good he sounded.

I remember Nick Bakay had a bit years back where he played Denny McLain doing his lounge act. It was bizarre and hilarious. Google is unhelpful at helping me to find this, though.

#30-31: Lou Boudreau, Walker Cooper and Juan Marichal, respectively, in case anyone needs to know. Yes, not so tough.

"Denny McLain at the Organ"

31 wins and an album on Capitol for Denny McLain

It actually reminds me of some time Dick Radatz was making this kind of anti-pitch count rant on the radio in Boston, and Dennis Eckersley called in and used some satellite radio language on the regular radio before talking about how Eck's own career almost ended because they over-pitched him when he was young.

It's not surprising that we were both without girlfriends that summer. It is surprising that we didn't grow up to become serial killers or something.

Look forward to possibly seeing you in Bill James' Crime Book Vol II.

they may have destroyed Bonderman (who stole $40 million dollars)

I guess it takes a thief to know one. At least Bonderman didn't steal his money from a pension fund.

36 - Look for me in his Ted Bundy section about the correlation between bad grades in law school and the increase in disappearance of women within a 25 mile radius being stronger than the correlation between the number of mysterious drifters in an area and the increase in disappearances at campsites.

hmm, i guess between this joke, revealing that I spent my high school years listening to organ music while playing video games and my admittedly creepy nom de plume, I'm not really helping my case of being a well adjusted lawyer who spends half his workday lurking in the comments section of this site. If anything I've probably been flagged by the FBI and am being run through some database or something. I should probably quit while I'm behind and switch topics....so how about that Tigers-Royals game tonight. Washburn-Greinke, oughta be a doozy

If the Tigers broke Bonderman, how is he the one stealing money?

Hey, I wrote that BP piece years ago, though my name has been expunged. Here is a longer version:
http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=2308&pid=9345

Color me surprised and not a little disappointed that Repoz's appearance in this thread was not to cosign the brilliance of Denny McLain's B3 stylings. Come on man, we all know you have that record too.