The Year 1968 On MLB Network

[sport historian]

On Wednesday night at 8pm ET, the MLB Network is showing a special on the year 1968 in baseball. That was the Year of The Pitcher. The promo features Denny McClain and his 30 win season, but Bob Gibson was more prominent-"his dominant performance in the World Series." The promo didn't mention that the Tigers beat Gibson in the seventh game.

 

[sport historian]

I just watched the program. There are several minutes on the King assasination and the riots. The narrator says that "in The Year of The Pitcher," the greatest of them all, Bob Gibson led the way." There is a lot of footage of the top players of the period. The Detroit Tigers are credited with helping heal Detroit and get the most time on the show. One of the commentators says that "Mickey Lolich beating Bob Gibson in the 7th game of the 1968 Series is the biggest upset in baseball history."

 

[Solomon Kane]

Not surprised at the promo emphasis on Gibson, St. louishas sometimes (often?) been portrayed as the noble "progressive" baseballfranchise (gibson, curt flood, pujols), detroit as the morally suspect all white team (not sure but I think all of the starting lineupwere white in 68).


Whatever happened later with/to McClain, the guy is a legend. I don't think we will ever have another 30 win pitcher. Lolich--gutty performance--another tiger legend.

 

[sport historian]

Willie Horton, who is black, was the Tiger left fielder and had his best HR year in 1968 with 36.

 

[jaxvid]

I just watched the program. There are several minutes on the King assasination and the riots. The narrator says that "in The Year of The Pitcher," the greatest of them all, Bob Gibson led the way." There is a lot of footage of the top players of the period. The Detroit Tigers are credited with helping heal Detroit and get the most time on the show. One of the commentators says that "Mickey Lolich beating Bob Gibson in the 7th game of the 1968 Series is the biggest upset in baseball history."

That debate was not so clearcut back then: note however the subtle propagndizing even back then. The photo of McClain that was used shows him in goofy glasses, a picture that must have been several years old by then. I remember that era well and McClain (who was very vain) wore contact lens ALL of the time, certainly in 1968. I'd bet that picture was from 1965 or earlier. they had to dig up an old photo to make him look that bad.

 

[jaxvid]

Whatever happened later with/to McClain, the guy is a legend.  I don't think we will ever have another 30 win pitcher.  Lolich--gutty performance--another tiger legend.


 

Mclain turned out to be an A-1 jerk. I'm surprised his name isn't brought up more when the caste system is trashing white athletes. Even though he was very popular in Detroit, he had the top rated morning radio program for a while, Denny was a real loser. He was busted once or twice for cocaine possesion, large amounts, he was either smuggling and/or selling. He also embezzled a large amount from the retirement funds of a company he co-owned. On top of that he ballooned up to over 300 lbs. I think he's in jail now, but he has been in and out so many times it's hard to keep track.

 

[Don Wassall]

Yeah, McLain was pretty much a loser in the game of life. Even in baseball, he was finished at 25. After following up his historic 31 wins in '68 with a 24-9 mark in '69, he went 17-34 the next three years (including a 10-22 mark) and was out ofMLB after the '72 season, when he was just 28.


One quirk I remember about him was that he drank a case of Pepsi every day! Maybe all that sugar and caffeine was made it so difficult for him to exerciseself-control in his life.