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Fifty years ago, Detroit Tigers pitcher Denny McLain, now 74, became the last major leaguer to win 30 or more games in a season. But after baseball, McLain’s life fell apart, and he spent time in prison. He talks about triumph, disgrace and the road to redemption.
You won 31 games in 1968 — the only player to win 30 since the 1930s. What is the most memorable moment from that season?
After we won the World Series in St. Louis, the plane flying in front of us as we headed to Detroit — it was not part of our contingent — was swarmed by fans when it landed. They mobbed the wrong plane! But that celebration was a moment frozen in time. It was a year after the ’67 riots in Detroit, and that day it didn’t matter if you were black, white, green, yellow or pink — everyone was hugging and kissing.
You pitched 336 innings and had 28 complete games in 1968, both of which would dwarf today’s best efforts. What did your arm feel like at season’s end?
I couldn’t wipe myself in the toilet. The longer I pitched (10 seasons), the worse it became. Today, my rotator cuff is severed. For me to shake your hand, I have to take my left hand and use it to lift my right. I am not going to cry about it, but I am in pain all the time.
Denny McLain in the stands at a Detroit Tigers game in 2013.
Mark Cunningham/Getty Images
Your right shoulder had regular cortisone shots. Did that cut your career short?
I had 230 to 240 shots, but it didn’t work out over time. The cortisone didn’t cure anything; it took away the inflammation. It allowed me to win more games because I was in my prime. You gotta do what you gotta do when you gotta do it.
Voters long ago passed on you for the Hall of Fame. Were they wrong?
Sandy Koufax [Hall of Fame pitcher with the Dodgers] and I are just a few games apart when it comes to wins [Koufax had 165 wins; McLain had 131]. I had a lot of shutouts and complete games. My family is hurt much more than I am. I have the memory and the thrill of being a player — that’s my Hall of Fame. The fan recognition is incredibly flattering. Nobody enjoyed the one-on-one competition as much as I did. After retiring from baseball, I played golf every day for money for about 20 years. It was in my DNA.
Was that part of what led to your troubles with the law?
When my baseball career ended, I was at a loss in many ways. History accurately depicts a guy that was out of control. I went through money like it was water. Looking for opportunities, I got involved with people I should not have. I paid the price in more ways than one. I hurt my family in numerous ways. I am sorry, very sorry. But I cannot change the past.
