How Denny McLain Ruined His Career (With Some Help From the Mob) | Sports Oddity

[@michaelabalos595]

As a 12 year old boy growing up in Detroit watching and listening to the Tigers win the 1968 World Series was a memory I'll never forget and then 40 years later I got to know Denny McLain from repairing his car. Imagine my boyhood hero and I'm talking to him with respect and adoration and asking him about the game and watching him light up because he knew I didn't care about his past I wasn't going to judge him, I never walked in his shoes why would I. To me he was a man one of the greatest pitchers to ever play the game. He signed a baseball for my father. My father cherished that ball so much that when he died I made sure it was buried with him. Baseball can be unforgiving but as people we must learn to forgive like the good book says.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

This is a very wholesome comment, thank you for sharing

[@Mikepleith]

I wish I could post a pic I have with Denny and my son when I met him - it was at a card show and my son was wearing his baseball teams sweatshirt. McLain stop my son and asked him about the team - just really genuinely interested - I said to my son “this gentleman did something that will never be done again and on top of that played a great organ”. McLain loved it…I took a pic of him and my son - it’s great…

[@matthewrider6453]

I love going back & reading about, watching, & just generally researching the '68 Word Series. You see, I'm a diehard Redbird fan, & I absolutely love the most intimidating pitcher of all-time, Bob 'Gibby' Gibson. And we should have won that Series. We went up 3-1, & Gibson beat McClain... twice! That was a shame that we let Gibby down like that. He truly dominated, & he truly intimidated! Dusty Baker once said, "I'm not afraid of much in this world. I was afraid of my father.... And I was afraid of Bob Gibson. But other than that..." So cool for Baker to be so honest abt that.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@matthewrider6453 They were probably a misplayed fly ball away from winning the thing too

[@ronniebishop2496]

@@TheDiamondBaseball Thank you for a very professional documentary.

[@davereynolds7472]

Denny and I had a great pen pal relationship when he was in the joint. He was a terrific guy, very down-to-Earth, very funny - so appreciated being remembered for all of The Good that Denny did.

[@rabidcougar6465]

Yea, super terrific guy! How about the pensioners who lost their pensions after their fund was raided by McClain and his business partner? Fortunately the POS was convicted for that crime. And I'm not even going to go into the 1985 conviction for extortion, racketeering, and conspiracy, and drug trafficking which he was originally sentenced to 23 years in prison. The guy is a piece of crap and his name should never be mentioned along with baseball again........

[@rnklv8281]

I think it was McLain, while pitching in a game against the New York Yankees faced Mickey Mantle, a Mantle who was in the twilight of his career and hobbled by past injuries. The Tigers had a comfortable lead when Mantle came to the plate. McLain threw the pitch straight down the middle (which would be in any hitter's "sweet zone") and Mantle hit it for a homerun. I'm not quite sure, but I think out of "baseball chivalry", McLain tipped his cap to Mantle while he was circling the bases. It's how I remember Denny McLain when ever his name comes up.

[@kevinbergin9971]

Mantle tells this story and added that Pepitone was on deck, witnessing all, and then he got to the plate and requested one about waist high. Yep. McLain knocked him on his pants with the next pitch.

[@kevinbergin9971]

Actually, it embarrassed Mickey but thankfully he hit one more before he retired that put him comfortably ahead of Jimmy Fox for, what was then, 3rd most HRs all-time.

[@superintendentchalmers8034]

@@kevinbergin9971 as I recall it, McLain grooved his first pitch to Mantle over the plate and Mickey took it for a strike. McLain looked at him like "What do you want?". Mantle then asked Bill Freehan if Denny was trying to give him one, and Freehan said 'yeah'.

[@itinerantpatriot1196]

Yeah, Denny did that. When he was asked about it later he said he did it out of respect. He wanted to see Mickey circle the bases one more time. That was the good side of Denny. Then there was the story of how he gave Mickey Lolich a lift to the 71 All Star Game but left him hanging afterwards, supposedly because he got a hair up his ass about the crowd at Tiger Stadium giving him a standing ovation. That was Mickey's side of it anyway. That was the petty side of Denny.

[@ericw3229]

I was at that game ( Honest ) It was Mantle's last at bat at Tiger Stadium. At the time he was tied with Jimie Foxx for 2nd all time in homers with 534. Detroit up 6-0 so McLain grooved him one to hit number 535 and take second place alone. Mantle talked about it later saying he was confused at first about what was going on until Detroit's catcher told him McLain wanted to let him hit one. Mickey put it in the upper deck in right got a standing ovation. In the history of Tiger stadium Mantle hit 3 homers over the right field roof second only to Tiger first baseman Norm Cash who had four.

[@Hanzyscure]

I saw Denny working as a cashier in a 7 11 store in Dearborn. He had just been released from prison. I was working across the street and all the local news media had surrounded the 7 11. I walked over there and Denny was trying to hide in the back room. The reporters kept asking about the pension fund he robbed.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

I'm not gonna lie, the thought of him curled up and hiding in a 7/11 to avoid being confronted for his embezzlement is pretty funny

[@billymatthews7346]

@@TheDiamondBaseball Diamond thats awful, what a waste! A Atlanta Brave fan for life, and can remember Denny with the club, and afterwards never more….a fan of his, but hard to believe his ways of life. Thank you Billy

[@Missfireblossom]

His toes being injured by mobsters in 1967 cost Detroit the pennant. They fell one game short, and a healthy McLain would certainly have made the difference. I was 13 in 1968 and to this day I have never enjoyed watching a pitcher pitch as much as I loved watching McLain. He was something to see.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

I wish I could have seen him and Gibson go against each other in their primes, I'll have to see if I can find archival footage of those World Series matchups, but of course the camera wouldn't do it justice

[@Missfireblossom]

@@TheDiamondBaseball I was at game 4 in 1968. Gibson was great and McLain got shelled. STL won 10-1 as i recall. It was raining the whole game. it was Eddie Mathews's final start of his career and he nearly hit a HR off Gibson but it went just foul.

[@rnklv8281]

@@TheDiamondBaseball I vaguely recall the media "hype" of a World Series featuring both Gibson and McLain, and although "Gibby" pitched a outstanding Game 1, it was Tiger's pitcher Mickey Lolich who was the deciding factor and the star of the World Series.

[@Rayburn58]

The toes being injured by mobsters is fake news BS. You don't have a shred of evidence that's true. It's just a fake news rumor that was started after his gambling problem became well known.

[@superintendentchalmers8034]

@@Missfireblossom I remember that well, Eddie DID get a single in the first inning for his last ML hit.

[@GotDamBoi]

it's actually a crime that you don't have wayyy more subs by now. Every vid i've watched from you has been great....just popping in to say "i was here" before this channel really blows up

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Thank you man, I appreciate the support!

[@toordal]

There are a lot of sports documentary channels and baseball most of all so the competition is tough.

