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Sam McDowell, the ace of the Cleveland Indians' staff in the mid-to-late 1960s, passed away on October 5, 2026 at age 84.
McDowell played for the Indians from 1961 to 1971, and was an All-Star 6 times between 1965 and 1971.
He led the American League in strikeouts 5 out of 6 seasons from 1965 to 1970 (and was 10 strikeouts behind the leader in the other year). You can see all the cards commemorating those achievements here.
Given the sorry state of affairs that was the Indians team in the 1960s, McDowell only won 20 games once (1970).
After the 1971 season, he was traded to the Giants for pitcher Gaylord Perry and shortstop Frank Duffy.
McDowell spent 1 1/2 seasons each with the Giants and Yankees, before wrapping up his career with the Pirates in 1975.
He finished with 2,453 career strikeouts and an average of 8.86 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. At the time of his retirement, his strikeout rate was bested only by Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax.
