After winning 86 games in 1969 under first year Manager Ted Williams, the Senators won just 70 in 1970. Attendance dropped from 918,106 in ’69 to 824,789. Nats owner Bob Short felt he had to make a move. So at the end of the 1970 season, the Senators traded popular shortstop Brinkman, and third baseman Aurelio Rodriguez, to Detroit along with pitcher Joe Coleman, for controversial pitcher Denny McLain. Detroit also sent Washington outfielder Elliott Maddox, infielder Don Wert and pitcher Norm McRae. McLain was a thirty-one game winner in 1968 and a twenty-four game winner in 1969. He was a 3 time All-Star, AL MVP, 2 time Cy Young Award Winner, and a World Series Champion, McLain hurled 6 shutouts in ’68 and a league leading 9 shutouts in ’69. Before that, as a rookie in 1965 he set a major league record for relief pitchers b striking out the first seven batters he faced after entering a game.
But he had been suspended half of the 1970 season I for bookmaking for and was suspended twice more that season for misbehavior. He was charming, cocky, arrogant, reckless and flamboyant. He flew his own personal jet and once played the organ in a hotel bar before a World Series game.
The trade was unpopular with the fans and with Manager Williams. Even Commissioner Bowie Kuhn thought the deal was a “foolish gamble.” Because Denny was still under suspension, Kuhn had to approve the trade. But Williams and the fans were committed, at least at the beginning, to making it work. “He’s a craftsman. He has a good over-hand curve, good motion, good changeup and control, and he can spot his fastball. With that he should win quite a few games, “Ted told announcer Shelby Whitfield. But his fast ball was not what it had been, He was only 26. But he had hurled 336 innings pitched and 28 complete games in ‘68 and 325 innings and 23 complete games in ’69.
McLain was still a drawing card. He pitched well for the first month of the season.
Denny did not pitch on opening day. But he made his debut in the second game on Friday, April 9th. He beat the visiting New York Yankees, five to four, in ten innings. He pitched all ten .It was the first night game of the year. And the crowd of 25,079 was the best for the second home game in Washington in twenty-three years. Maddox singled home the tying run in the bottom of the ninth. McLain held the Yankees in the top of the tenth. And in the bottom half Tom McCraw homered to right.
On Saturday, April eighteenth, McLain pitched a three hit shutout, his first of three on the year, defeating the Indians four to nothing.
McLain pitched five hitless innings in his fourth start against Milwaukee at RFK stadium on Friday, April twenty third. He retired the first fourteen batters in order. However, the Brewers won, four to nothing. There was no score until there were two out and two on in the top of the sixth inning. McLain had kept his reputed temper in check as a Senator. But when his three and two pitch to first baseman Mike Hagan was ruled ball four, he raged at plate umpire Art Franz. 17,149 fans cheered in support of their pitcher, and directed a wave of boos at the umpire. One hurled a full can of beer at Franz. After the Brewers rallied for four runs, McLain engaged in ¬ another heated exchange with Franz, earning his first ejection of the year. “I warned him about using abusive language once. When he used it again, I threw him out,” Franz told reporters. McLain differed with the umpire’s version of events.
“I didn’t use any abusive language directly at him until after he threw me out,” he said. “I didn’t question his ancestry, like I did the umpire who threw me out in Oakland last year. But the guy was missing pitches all night. That pitch to Hegan wasn’t even close. The guy is taking bread out of my mouth when he ¬ misses pitches and money out of my pocket when he misses them in critical situations. It’s a shame. He’s a major league umpire. He should have the ability to bear down when the pressure is on, just like a player does.”
On Tuesday night, April 27, McLain (3-2) pitched his second shutout, defeating the Twins, two to nothing. The next night the Senators their ninth in twelve games, four to three. Their twelve and eight record was the season’s high water mark.
On Sunday, May 9th, in Minnesota, McLain tripled and Unser homered in the third inning. He completed a ten inning game for the second time. However, the Twins rallied with two runs in the bottom of the 9th for a 6-5 win.
McLain had a respectable 3.00 ERA in April. None on the starting pitchers were getting run support.
Casey Cox had a 2.63 ERA, the lowest on the Washington staff. He told reporters, “This is a team game, and we need runs.” Dick Bosman added, “I’ve been through this no run bit before. You just have to bear down, and hope we come up with a run in the late innings,”
On Friday, May fourteenth, McLain won a three to two decision in his first start against his former Detroit teammates before 18,694 at RFK. Howard hit his fourth home run to give Washington a two to nothing lead. Detroit ¬rallied to tie the game in the top of the ninth; But Harrah doubled in the ¬bottom half of the ninth, and scored the game winner on Casanova’s sacrifice fly.
Sunday, May 23, marked McLain’s return to Detroit. 53,337 fans gave him a standing ovation when he was announced as the ¬starting pitcher. He got another when he came to bat for the first time. McLain struck out five. However, Norm Cash and Al Kaline both homered off their former teammate, and Mickey Lolich shut out the Senators, five to nothing. The club had three shutout losses in four games.
Washington starting pitchers had won only two games since April twenty-seventh. McLain had both victories. Noting that fact, Williams re¬marked, “Impossible, impossible. Not only impossible. It’s ¬ unbelievable.”