[@perfectsense3240]

The story doesn't end there. His post baseball life involved so other notable lowlights including the untimely death of his daughter. What a shame. He truly was a dominant pitcher in his day. He made it back to Detroit a few years ago for the 1968 World Series Tigers team reunion at the ballpark.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Don't forget the multiple arrests and stealing his employees pension funds

[@itinerantpatriot1196]

When I was a kid Denny and Al Kaline were my heroes. It was tough but when my mom asked me which number I wanted ironed on my Tiger tee-shirt I went with #6. In hindsight, it was the right call. I remember that game against Oakland when he won #30 like it was yesterday. My dad's company had season tickets and he would do his best to get tickets when Denny was scheduled to pitch. I was so bummed when he was suspended in 1970 and crushed when he was traded that offseason. We fleeced the Senators but that wasn't the point. Denny was gone. Later, Denny's true character came out. But even after he did time in prison for racketeering and drug trafficking he was still loved by the fans in Detroit. He hosted a radio show and he seemed to be turning his life around but then things went south for him again. His daughter was killed in a car accident and he went back to prison for racketeering again, this time as a result of embezzling money from the pension fund of small meat packing plant in Chelsea MI that he owned a part of. He hurt a lot of innocent working class people who were counting on that pension and that finally tarnished his image once and for all with the fans. He's still lives in Michigan and I guess he wrote a book and does some local TV stuff. He still gets a pretty good cheer when the Tigers honor the 68 team but trust me, nobody I know has any respect for the guy. The thing with Denny is, it's always somebody else's fault. He claimed Kuhn was out to make a name for himself and targeted him unfairly in 1970. He was innocent of the drug charges to hear him tell the tale. Same thing with the embezzlement charges. It was the other guys, not Denny. Always the other guys. Sorry Denny. There are two old sayings that apply to Denny McLain. First, no matter where you go you take yourself with you, and the other one is one I picked up in Texas. If enough people call you a horse you might wanna get fitted for a feedbag and a saddle. Oh well. Here's to the Denny of old all the same. #17 who used to make me rise out of my seat at the old Tiger Stadium as a kid and scream myself raw. There may be some who will be like him, but there'll never be another 30 game winner and there'll never be another Denny McLain. Faults and all, it was still cool to see that old high leg kick again. Maybe one day you'll figure it out Denny and finally say two words that seem to come hard for you. I'm sorry.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

This was a great comment, appreciate you sharing

[@csnide6702]

I think it was Peet Packing in Chesaning where he pilfered the pension fund. I saw Denny pitch in the first game back from that suspension in July 1970. Distinctly remember that high leg kick. He could fire that fastball. !

[@csnide6702]

@@TheDiamondBaseball Hey -- did you pay David Bowie for that intro music...? 😂😇

[@itinerantpatriot1196]

@@csnide6702 It was Peet Packing. I listened to Ernie call the game when Denny returned.

[@superintendentchalmers8034]

Remember when the stadium was chanting "WE WANNA HIT" and stomping their feet and we kids would sit next to an empty seat and clomp those wooden seats down to make more noise.

[@guardshack9865]

Great video. A baseball fan since 1976 (7 year old), I have never heard mainstream baseball media talk about this guy.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

It's probably because of his multiple arrests, all-around shady dealings, and the fact that anyone who has ever been around him seems to hate him lol

[@kevinpantera4429]

That's because the Media Sucks!

[@kevinbergin9971]

Was a kid then and one of my sports coaches said this was a warning to us, talk about a guy who had everything in his lap and dumped it.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Definitely one of the biggest cautionary tales in sports history.

[@christco120]

He Munsoned himself

[@oldredbarnman]

The opening clip is from Sept 27, 1969. Detroit held a 2-1 lead into the last of the 9th. Rico Petrocelli doubled with 2 out, Mclain then struck out Syd O'Brien to close out his complete game and last win of the season (24-9). Wish the Tigers would go back to these road unis, always my favorite!

[@superintendentchalmers8034]

MINE too! Can still picture Mickey Lolich in that uniform as he stared down Cardinal hitters in game 7.

[@daniellinehan63]

Syd was a 3B for the infamous( but fun to root for) 1970 ChiSox that LOST 106 that year.Our '62 Mets !

[@ottismymann]

I loved those grays with “DETROIT” emblazoned on the front of the jersey. And how about the numbers on the sleeves? Some on the left, others on the right! Lol. Those uniforms were elegant simplicity.

[@robertadams5107]

I remember Denny Mclain I bet baseball fan for over 60 years I remember watching him at Memorial Stadium here in Baltimore against the Orioles if I remember correctly he won game number 30 on the Saturday game of the week when on NBC

[@jimringomartin]

In 1968, I invented a two-man whiffle baseball game we called "YAZ" . As White Sox fans, we agreed no one could "Be" the White Sox. So my brother Jack picked the Red Sox and I picked the Tigers, not because of the amazing pitching but I felt they had such an intimidating offense: Kaline, Cash, Brown, Freehan... the 1960's when I grew up was the best time for baseball. And heck, the White Sox had some amazing pitchers: Horlen, Peters, John, Wilhelm, Lamabe......

[@ExclusiveLM]

When I was a kid, I too invented a Baseball game called Chip Baseball. I used a pen as the bat and a rolled up paper as the ball. Then, I put factory tape on a board to make the baseball diamond boundaries and wrote the distance inches (one inch at a time along the left and right field lines so when I hit the ball with my pen I would see where it landed and the opposing hitter would then try to hit it further on the next swing to get a point. First to 50 points would win. The kids would come to my house to play. I had the girls of the area do cheerleading. I also recorded the sound of stadium cheering from Yankee games and played it in the background when ever someone hit the ball. Then, to add more realism, I added a Rosin bag to the pitching mound by putting baby powder in used Tea Bag pouches. The catcher would also go to the mound to talk with the pitcher by going to another room so that the batter would not hear the strategy. When someone hit a home run I would mark the spot to give a mark to aim at to break the record in the future. I started selling lemonades and hot dogs during the games and kids starting showing up to the point it got too crowded in my house. So, I took the games to the backyard and started charging to enter my little stadium area. Two years later I was making 25 dollars a game and had games Saturdays and Sundays (weather permitting). That was 50 dollars every weekend times 4 weeks a month for a total of 200 dollars a month and I was only 9 years old. The games were from April to the first week of September. That was five months times 200 dollars a month for 1,000 dollars a year minus the cost of the lemonade and hot dogs. I eventually sold my board (aka League) to another kid who then raised the cost of everything and everyone stopped going to the games. Also, kids were growing older and were no longer into Chip Baseball. Other kids in the neighborhood eventually started doing their own boards and started drafting up and coming five year olds with potential. I'm now retired from Chip Baseball and serve as a scout around different school playgrounds in New York City.

[@mr.mendez9378]

As a young boy from Oakland, California I had a big poster of him in his wind up. I had his card as well as the other Tigers. The last 30 game winner. Thanks for the memories.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Must've been weird being a Tigers fan in the Bay Area lol

[@mr.mendez9378]

@@TheDiamondBaseball I just appreciated good talent. The A’s got to Oakland in 68’…. We of course had the Giants and all that talent across the bay. My childhood idol was Johnny Bench.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@mr.mendez9378 That's a good mentality, I like that

[@bhbm47]

Beautiful thoughts. I was born in NYC and was a Yankees fan very early. Denny McLain was a awesome pitcher. Did a lot for baseball in attendance receipts during those years. It’s sad other parts of him off field. Probably more than sad. But I just wanted to talk about his baseball years when at his best. Just memories.

