Juan Marichal (Schaap One on One)

"To me, before Greg Maddux, Juan Marichal was the surgeon general of pitching." ~ Steve Blass

"Put your club a run ahead in the later innings, and Marichal is the greatest pitcher I ever saw," ~ Alvin Dark, Giants Manager

"If you placed all the pitchers in the history of the game behind a transparent curtain, where only a silhoutte was visible, Juan's motion would be the easiest to identify. He brought to the mound beauty, individuality and class." ~ Sportswriter Bob Stevens in Baseball's Greatest Quotes (1982)

MLB - https://www.mlb.com/player/juan-maric... -

Juan Marichal made his major league debut for the Giants against the Phillies on July 19, 1960. He retired the first 19 batters, and carried a no-hitter two outs into the eighth inning, limiting the Phils to one hit en route to a 2-0, complete game victory with 12 strikeouts and just one walk. The 21-year-old right-hander would go 6-2 that year, with a 2.66 ERA.

In 1962, he went 18-11, helping lead the Giants to the NL pennant, though pitching only briefly in the World Series loss to the Yankees due to an injury. The next season was the first of four consecutive 20-win campaigns for Marichal, who topped that mark of excellence six times, and won 25 or more three times.

Marichal had his breakout season in 1963, going 25-8 and leading the NL in innings with 321.1. June was particularly memorable, as he won five games without a loss, including a shutout of the Dodgers on the road, and a 1-0 no-hitter against the Houston Colt .45s on June 15.

As one of the top hurlers of the pitching-rich 1960s, Marichal in that decade posted all six of his 20-win seasons, leading the NL in wins twice. He also led the league twice in complete games, shutouts, innings, and WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched). He led the league in winning percentage in 1966 and in ERA in 1969.

For his career, Marichal went 243-142, the second highest win total among Latino pitchers, after Dennis Martinez. Nine times his season ERA was under 3.00, and his career mark was a sparkling 2.89. Six times he struck out more than 200 batters, en route to 2,303 lifetime K’s. He recorded 52 career shutouts. He was a 10-time All-Star and was the game’s MVP in 1965.

Marichal is remembered for his distinctive, high leg kick, described by sportswriter Ron Bellamy: “The symbol of his artistry … was the windup, with the high, graceful kick that left the San Francisco Giant hurler poised precariously on one leg like a bronzed Nureyev before he swept smoothly forward and propelled the baseball toward the plate.”

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