Sudden Sam McDowell Pitching Highlights & Mechanics

Footage of him pitching in the 1968 All-Star Game and several angles of his mechanics.

[@bryanfields5563]

Suddem Sam was the first Major League pitcher I ever got to watch, in 1971 in Cleveland. I was 9.

[@jtorres4613]

Thanks for putting the video. I have all of Sam's 60s topps cards. Great to see him in this video.

[@sultanofswat9382]

My dad told me about him decades ago

[@carseye1219]

He used to drive my dad crazy. He had a good curveball but, it seemed to my dad at least, that "he fell in love with it" too much in crucial situations when his heater was blowing batters away. Sad that alcohol cut into what could have been a HOF career.

[@samstephens378]

This guy had some of the easiest heat you will ever see !!

[@tuby6521]

Gigantic Frank Howard was Sudden Sam's nemesis. McDowell walked Howard 25 times in his career including 9 intentional walks. On two occasions in 1970 his manager moved him to an infield position so he wouldn't have to pitch to Howard!!!

[@spcooper94]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jeffgreen7499]

I saw this happen in a 1970 televised game. It was late in the game that Cleveland Mgr. Alvin Dark moved Sam McDowell to 2nd base and brought in Dean Chance to pitch to Frank Howard. Chance was instructed to walk Frank Howard, and that brought Rick Reichardt up to hit. Alvin Dark then was ready if Washington Mgr. Ted Williams sent up a pitch hitter. If Reichardt batted, righthander Chance would pitch to him, if Williams sent up a lefty hitter, Sam would return to pitch. Reichardt stayed in, and wouldn't you know it, he hits a grounder and McDowell makes a putout at 2nd base. Sam resumed pitching and finished the game as the winning pitcher. This is only time I ever saw a manager makes this move in a MLB game, and I was lucky to see it!@@spcooper94

[@joenania]

Let SAM McDOWELL into the Baseball Hall of fame - - NOW !

[@deepcosmiclove]

Hardly anybody remembers Sudden Sam.

[@sdgakatbk]

I was thinking when he was pitching to Matty Alou that if he struck him out, that's quite an accomplishment as Matty didn't strike out much.

[@jacksonjoe9724]

I remember him as Sad Sam McDowell

[@groverfan1389]

In 1974 he carried a no-hitter into the late innings against the Red Sox, I believe, before finally giving up a hit. I read later that his fastball was clocked at 106 mph that night. This video looks like that may have been true.

[@horsemadeofhorses]

Koufax with some cogent advice there.

[@dorfmanjones]

As fast as Koufax. And a dynamite curve ball. Matty Alou bailed out on a strike.

[@theIzzyfurreal]

Because of his alcohol-related problems he was also sarcastically called "Sodden" Sam McDowell!

[@michaelfitzgerald3467]

Later in life he opened a car dealership and they called him "Sedan" Sam!!

[@billcouch8308]

Very sad about his drinking. What could have been for Sam and the long suffering Indian fans.

[@carseye1219]

Have to add my private pet peeve. Stirrups make a baseball uniform look complete, don't they? Can't stand the current pants down to the shoes or solid color socks from knee to shoe looks.

[@brotherlove6631]

I wholeheartedly agree. The way major league players wear their uniforms today is a disgrace to the game.

[@Dana-wq5tp]

Amen to that! When I was a kid, I used to love all the different stir up socks around baseball. Now it looks like they're wear dress pants. I never understood why the players went away from wearing them but if I was Commissioner, it would be mandatory.

[@carseye1219]

@@Dana-wq5tp Couldn't current players, at the very least, when they wear "throwbacks", on those occasions, wear them the way the player of those eras did? Just take a look at the team photo of that year and dress accordingly. Most guys just wear them the way they do their everyday stuff. Defeats the purpose of "throwbacks"

[@Dana-wq5tp]

@@carseye1219 If you do see players today wearing socks, they don't have the sanitary socks under the stir-ups. It's just a sock basically. I guess that's better than nothing but I'd still rather see ALL the players wearing the standard stir-up look. It still perplexes me why they went away from it in the first place. Were they uncomfortable? Not cool enough? Damn shame because it's part of the uniform. Or it should be.

[@garrison6863]

This guy had some fastball. His curve was not bad either. Too bad he had poor control.

[@wheelinthesky300]

For a guy with sometimes poor control, he had some pretty excellent years.

[@vernpascal1531]

@@wheelinthesky300 Yeah for about 5 years his strikeout totals were as great as anyone ever ,including Koufax, and Ryan.

[@carseye1219]

Alcohol was his downfall. He had everything to be the left-handed Bob Gibson, but not the guile. He could be blowing everyone away with the heater but then, as so many people said, "he would fall in love with his curve", a good pitch, but it should've just been used to offset the fastball.

[@namllig]

@@wheelinthesky300 ,from 1964-1971 his ERA was 2.81, ERA+126, 6 out 8 years an ALL STAR,

[@thepoechannel3021]

i think im the 1 thousandth viewer

[@chrisweidner4768]

Such a cool nickname: “Sudden Sam.”

[@jameswalton3930]

I not for sure, but I think Reggie Jackson give him that moniker, because the ball was on you all of a sudden.

[@chrisweidner4768]

@@jameswalton3930 I googled it. A sportswriter named Bob Dolgan came up with it. In spring training of 1961, because the ball came on to the batter so quickly.

[@bkollective]

How hard did he throw? Looks at least mid 90s