[@00tntprice]

Denny was one of the all time greats but had a serious lapse in judgement that ended his run in baseball too bad he was stellar

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

More like "a metric fuckton of serious lapses in judgment" but yeah

[@jivepatrol6833]

Very good video and summary of Denny and his woes! What a waste of talent.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Truly a shame

[@loyaldude10]

He ruined his arm with all of those innings pitched and cortisone shots to mask pain

[@anadraham2995]

This channel is fuckin AwEsOmE and CRIMINALLY undersubbed. Cmon peeps...

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Thank you for the kind words, appreciate the support!

[@michaelleroy9281]

Yes it's is awesome, no need for the foul language to go along with it too bad You Tube won't block that

[@michaelleroy9281]

It's awesome, that's good enough no need for the F bomb to go with it

[@BillyDee159]

I had season tickets and watched Denny McLain pitch every home game when he won the 31 games. Unbelievable year, 28 complete games 1.94 era. Finished all games in less than 2 hours. Denny was in and out of trouble his whole life. Just a wild crazy personality. Cocky, unlikeable and was involved in many crooked business deals that required two prison sentences that ruined his and his families life. I’m sure he was involved with the mafia, but most of his trouble was of his own doing.

[@superintendentchalmers8034]

You got me beat, I was at 4 of his games that year, including #30, where we sat in the Upper Deck bleachers. Don't know how we got tickets to that game. Almost got ruined when some young guy hit 2 homers off him, think his name was Reggie something.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Oh yeah, 100% his own fault, and I hope that came through in the video

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@superintendentchalmers8034 That's a great memory to have though

[@superintendentchalmers8034]

@@TheDiamondBaseball especially that I had 5 friends with me

[@csnide6702]

@@superintendentchalmers8034 love that screen name... ! 😂

[@lagersparadice8739]

As a younger Tiger's fan, McLain is some what of a fabled Detroit legend. One of the cities if not the cities biggest "what if'". Him and Mark Fidrych are 2 Detroit pitching heroes that couldn't get more than a few years which is a shame, both would be in the hall if they didn't blow out their arms.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

It makes me sad every time I think about Fidrych :(

[@robertthacher]

Especially the Bird. What he did in 76 still defies logic! The next spring, he was goofing around in the outfield and Rusty Staub told him to cool it. 5 minutes later he suffered a career ending injury. He would never pith as well again!

[@wixom01]

I've lived in the Detroit area all my life, and remember Denny McLain very well. He still pops up in the news or on the radio from time to time. He's really a very personable guy, and still lives here in Michigan. I wish him nothing but the best.

[@billgoldstein4215]

Personable my ass! You should have had to be around him for a year. When I worked at the Atlanta Federal Pen, I hated to have to see his face every hour of the day. Grade A asshole.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

You're probably one of the few people out there still giving him well wishes lol

[@wixom01]

@@TheDiamondBaseball You might be right.

[@joelalleman9591]

one of the greatest disappointments in all of sports history !! I , as a young boy , watched his blossoming career unfold before my eyes and saw him as 1 of my greatest heroes !! I watched him in the 30 game win season as well as the tigers world series victory when he was alongside Mickey Lolich in the pitching rotation!!! This was a time I will never forget !!! Such a sad ending to a great beginning !!!! When you look at someone off the playing field into their personal life you get the greater picture of what can go wrong or right in the long run !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

At least you learned a good lesson: sometimes your biggest hero can also be the biggest piece of shit

[@gregoryfilar1783]

Another insane 1968 fact: Tigers third starter Earl Wilson hit seven homers

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Well, that's something you don't see anymore

[@corbinmcnabb]

Wilson was an excellent home run hitter. Average was slightly better than the average pitcher, but his power numbers were impressive. People like him and Tony Cloninger make me wonder whether they might have done better in the outfield. Neither were great pitchers, but hitting is so much about timing, what would they have hit if they had played 150 games a season as an outfielder? Alas...

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@corbinmcnabb I feel like we had the same conversations with Greinke and Bumgarner earlier this decade. Tbh, they may have been great hitters compared to pitchers, but almost no one can be rick ankiel.

[@chuckkrafft7168]

@@corbinmcnabb Look up Earl Wilson's record. He was not a hall of fame, but he was a better than average starting pitcher for some time.

[@corbinmcnabb]

@@chuckkrafft7168 Never said he (or Cloninger) was a bad pitcher. And my thinking about him as an outfielder may not have panned out. Just a thought.

[@gregyaskow6516]

I’m a baseball fan. I know of Denny McLain I was little when he was dominating but didn’t know the other story. Thanks for posting.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

No problem, glad you enjoyed the video! I didn't really know the story either before I made this, so it was enlightening for me as well

[@daniellinehan63]

ChiSox had 3 prospects but only had options left for one- Gary Peters, Dave Debusher and Denny McClain.They kept Gary .

[@ExclusiveLM]

The reason Denny and some other athletes did dumb things back then was because Baseball did not pay well. There were baseball players then that would play a game in the after noon and then work in a gas station that same night and would be recognized by fans as he pumped their gas after they saw him play that same day. Baseball was making a ton of money and not paying their players well. The average salary back then was between 5 and 10 thousand dollars which today seems like a joke. The same thing happened to TV actors who would get paid around the same amount even though their shows got high ratings as lately as the 1970s. Now in 2022, minimum wage is still stagnant paying in many smaller cities of the U.S. as low as seven dollars an hour. Sad.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

A lot of what you said is absolutely true, but Denny also was one of the highest earners in the game between his pay and endorsements at the time. Sure, he wasn’t getting millions, but he certainly didn’t need to be running an illegal gambling ring lol

[@steveosullivan5262]

I grew up a huge Bob Gibson fan. The best pitcher I ever seen. Between him and Nolan Ryan I think. But the 68 series with Denny and Gibson, well that was epic. Hard to believe to this day that the Mets would win the series in 69. Baseball was fun then. Tom Seaver, what a gift he was.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

I wish I could have seen Bob Gibson pitch in the World Series in person, he was truly on another level

[@travelingwithdave8214]

My brother was briefly Denny’s roommate in the minor leagues. We saw his bunk in the 1965 spring training with cases of Pepsi stacked around it.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

That must have been quite the sight lmao

[@timbell6870]

That's just downright heart breaking. Good video Diamond as sad as it may be

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@joestephan1111]

Like one of the great writers once said, "Show me a hero & I'll write you a tragedy."

[@csnide6702]

Hey-- he was the only person Ernie Harwell ever talked bad about.... He knew Denny's character way back then.... Ernie also had his difficulties with Bo Schembechler but when Ernie told that story he just made Bo the jerk he really was....

