An outstanding 6' 5", southpaw starting pitcher with a intimidating fastball, wicked curve and great change-up, "Sudden Sam" McDowell was one of baseballs' greatest strikeout artists. Pitching for the Cleveland Indians, McDowell was over-whelming from 1964-1970. By 1964, "Sudden Sam" was making headline news and by 1965 he was the most dominant American League pitcher. He led the league with his 2.18 ERA, had a mere .185 on-base-pct, allowed only 178 hits in 273 innings, and fanned 325 batters - at that time the fourth best total in this century. He struckout 10.71 batters per/game setting a major league record. 

"Sudden Sam" continued to terrorize AL batters and he led the league in strikeouts in 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969 and 1970. He was voted the 'Pitcher of the Year' in 1966, leading in K's, shutouts and pitched back-to-back one-hitters - he fanned 16 Angels on May 1, and in three other games fanned 15. In 1970, he again was 'Pitcher of the Year' by winning 20 games with 304 K's. Twice in his career, McDowell fanned over 300 batters in a single season. He won only 13 games in 1971 and walked a career high 153. 

The Indians traded their star to the San Francisco Giants in 1972 but McDowell won only 10 games. He finished his career as a reliever for the Pirates. McDowell fanned 2,453 batters in his career. And His total of 74 games with 10 strikeouts or more was fourth on the all-time list and the end of 1990 - behind only Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax and Steve Carlton. McDowell's career average of 8.86 K's per nine innings trails only Ryan and Koufax and Sudden Sam allowed only seven hits per nine innings, for an outstanding on-base-pct of .215. He made the AL's All-Star squad every year from 1965 thru 1971. Sam McDowell's career record: 141-134, 3.17 ERA, 2493 innings with 2,453 K's, 23 shutouts, started 346 games and completed 103.  'Sudden Sam' McDowell - Your fastball ranks as one of the best all-time.