Sam McDowell

Samuel Edward Thomas McDowell (born September 21, 1942 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball, with the first 11 coming for the Cleveland Indians before a 1971 trade to the San Francisco Giants, followed by stints with the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates. A six-time All-Star (1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971), McDowell was primarily a starting pitcher during his major league career. Tall (6 feet, 5 inches) and powerful, his left-handed fastball was delivered with an unusually calm pitching motion which led to his memorable nickname, Sudden Sam. His strikeout prowess was sometimes nullified by periodic control problems.