[@ggoblue]

you gloss over that 67 season but that was the ultimate pennant race. a 4 team race. with a few weeks to go in the season mclain broke his foot and was out of the rotation. the tigers finished one game out of the pennant. the story was that mclain "fell down the steps" and broke his foot. my father told me "your hero got his foot stomped on in a houseboat on the detroit river. he owes some bookies some money. next time they'll break his arm". i later learned that my father had several "made" friends and was in a position to know. 2.5 years later mclain was suspended for gambling. my dad said "i told you so".

[@kevinbergin9971]

They did mention he got his toes dislocated.

[@stever1791]

Father knows best !!!!

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

I guess my question would be how did your dad know so many people in the mob lol

[@ggoblue]

@@TheDiamondBaseballWhen he was old I asked him how he always knew everything about everyone... he grew up with a "made" mobster and another friend who ended up a US marshal.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@ggoblue Sounds like the premise of a TV show lol

[@edwardanthony7283]

Threw 328 innings in n1969 & that's a lot.

[@jonbeckleymorrisblues]

This was a great video. I saw Denny McClain pitch in Washington and it was a bit comical seeing him come out to the mound in a cart waving to everyone. The Senators had their best year ever in Washington that year. This was truly a learning video that it's so easy to screw up your life if you're not strong enough to pass by the people that will take advantage of any gifts you possess. And Denny McClain's loss of his Father early no doubt had much to do with his future problems. Also during those times he was still relatively young only in his twenties.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Glad you enjoyed it! It's truly a shame how he destroyed his career the way he did, he was so naturally talented in many different aspects. He probably could have benefitted from some outside help.

[@jonbeckleymorrisblues]

@@TheDiamondBaseball Thanks for getting back to me. Back in those days I'd go to a baseball clinic every summer only to bad but just a week long and they'd bring a Senator baseball one over. Del Unser the great Centerfielder came. Anyway it was a big deal Denny McClain coming to Washington. It's incredible how "the mob's" tentacles reach out and grab some young athletes. That probably was the thing he could have had help with from the beginning if the club had brought something like that if a player was approached by someone like what happened to McClain that the player could talk to someone on the club he could trust that wouldn't just run to the FBI, or whatever. It was a different time then. Help was hardly available if any at all for the Vietnam veterans coming home. Many years ago I got to know Johnny Blanchard the utility player with the Yankees who played with Mickey Mantle. He was on the Oregon coast, and went by Chuck. But the last time I saw him in 2001 I talked to him outside in a dog exercise pen outside a cheap motel in Port Orford. All kinda depressing really. But, very cool friendly guy and watched me play music in local places. Someone asked him if he got his World Series rings at a pawn shop. But they were real. He said he also played football for the Chiefs. He's passed away. But any chance of doing a video on Johnny Blanchard? Good luck with your channel.

[@robertthacher]

Ironic. Ted Williams had to watch Denny's decline to the end!

[@jonbeckleymorrisblues]

@@robertthacher It was fun to be a kid, and be around Denny McClain, and Ted Williams on the Senators. That is until they became the "Rangers." 💀

[@robertthacher]

@@jonbeckleymorrisblues Right, Ted actually went with them to Texas. They had some bad teams then! Whitey Herzog took over in 73 and they were just as bad!

[@dallasbrubaker6054]

In 1972 Steve Carlton had the greatest season of any pitcher. 27-10, 1.97 ERA .730%, 30 CG, 8 shutouts, 310 K's. And he did that for a team that was 59-97. He won 45.7% of the team's games. He was the first (and maybe still the only) pitcher to win the Cy Young Award for a last-place team.

[@jonathandempsey9228]

Wow. 30CG is impressive.

[@dallasbrubaker6054]

@@jonathandempsey9228 it was common then. Today pitchers don't get that in a career.

[@bodgertime]

Lefty was one of the best

[@stever1791]

Lefty was one of the All Time Greats. I believe he started out that season 5-5 before racking up 10 or 12 maybe more straight wins. I agree it was the best season by a pitcher in baseball ever

[@panther755]

Hilarious and we are satisfied now with a pitcher making it through five innings what a joke considering how much they are paid.

[@CWebbKTA]

I've grown up in Detroit and heard the name in nothing but a positive light. I had literally no idea that he was THAT good and had that much potential. Damn shame. I would've had no idea had it not been for this video.

[@Rayburn58]

I guess you don't read much about baseball and it's history if a youtube video is what you learn from.

[@lloydclaussen3925]

Denny is my hero. I know he had some bumps in the road but he was as great as anyone I have ever seen. 68 guys are all heros to me.

[@CWebbKTA]

@@Rayburn58 I hope you have a better day.

[@tracejohnson5519]

@@lloydclaussen3925 Wow! Ripping of a pension plan of hard working people is a bump in the road and he's your hero?

[@lloydclaussen3925]

@@tracejohnson5519 you probably think Biden is a good guy

[@lindalealphamale]

we'll say we were there at the begining. Well done vid as always.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Thank you, I appreciate the support!

[@tedszweb5268]

He was my first favorite baseball player when I was 10 years old in 1967.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Sucks that so many kids looked up to him only to have to see what he became...

[@ernestolombardo5811]

This was a really good video on an overlooked topic. However... one nit to pick: Audio of McLain playing that organ would have been sweet! Or would that get KZbin to sic the mindless copyright police on this video?

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

It’s not KZbin. It’s the record companies that own the music rights that would take away the revenue from this video. I was originally planning on adding some audio, but had to cut that part because it caused copyright issues

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

On a similar note to today's video, who are some of your favorite "What if..." players? The kind of guys that could have been Hall of Famers had a few things gone differently. Let us know down below!

[@ElielCapitan]

Pedroia (I'm a redsox fan so I have some bias) I feel like he'd he stayed healthy he would have been a Hall Of Famer

[@deepmarineproductions982]

I just wish that Grady Sizemore had been able to get at least ten healthy seasons under his belt :(

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Pedroia is a good one. As a short dude that mostly played second base as a kid, I looked up to him a lot growing up

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

So excited that he’s the latest boss card in MLB the Show

[@Austin_Niepołomice]

I feel like Prince Fielder would be a notable one as a Brewers fan. His weight and partially his swing seemed to doom him to a short but loud early career before back/neck issues forced retirement. If he had been able to swing healthily his whole career then I have no doubt he’d be a potential HoF 500+ HR guy. Edit: one other what if is Tim Lincecum who, iirc, had a pitching style that ruined his body. Idk if he would’ve been just a great pitcher or more, but I liked him as a kid so Id like to think so.

[@montblancnoland4034]

Yeah the algorithm hidding you sir hope you channel blows up

[@moony_97]

Amazing video, thanks a bunch for making it!

