Six-time All-Star pitcher Sam McDowell, who played 15 seasons in the majors with four teams, died Monday at the age of 84.
McDowell, a left-hander nicknamed “Sudden Sam” for his brilliant fastball, spent his first 11 seasons in Cleveland from 1961-71. He led the American League in strikeouts five times during that span, including two seasons with more than 300, and topped the league in ERA once.
“The Cleveland Guardians family is deeply saddened by the loss of one of the great pitchers in baseball history, Sam McDowell,” Bob DiBiasio, the Guardians’ senior vice president of public affairs, said in a press release Tuesday.
“He was a cherished member of our Alumni Ambassador program and loved sharing stories with our fans when he visited Progressive Field,” DiBiasio continued. “Most importantly, Sam’s life was a story of redemption. After extensive education and training, Sam was a counselor for athletes suffering from addiction and depression. We send our condolences to the entire McDowell family, as well as his many teammates and other organizations impacted by his career.”
A Pittsburgh native, McDowell compiled a record of 141-134 with 14 saves and a 3.17 ERA in 425 career games (346 starts) with Cleveland, the San Francisco Giants (1972-73), New York Yankees (1973-74) and his hometown Pirates (1975).
McDowell finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting in 1970 after finishing 20-12 with a 2.92 ERA and 304 strikeouts in 305 innings.
He racked up 2,159 of his 2,453 strikeouts with Cleveland, joining Hall of Famer Bob Feller (2,581) as the only pitchers in team history with more than 2,000.
