Dave McNally is now remembered as being part of the 1975 Seitz decision, which ushered in the free agent era, but from 1968-1971, he was one of those most dominating pitchers in baseball. He won 20 games or more in each of the four seasons. Including the best season of his career in 1970, when he led American League in wins with 24, and had a 3.22 ERA in 40 starts.
He made his debut as a 19 year-old with the Baltimore Orioles in 1962. In 1963, he would become a starter for the Orioles, and would pitch for them for 13 seasons. He would finish with 181 wins and 113 losses as a Baltimore Oriole. He was 184-119 with a career ERA of 3.24. At one point between the end of the 1968 season, and a 15-0 start to the 1969 season winning 17 straight decisions.
He pitched for the 1966 and 1970 World Series champion Baltimore Orioles. In game 3, of the 1970 World Series, McNally became the only pitcher in Major League history to hit a grand slam in a World Series game. The Orioles would also win the American League pennant in 1969, and 1971.
McNally was a 3 time all-star in 1969, 1970, and 1972. In 1971, he was part of the Orioles staff that produced four twenty game winners (Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson and Jim Palmer were the other three). McNally would die from lung cancer on December 1, 2002.
I watched him pitch in Memorial Stadium many years ago. Couldn't go to too many games, though. Relatively inexpensive then, but we still didn't have the money. Great post!
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