[@robertbishop5357]

Going from a 2 time Cy Young winner to prison. Very unfortunate. This is what can happen to any athlete who doesn't surround themselves with the right people.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Truly one of the saddest case studies of the search for fame, power, and money destroying an athlete

[@michaelleroy9281]

The 30 th win was on Saturday September 14, against the Oakland A's he gave up 2 home runs to future superstar Reggie Jackson and still won the game 5-4

[@garyinmarz8938]

He carried a hand gun (I heard), I guess that would interfere with concentration on the mound

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

If I had the mob after me all the time, I'd keep a gun on me too lmao

[@jameshorton7496]

McLain has also had tragedy in his life. His daughter was killed in a car accident sometime during the 80's.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Yeah, honestly his life story gets way sadder after his career came to an end

[@franklegere6939]

He even recorded an album DURING the '68 season!!🤯 The song"hits" of the day! "DENNY MCLAIN AT THE MIGHTY HAMM0ND 0RGAN" on Capitol Records. ( liner notes state that it was the 1st time the Hammond-77 was ever recorded🤔) Also appeared on the ED SULLIVAN SH0W and in Vegas, where I'm sure the mafia was closely watching...🤣😂

[@holstorrsceadus1990]

Shocked he still had teeth after a that Pepsi. I knew a guy like that with Dr. Pepper and he had full dentures by his late 20s.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

The difference is that he had enough money to pay for exceptional dental care lol

[@billgoldstein4215]

He was under my responsibility when I worked for The Department of Justice at the Atlanta Federal Pen. He was very disrespectful, stayed in constant trouble while in prison, and was a Grade A Smart-ass. I say "GOOD RIDDANCE" to a schmuck who gave baseball a black eye, and himself two blackeyes.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Yeah, I can't imagine him being much of a model prisoner

[@gunndish]

In the summer of 67 or 68, my buddy asked me to cover his Macomb Daily paper route in Centerline, MI for a week while he went with his family on vacation. One particular spot he pointed out while I rode with him on the route was this apartment bldg. on the southeast corner of 11 Mile and Arsenal. It was a small bldg., maybe 6 or 8 apts, two story (gone now). He had a woman customer there in one of the units he could never catch and she was about 5 weeks in the rears on payment. So, on Saturday ... having nothing else to do, and it not being that far from my house, I staked out the parking lot. Sitting there on my bike at the stop sign on the corner ... suddenly, a couple in a Cadillac roll in and park right in front of the apt in question. I peddle over quickly, park my bike on the stoop, as she has already exited the vehicle and is opening her apt door. I figure I got her now! Suddenly, the driver exits the vehicle and asks, "Can I help you, son?" I turn and stop dead in my tracks ... It was Denny freakin' McClain ... I swear a'fore God. After reminding him of who he was, I explained my situation. He reached into his pocket, withdrew his money clip, skinned off a twenty dollar bill. I started fumbling for change, since her bill was just under 5 bucks. He shoved the twenty into my hand and asked, "how much did she owe?" I told him it how much. He says, "pay her up for another 5 weeks and keep the change for your troubles." I was a huge Tiger fan (still am) ... and Denny McClain was one bad assed pitcher! I rode home thinking ... Denny McClain just tipped me 10 bucks! I just doubled my week's earnings! I was in hog heaven! But, what was Denny McClain doing in Centerline at this woman's apartment? Hmmmm?

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

A lot of interesting McClain stories in the comments, man was truly an enigma lol. Thank you for sharing!

[@gunndish]

@@TheDiamondBaseball Thank you! I missed an opportunity to get him to sign my 68' Denny McClain baseball card. Unbeknownst to me, at least a decade or so ago, back when he was in town one day selling his signature at our AAA Jacksonville Suns game. I saw him from a distance, but didn't want to miss our Suns playing!

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@gunndish Honestly for the best, buying a signature kind of takes the magic out of it imo

[@gunndish]

@@TheDiamondBaseball Agree ... I would have been very uncomfortable having to buy his signature. I always felt like a dummy for not asking him for it that day in the parking lot. Still, fond memories of the 68 Tigers.

[@eddiesimms9301]

Professional Athletes MUST understand that one's activities off the playing field have a GREAT IMPACT on the playing field as well......Ask Paul Horning of the Green bay Packers who was suspended for an entire season for gambling by the NFL'S commissioner, Pete Rozelle. RIP.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

In this case, it literally affected their chances of winning the pennant in 67 lol

[@odysseusthesojourner4401]

The trade in Oct 1970 brought a good return for Detroit; Eddie Brinkman, Aurelio Rodriguez and Joe Coleman. Solid contributors for the Tigers for a few years in the 70s.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

One of those trades that looks better with time.

[@csnide6702]

yes-- Tigers got the good end of both acquiring and trading away Denny--- Tiger management today certainly lacks compared to then. Brinkman had a long error free streak at SS while Aurelio had a cannon throw across the diamond at third. Coleman won 62 games his first 3 years with Tigers with 38 being complete games. What would THAT be worth today..? Tigers also got Jim Hannan in that trade, while Elliot Maddox and light hitting 3B Don Wert went to DC along with Denny.

[@michaelleroy9281]

@@csnide6702 And he lost 22 games for the Washington Senators in their final season in 1971

[@michaelleroy9281]

@@csnide6702 The Tigers got half of an infield it helped them win the AL East in 1972

[@csnide6702]

@@michaelleroy9281 yup

[@joeyvocals1]

I was born July 28 years after Denny McClain won 31 and lost 6, with a 1.96 Era! Even Bob Gibsons 1.12, and Luis Tiant, 1.60, and Sam McDowell 1.81, cannot equal this man did! Plus, for good measure; Denny McClain was 24 and 9, Era 2.80! He threw 336, innings in 68, and 335 innings in 69! 55-15, in two years, and a combined Era of less than 2.41! Whatever this man did off the field does not tarnish his amazing fastball and abilities! So get off his back! As an addendum: he had a lights out fastball, too! God bless you, sir! I hope that I can meet you soon, someday! Joey in Cleveland

[@leeinoregon1326]

The fact is, despite his soda drinking, his arm wore out. Still, he had a few great years, and I doubt we'll ever see another 30 game winner.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

"wore out" is an understatement lol. His rotator cuff was completely destroyed due to insane overuse, lack of care, and bad practice by the team doctors. It's truly a shame

[@cdjhyoung]

We may not ever see another 30 game winner, but I don't think it will because of a lack of pitching talent. Few pitchers in the modern era have a chance to start 40 plus games in a season. With five man rotations, 35 starts are hard to come by. Winning 31 games on 35 starts would be impossible even for McLain.

[@daniellinehan63]

Guidry & Carlton were CLOSE

[@deepmarineproductions982]

Obviously not the point here, but how is any human able to drink that much Pepsi??

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Honestly, reading about his Pepsi habit kinda made me sick to my stomach as I was researching this video

[@dallasbrubaker6054]

After a while it may be the same as someone who smoked 3 packs of cigarettes a day. Then again, Denny McLain may have exaggerated the amount.

[@mikekeeler6362]

That's what I say how can anybody drink that much of anything

[@syourke3]

He was a caffeine and sugar addict.

[@edgawrysjr]

I could do it on a bet. That’s about it. Very sad story

[@greghoyes1877]

He won 31 games not 30

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Yeah, I thought mentioned the specific number at some point, but honestly this video is over a year and a half old so I don't remember if I did lol

[@rf3495]

How about one on Warren Spahn? Dude was in World War 2, lost 3 prime years . and was shot in his throwing arm!!!

