As San Francisco morphed into the headquarters for counterculture, with the intersection of Haight and Ashbury becoming as well known to hippies as that of Hollywood and Vine to fans of show business, Juan Marichal fired fastballs for the Giants, a team transplanted from a ballpark approximately 3,000 miles eastward. The “Dandy Dominican” constructed a Hall of Fame career, boosted by a lineup of fellow Cooperstown-bound teammates Willie McCovey, Willie Mays, and Orlando Cepeda.
In a Hall of Fame Strat-O-Matic matchup of pre-1960 American Leaguers and post-1960 National Leaguers, Marichal notched nine strikeouts in a 9-5 victory for the senior circuit players. The lineups were:
Pre-1960 American League
Ty Cobb, LF
Goose Goslin, CF
Hank Greenberg, 1B
Babe Ruth, RF
Home Run Baker, 3B
Charlie Gehringer, 2B
Joe Sewell, SS
Bill Dickey, C
Walter Johnson, P
Post-1960 National League
Lou Brock, LF
Joe Morgan, 2B
Hank Aaron, RF
Willie Mays, CF
Johnny Bench, C
Ernie Banks, SS
Eddie Mathews, 3B
Frank Chance, 1B
Juan Marichal, P
Each team was allowed to have one player from outside the time parameter. The American League kept within it; the National League used Frank Chance.
Marichal gave up solo home runs to Gehringer and Johnson, respectively, in addition to a Greenberg two-run dinger with Goslin on base, courtesy of a rare error by Mr. Cub. And the pitcher known as the “Dandy Dominican” helped his own cause, singling in the bottom of the second inning, moving to second when Morgan walked after Brock flied out to right, and scoring on an Aaron double.
On July 19, 1960, Marichal first appeared in a major league game, scoring 12 strikeouts in a two-hit, 2-0 victory; the righty’s initial three games—against Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Milwaukee—contributed as many wins to the Giants’ 79-75 season record. Milwaukee skipper Charlie Dressen lobbied the umpires during the third inning of the Braves-Giants game, complaining that Marichal broke the rule regarding a pitcher’s position on the mound. Marichal planted himself on the rubber’s location closest to first base, though he told Curley Grieve of the San Francisco Examiner that umpires had never raised the issue. “I’m used to that position and I think it helps my curve ball, especially against right-handed hitters,” said Marichcal in Grieve’s article “Marichal Delivery Illegal?”
Dressen wanted Marichal to pitch from the middle of the rubber, insisting after the game that his argument was sound.
Marichal, all of 21 years old in his rookie year, received accolades from teammate—and fellow Dominican—Felipe Alou after the troika of games indicating future greatness: “Juan used to throw harder. We played for the same team. Escogido in the Dominican winter league, and he burned them in. Every year he learns a little more, he gets a new pitch. Now he’s more clever with curves and sliders to go with his fast ball.” Art Rosenbaum of the San Francisco Chronicle quoted Alou in his article “Juan Marichal a Baseball ‘Phee-nom,'” which also encapsulated Marichal’s minor league career in Class D (Midwest League), Class A (Eastern League), and AAA (Pacific Coast League).
Marichal ended his rookie year with a 6-2 record. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983, Marichal compiled a 243-142 win-loss record in his 16-year career. An ignominious mark on an outstanding career occurred when he came to bat in a 1965 contest against the Dodgers, highlighted by Sandy Koufax and Marichal hurling brushback pitches; when Dodgers catcher John Roseboro threw the ball back to Koufax, it came too close for comfort—Marichal claimed it nicked his ear. Retaliation erupted with Marichal bashing Roseboro’s head with his bat. Roseboro left the game with several stitches and Marichal received a 10-game suspension, a $1,750 fine, and a settlement of litigation with Roseboro amounting to $7,500.
A version of this article appeared on www.thesportspost.com on January 7, 2017.