Word: koufax
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...that s.o.b.," said ex-Philadelphia Phillies Catcher Gus Triandos two weeks ago, after watching Juan shut out the Phillies, 1-0, on six hits in 14 innings, "is that it all seems so easy for him. It's one thing to go hitless against a pitcher like Sandy Koufax or Don Drysdale or Jim Maloney; at least you can look out there and see the cords standing out on his neck. He looks like he's working, and he looks like he's worried. Marichal-he just stands there laughing...
Better than Koufax or not, Juan Marichal without question 1) has the best right arm in baseball, and 2) is the most complete pitcher in the game today, or any other day. "No man has the assortment of pitches Juan has," says Giants Manager Herman Franks -and there is a consensus about that. "Koufax has two pitches-a fastball and a curve," says St. Louis Outfielder Mike Shannon. "They're the two best pitches in the league. But Marichal has more. He has four or five-and he can control them all." Shannon hasn't seen the half...
...fastball. For one thing, it is too much like work. ("Has major-league fastball," read a plaintive note in the first scouting report the Giants received on Juan's pitching, "but wants to throw curves all the time.") For another, the fastball is essentially a strikeout pitch. Sandy Koufax may get his kicks out of setting strikeout records, but Marichal would rather save his arm. "It takes at least three pitches to strike a man out," he says matter-of-factly. "It only takes one for a ground ball." In his first two games this year, against Chicago...
...fifth while the Yankees finished sixth. But McDowell established himself as the American League's top pitcher, winning 17 games against eleven losses, posting an earned-run average of 2.18, striking out 325 batters in 273 innings-more per inning than the Los Angeles Dodgers' Sandy Koufax...
...Guess. Now there are hitters around the American League who insist that Sam is even more sudden than Sandy-but nobody knows for sure, because McDowell refuses to have his fastball timed. "Koufax is one of my idols," he explains, "and I'd hate to find out that I'm faster than he is. Of course, I'd hate to find out I'm slower too." Because Sam's "hummer" breaks sharply-down instead of up-he has also been accused of throwing an illegal spitball. Not so, says McDowell: "I wouldn't know...