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Not a bad idea, I might make a vid on him if I can find a good angle for it

[@ronniebishop2496]

Mickey Mantle hit his 535th home run off Denny.? And the Mick said Denny let him hit it and even asked him where he wanted it.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Yeah, its a pretty fun story, one of the few lighter moments of Denny's late career

[@bilyg5689]

Very interesting and informative. 86 the music, though. It’s unnecessary and annoying.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Appreciate it, I made this video over a year ago, so my sound mixing is worse than it is in my more recent videos lol

[@robertbishop5357]

1968 was the year that the Cardinals played the tigers in the world series. Bob Gibson struck out more batters than any pitcher ever in the world series. I remember that game and was so dejected that the Cardinals lost.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Yeah, but at least you had 2006 to make up for it

[@michaelleroy9281]

The Cardinals did win a World Series before that, 1982

[@steveroe6771]

As a long time Tigers fan, my brother claimed the 68 world series would be the Denny McClain series, while I claimed it would be the Mickey Lolich series. The bet was for .50 cents, a lot for a 7 year old at that time. Mmy brother was ticked off that he had to pay me. Look up the stats for that series if anyone doubts me, as Lolich pitched in 3 games, including games 5 and 7, with only 3 days rest between games 5 and 7.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Yeah, McLain was thoroughly outmatched against Gibson in that series, but luckily for you guys Lolich was great and you were able to get some breaks to go your way (e.g. Curt Flood's error in Game 7)

[@kevinbergin9971]

Roger Maris, then a Cardinal, mentioned to his team that they had enough lefty power to handle McLain. He warned that Lolich could be the problem. He got that right.

[@lloydclaussen3925]

Denny was hurting by the time the series happened. Had 28 complete games.

[@stever1791]

@@kevinbergin9971 roger knew baseball = very Smart and a great guy - To me Still the home run king for a season

[@michaelcanney7218]

@@TheDiamondBaseball a few breaks? Lolich out pitched Gibson in game 7

[@STR33TJESSUS]

These baseball players are just actors who end up playing many roles throughout their careers

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Crazy how much he loves playing the villain then

[@theseeker1237]

We are all actors in this game of life. Everything you do.

[@tod3msn]

Denny’s record will NEVER be broken. Pitchers are rested a lot more now. They don’t pitch anywhere near what they did in Denny’s era.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

No they don't, nor should they. We know much more now about the arm than they did back then, and its probably saved dozens of great careers

[@TheBatugan77]

@@TheDiamondBaseball How? Tom Seaver won his 300th at Yankee Stadium as a 40-year old. He went the route. Warren Spahn led the NL in CG for 7 years starting when he turned 35. They weren't made of titatium.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@TheBatugan77 They were also extreme outliers. For every Spahn, there's a guy like Denny who had his shoulder completely destroyed from overuse. And even if they don't have their arms disintegrate, their effectiveness usually disappears after only a few years of 300-inning workloads. Those guys just get forgotten though, so we only remember the freaks of nature and think they were the norm.

[@jeffarmfield2346]

I really liked the video. Looking forward to more to come from you, esp w the foolish baseball vibes I get from your channel. Keep it up

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed! This video is actually over a year and a half old, so there is plenty of stuff on the channel for you to look through. Appreciate the support!

[@geezler4083]

I was behind his mu-2 in the pattern at OZW (Livingston County)

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Nice!

[@ericw3229]

Lived i Detroit the 1960's Tigers were my team. A perfect example of someone's ego too big for their britches. He was convicted of drug trafficking in Florida served time, He got out only on a technicality. After getting out he had a good thing going in Detroit doing a TV sports show then hosting a popular radio talk show personal appearances commercials, Then he bought a meat packing company and ran it into bankruptcy. He stole the company pension fund and left hundreds of retirees with no pensions ,He was convicted of embezzlement and sent to prison a second time. After he was released he turned up working at a 7 Eleven store as part of his supervised release. His involvement with the gambling and mobsters likely cost the Tiger the 1967 pennant. After his toe was broken he was virtually ineffective on the mound losing several games down the stretch and Detroit lost the pennant by one game

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

And if we're being honest, if it weren't for Mickey Lolich (and also Curt Flood's error), they don't win in '68 either

[@ericw3229]

@@TheDiamondBaseball So many things happened during that series it' s almost unreal. Remember though Flood didn' t commit an error. It' s debatable whether he could have caught it even without slipping. On thing about the ball Northrup hit. I played a lot of ball and played outfield including center. There were times a ball hit on a line to center started out on a line then just takes off on you. I had it happen to me several times. Playing in right or left I never experienced it. Could be something about how the ball leaves the bat going to straight center.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@ericw3229 Yeah, I actually covered that play briefly in my video about Curt Flood and free agency (which I would also recommend because I think its a better video than this one lol), that play actually had a ton of repercussions for his relationship with the Cardinals, as ownership placed a lot of the blame for the series loss on him and that misplayed ball.

[@ericw3229]

@@TheDiamondBaseball At that time the Cardinals were on the brink of being a dynasty. The turnaround in the series when Lou Brock was thrown out in game five to the triple by Northrup was stunning. St. Louis was never the same after that and Flood' s career took a nosedive.It' s been said Bob Gibson never got over that game seven loss despite all his great accomplishments.

[@1982kinger]

My old man used to go watch denny play the organ at a nightclub in Windsor

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Oh to be a washed-up MLB player playing an organ at a nightclub in Windsor...

[@MrPezdispencer]

Did you look into why you have to protect someone's contract at 18 years old back then? I know now it doesn't work that way so I'm wondering what kind of rules they had in place back then.

[@lloydclaussen3925]

White sox had to choose between Denny and a guy named Bruce Howard. Roster space or something, they choose Howard who didn't do much.

[@LEFTaTIP]

Wow its was an incredible few years of pitching followed by a quick downhill descent out of MLB. There will be 1 or 2 players per decade that follows the path of Denny McClain. Dwight Gooden had the same quick downhill slide although he did enough to stay in the game for 15 or 16 yrs. After his drug troubles he was never close to the same pitcher he was in his first 4 yrs in the MLs. Anyways thx to The Diamond for this revealing upload.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching! I would also recommend baseball historian's video on gooden, because there's a lot more to his story too

[@LEFTaTIP]

@@TheDiamondBaseball Thx man, this was a little before my time but My Dad remembers this team very well (He was raised in Michigan before I was born in Calif) . Coincidently, it seems like many of the 60's Detroit Tigers were raised in Michigan or decided to make the state of Michigan there residence. Jim Northrup, Bill Freehan, Norm Cash , Mickey Stanley. It was a great team with a lot of stars. We all wonder if McClain had stayed focused on baseball and his pitching he would probably be in the HOF. Take Care

[@daniellinehan63]

Doc's first 2 seasons- UNHITTABLE Me- a Cub fan

[@JasonCardbourne]

Growing up in metro Detroit, I remember my dad told me stories about Denny McClain and him stopping by my dad's store. He also told me about a few meetings with Jimmy Hoffa too........