There was not much run support in Junie either. On Wednesday, June 2, McLain lost to Angel left hander Clyde Wright, two to one. Told that he had now lost more games than any pitcher in the American League, McLain said, “When you’re going good, you’re going good. But everything I do is wrong. I thought I was throwing the ball by hitters pretty well. The first two batters I faced today were my kids. They couldn’t touch me. They’re a little young though. One is just two. The other is three.”
On Sunday, June sixth, 40,246, the second largest crowd of the ¬ season watched Oakland’s Blue, who had eleven straight victories since being shelled by Washington on opening day, defeat McLain, eight to one, in the Eighth Annual Children’s Hospital Benefit game. Blue fanned seven to raise his league-leading strikeout total to 115. “He showed me a good fast ball. He’s fast, has a great arm, he’s going to be a good ¬ pitcher,” said Howard who singled once in four trips. Maddox singled home the only Washington run in the third inning.
After Losing to the Angels Clyde Wright for the second time, on June 11thn McLain said,” I’ve never seen a club as snake-bit as this one. I can’t let it get me down. I can’t pitch any better than I did tonight. I’ve got to keep pitching. I can’t let the mental part get to me. This can’t go on much longer.”
In Oakland on June 15th and 16th, former Nat Mike Epstein tied an American League record for most consecutive homers in two games, He homered in his last two at bats in an eight to two victory in the first game. And in his first two at bats against McLain in the second game, he also homered. “It was ¬ unbelievable,” said McLain. “Epstein is really hot. He can’t make a mistake. I’ve never seen a hitter hotter than he was in this series.”
After only 5,000 fans at RFK watched the Orioles pound out 18 hits against Denny on Monday night, June 21, a 7-2 loss, owner Short remarked, “Except for a few loyal fans, Washington is a bad baseball town,” said Short. It was bad when I came here. It’s still bad. I had to do something. Here the greatest active pitcher was available. Hell, I wasn’t happy about trading Rodriguez and Brinkman. I would have paid a million dollars in cash for McLain with no complaints if I could have kept my infielders.”
At RFK on the final day of June, McLain showed flashes of his past brilliance, holding the Yankees scoreless for eight innings. After Roy White hit a solo homer in the top of the ninth inning, Stottlemeyer was positioned to record his third shutout win of the year over Washington. But then, with Lenny Randle on first and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Howard, Allen, and Biittner all singled, giving Washington a sudden two to one win. “I just sat there and stared for a couple of minutes,” said a stunned McLain. “You never give up until the last man is out.”
Even Williams was upbeat about the Senators’ future afterward telling reporters, “We have the best bullpen in the league. I’m convinced of that. McLain is still the key. A lot depends on him. If he can pitch like he did, he would give us a stopper. Bosman can back him up. But a lot depends on Denny.”
Appropriately, McLain claimed the Senators’ final victory ever at Tiger Stadium, 4-2 on August 3rd. It was his second win over his former team, in four starts. Looking for a Detroit reporter who had written of his demise, he said, “I think I’ve dispelled the thought that I’m washed up. Tell him I’ll meet him in the alley if he doesn’t have the guts to show here.”
On Friday, August thirteenth, McLain shut out the visiting Angels, four to nothing. It was his third \shutout of the season and last of his career. But only 4928 came to watch.
On Friday August 20, in a doubleheader sweep at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, McLain and Bosman each pitched a complete game winning six to three, and eight to two. The victories pushed the Senators’ last significant winning streak to four games and gave the club seven wins in eight games. And on Wednesday, August twenty-fifth in California, McLain won his third straight, five to four. After losing four to two on Wednesday, September 7th in Baltimore, McLain told reporters, “I may jump off a roof.” The Senators were averaging less than two runs a game in support of McLain. Bosman echoed McLain, “Unbelievable. How could so many things go wrong every time out? It’s depressing, really depressing.” As a Tiger in September of 1968, Denny McLain won his thirtieth game before a full house in Detroit. As a Senator, on Wednesday, September15, 1971, he lost his twentieth at Tiger Stadium before only 3,066. Joe Coleman won his eighteenth. And Aurelio Rodriguez homered again.
On Monday, September twentieth, the home team began the night as the visiting team, resuming the game that was suspended in Cleveland a week earlier. The Senators finally rallied for three runs in the top of the twentieth inning. McLain claimed his tenth, and final, victory of the year. He held the Indians scoreless for four innings. Washington held on to win, eight to six.
Twenty minutes later McLain started the regularly scheduled game. This time he lost, three to one. Satisfied with the split, McLain told reporters, “The evening wasn’t a waste.” He expressed concerned with the club’s future. “I hope Washington doesn’t lose this team. I really hope that.”
On Saturday, September 25, McLain lost his twenty-second game, six to three.
After being traded to Oakland He finished his career in 1972 with Atlanta. After his playing days, McLain went to prison for racketeering. But he served his time. He currently resides in Pinckney, Michigan, with his wife, Sharyn and writes a monthly editorial column and blogs regularly for a Detroit sports magazine. He is on facebook.
Meanwhile Back in Detroit, Ed Brinkman won a Gold Glove, and finished ninth in the 1972 MVP voting. Aurelio Rodriguez played Gold Glove third base for nine years. And Joe Coleman won 88 games over five seasons. topping 20 wins twice.