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Some things are too much of a coincidence to ignore lol

[@edwardanthony7283]

I watched his 30th win that year @ age 10 with the call me Denny, Dennis or Mr. McLain to a reporter! Magnificent workhorse 300 innings type pitcher who won the Cy Young in the Tigers championship season in '68 while making a lofty 33k & split the award in '69 @ 65k with Mike Cuellar then the 13-34 downward spiral began at age 26 in 1970 & ended @ age 28 with Atlanta. Went 131-91 for his career but expectations were much higher @ one time.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Hall of Fame talent and trajectory for sure. I don't think we've seen a fall off quite this hard elsewhere

[@edwardanthony7283]

@@TheDiamondBaseball His peer Luis Tiant was budding on it but came back better than ever!

[@ckersh74]

336 IP at age 24, and 325 IP at age 25. That explains a whole lot.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@ckersh74 Yes it does, especially with his rotator cuff issues pushing him off the cliff. And yet there are certain people in the comments shitting on today's pitchers because they aren't being allowed to pitch as much...

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@edwardanthony7283 Tim Lincecum comes to mind as well, but his decline was not really due to his actions

[@jigglepuff1218]

I love this content!

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Thanks, glad you're enjoying it!

[@billysikes1374]

The guy could have been 1 of the greatest pitcher's of all time, He was great and what he did for Mantle is legend

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Hall of Fame talent, high school mentality...

[@brianopitz7474]

And what was that I didn't catch anything in the video represent mantle

[@ieatcigarettesforbreakfast2299]

Your intros 🔥

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Thanks! I’m really excited for the intro to next week’s video though 👀

[@Don-n6o]

Denny was my hero as a 13 yr old kid when he was winning 31 games in 1968. I was greatly saddened and heartbroken when his career collapsed and he had so many legal problems later in his life.

[@dantean]

Wait--he ended up behind bars?! WHERE WAS THAT PART?!

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Yeah, he had a few stints behind bars for drug trafficking, embezzlement, and racketeering after his career was over. Didn't talk about it much in this vid because I mainly wanted to focus on the downfall of his career.

[@dantean]

@@TheDiamondBaseball Dude, I appreciate that, but THAT was the meat right there and you tossed it off at the end like mentioning the color of socks he used to wear to church on Sunday or his favorite flavor of BBQ sauce. I appreciate the work you did, but there's a whole half a story missing here--the downfall of his LIFE!

[@GK-ev5rd]

The Tigers were relentless with Cortozone shots in his arm. It was only a matter of time that the arm just gave out and no medicine was going to help him. The trade to Washington was THE BEST TRADE for the Tigers in 1970. McLain was washed up and Washington was taken to the cleaners and back. McLain today signs baseballs for $$$. HE lost one of his daughters tragically in a car accident some years ago.It was very sad. His lovely wife died a few years ago. How she put up with him all those years is a story in itself. Her father was baseball great Lou Boudreau. Today he is one who fans in Detroit look back as a great pitcher, but a real nut who ended up in jail and took advantage of people. He was never satisfied with his success, He wanted it all and lost it all. HE could charm the skin off a snake, but then do stupid things and get involved with people that he never ever should have been associated with. He is now up in age, lives off his baseball pension, and the Tigers hardly ever do anything to mention him at special events or occasions. Most of his teammates really never cared for him off the field. He actually did not have any close baseball friends. He only cared for himself and to hell with everyone else. IF he had kept his nose clean he could have stayed in baseball and still made a nice living...instead he wanted to be a tycoon, gambler, performer, and man of the world. Nothing wrong with great ambitions, but he associated with people that he just should have stayed away from. The sad truth is he is very smart, but just could not control himself in making wrong stupid decisions.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

"He's got a million-dollar arm but a ten-cent head" - Bull Durham

[@dougmerithew3231]

Good message

[@jeromemurphy2572]

He destroyed his career himself. He and his managers. He pitched way too many innings and tore a rotator cuff and tried getting cortisone shots for several years to dull the pain. Then he got out of shape, seemed to lose interest once he got the big money. He didn't take care of himself physically and he pitched too many innings, which caused the rotator cuff to happen. Then, they didn't know how to repair it in those days.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Yeah, its kind of impressive how he managed to make every wrong decision in his career. I mean, if it wasn't so sad, of course

[@rogerwilliams5366]

This was excellent

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Thank you!

[@michaelleroy9281]

Speaking of Tigers teams that won it all 1984 they started 35-5 I knew they were going to win the World Series right there what a team

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Hoping you guys turn it around soon. Baseball is at it's best when its most storied franchises are doing great

[@cdjhyoung]

The 84 team didn't have a 20 game winner on the pitching staff. But they sure could field and produce runs.

[@gordonmcintosh2655]

I saw Gibson pitch twice, he was dominating.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

I'm jealous man. He's one that I would love to have a time machine to go watch.

[@gordonmcintosh2655]

Gibson came at the batters hard. He used little time between pitches, and kept the batters off balance. He had great power and the curveball to go with it.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@gordonmcintosh2655 It sucks that we were never able to measure his fastball with a legit radar gun, I imagine he would be breaking triple digits

[@robertbrown5319]

He pitched nearly 700 innings during the two years he was a mega-superstar from 1968-69. I think his arm was shot after that.

[@rafaelramirez1507]

51 complete games in 82 starts in just 2 years .... yes in just two .... and also check this out in those two years he pitched in 661 innings with 55 wins .... Denny could of been one of the greatest

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

He could have been great, but honestly even if the law hadn't caught up with him he treated his body too badly to ever be sustainable. It's sad

[@robertthacher]

Had Denny not had his foot broken by gamblers, the Bengals would have won the 67 pennant. As happy as I was that Boston won, that Detroit team would have, and probably should have left a bigger stamp on the history books! He also played a heck of an organ in area night clubs!

[@michaelleroy9281]

His mysterious foot injury cost the Tigers in 1967

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

100%

[@kingofallmediums2123]

Great video! Thanks 🙏

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!

[@michaelleroy9281]

He didn't do too bad in 1969 he won 24 and shared the Cy Young with Mike Cuellar of Baltimore

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

People forget how good he was around that 68 season - mainly for what happened in '70 and beyond

[@michaelleroy9281]

@@TheDiamondBaseball From Cy Young to Sayonara

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@michaelleroy9281 You hate to see it

[@robertfrazier1377]

I watched the Tigers struggle in mediocrity from the late 50's until they finally put together a winner when they finally won the American League Pennant in 1968, and beat St. Louis in 7 games to win the World Series. In the years while they struggled my favorite pitcher was Jim Bunning, but after the Tiger's begin to put together what I recognized as a team with great promise Denny McLain and Mickey Lolich were my two guys. Denny carried them with his great pitching during that 68 season, and Mickey in the 68 World Series. It very difficult for me to understand why Denny or anyone else could be foolish enough to go down the path he went down with such great success at the time, and the promise of even greater future success in front of him. A disturbing waste of talent, very difficult to watch or to understand.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Its pretty simple tbh, money and power changes people and blinds them to the fact that they are going down a dark path. It sucks, but also it can happen to anyone who suddenly finds fame and fortune

[@jameshorton7496]

Don't forget the 1961 Tigers, who would've went to the 61 World Series if not for the NY Yankees. I think that Tiger team also won 103 games, but the Yankees won 110. Like the Yankees, the Tigers would've faced the Cincinnati Reds and like the Yankees, probably would've beat them.

[@ckersh74]

Denny McLain had the personality where he was going to screw things up no matter what he did. His success in baseball simply made his problems bigger.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@jameshorton7496 I imagine there are a ton of teams in MLB history who didn't get their proper due for the same reason, its a shame

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@ckersh74 Yes, pretty much. Million dollar arm, 10 cent head.

[@hj-xb2tr]

So many parents from that era were like McLain's. Yep, the "greatest generation"

[@cdjhyoung]

I had an aunt and uncle like McLain's parents, but my own folks weren't. Neither were my friends parents. Every generation has people that fail as parents. He was just one of the unlucky ones.

[@jeffkalina7727]

A true Renaissance man! Now gambling is legal with sports Books in stadiums. Dude was human. Gotta take the bad with the good.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

I think the controversy was more about the “running with the mob thing” and not the “investing in a bookmaking business” thing. And besides, he was arrested for way worse later on.

[@kevinbergin9971]

Was it McLain who came late to an All-Star game because he supposedly had a dentist's appointment?

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Not sure, I don't think I heard that story when I was researching this video

[@michaelleroy9281]

If it was the 1969 game in Washington it was rained out and played the next day that could have been why he was late

[@robertfeinberg748]

Made an organ album. Tigers traded HOFer Jim Bunning to make room for him.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

To be fair, he was really good at the organ

[@robertfeinberg748]

@@TheDiamondBaseball Also, his repartee is very good, and I had forgotten that Lou Boudreau was his father-in-law. But that raises the question why, after he explained the importance of being prepared, he failed to follow his own advice and had a short career. I thin there's a story about when Boudreau was player-manager, the shortstop made an error. Boudreau took over the position and proceeded to make an error. Then he said to the shortstop he replaced, "You've messed up this position so bad, no one can play it!"

[@DannyYankou]

I can't comprehend drinking 24 bottles of Pepsi every day. Assuming he gets 8 hours of sleep, he's drinking 1.5 bottles per hour. 24 bottles is equal to 3.75 gallons.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

I feel bad if I have more than two in a day, 24 is thoroughly fucking insane

[@Amick44]

@@TheDiamondBaseball look up Dickie Noles pitched in the 80s. Noles claimed he drank 3 cases of beer a day at one time. Not kidding. Of course like Mclain, he had much legal troubles as well. I've read he straightened himself out, fortunately .

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@Amick44 If that's true, good lord. That's so sad.

[@Amick44]

@@TheDiamondBaseball yeah, I am in Metro chicago. It happened in the early '80s. It made the Chicago news and all the papers. I believe the incident happened in Cincinnati, he got into a bar fight and cops came and in the fracas, I believe Noles broke his leg. That's when all the details came out about it.

[@mikekeeler6362]

What a shame about his career should have been a great picture the Hall of Famer

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Some people just stay complacent, it is what it is unfortunately

[@michaelleroy9281]

One thing, he didn't play that long his big league career was something like 1964-72

[@bryandavis8789]

Excellent video

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed!

[@billgoldstein4215]

Tell us "more" about this "Syrian Mob"...and do you actually think the ITALIAN MOB would have let them in on THEIR TURF???

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

He had plenty of ties with the Italians too (most notably what happened to him in '67), but many of his partners in the gambling scheme he got busted for were Syrians.

[@timfool]

If he went through that just two decades later he would have been signed by the Yankees.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

If he got caught with the mob today, he might have gotten a contract offer to play football for the Browns lol

[@paulbrower4265]

His character failed to fit his talent. I don't know it it is safe to call him a sociopath. He gave a good talk, and if he played it straight, he could have had a long career as a baseball commentator or announcer. The involvement in gambling was a high-risk activity. The drug activity and the embezzlements were pure criminality. People of lesser talent but more character have lower highs but greater staying power. Figuring that even mediocre ball players often have careers as coaches or announcers or go into honest business, I can only wonder about McLain. Maybe he could rationalize the 20 sugary sodas a day as "at least they aren't alcohol". At that level one has a big problem, even if it is sugar and not alcohol. I am amazed that he is one of the few members of the 1968 Detroit Tiger team still alive.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

My man is a walking case study to be honest :/

[@csnide6702]

yeah... How did HE stay alive...? makes no sense at all.

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

@@csnide6702 If I have more than two sodas a day I feel awful, I can't imagine living off a case a day...

[@csnide6702]

@@TheDiamondBaseball story was he carried them around in his suitcase and drank them WARM if he had to... 😄🤑

[@jamesanthony5681]

I remember reading a couple of stories about McLain. 1. He cheated at playing cards with his Tiger teammates, and when Jim Northrup (I believe it was) found out, he was about to give McLain the beating of his life. I mean, who cheats at cards, especially with your teammates for chrissakes? 2. He convinced a General Motors executive to allow him (McLain) to fly a transport plane from Detroit to NY (or vice versa), at night, when McLain had little flying experience, especially in the dark. As McLain described it, he was so nervous and so worried during the flight that his shoes were literally filled with a couple of inches of sweat. He doesn't know how he managed to land the plane successfully without crashing it into a residential neighborhood. He wasn't to be trusted, especially in business where he was a pathological liar.

[@RyanMeade-h2y]

My mom hung out with Denny. She was Italian and connected. Interesting.

[@michaelcanney7218]

Micky lolich was the real ace of those teams

[@TheDiamondBaseball]

He probably won them the title more than any other Tiger that year

[@ericw3229]

He was in the 68 Series for sure

[@ericw3229]

@@TheDiamondBaseball Here's something about Lolich many don't know. In 1967 there was Detroit riot about 40 killed millions of dollars in damage. Lolich was in the National guard and was activated, He was on active duty for two week right in the middle of a tight pennant race. Some have soft peddled his service but he was in a literal war zone. Then after it was over right back into a 4 way pennant race. Down the stretch he was clutch going something like 6-1 or 7-1. No matter how you look at it that takes some kind mental toughness to do that

[@michaelleroy9281]

MVP of the 1968 World Series , 3 wins

[@kevinpantera4429]

Tigers had great players who just played great that season. Mccauliff on base percentage for leadoff hitter unmatched to this day. Norm Cash ( went to our church) nicest man ever want to meet! Great glove and hit with big power! Stormin Norman Cash!! Never forget him! Tigers just too tuff!

[@gargould7186]

They weren’t paying the players multi million dollar salaries in the season until Catfish Hunter broke away from Oakland to sign with the Yanks in 1975, for a measly 3.2 million dollars for 5 years. 640 thousand dollars a year. Denny was probably lucky to be getting paid 35,000 thousand in the 68 season.

[@jonkline709]

I’ll remember him “As a 67y o” cover x or current politicians as well! T. Kennedy,Wallace etc