Born on March 29, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, Denny McLain (Dennis Dale McLain) played for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Oakland Athletics and Atlanta Braves over the course of his 10 year career. McLain broke into the bigs on September 21, 1963 with the Detroit Tigers, and put up a 4.05 ERA in 100 innings pitched in 1964, his rookie year.
Most people believe that Denny McLain's best season was 1968, when he posted a 1.96 ERA, won 31 games and struck out 280 batters.
Statistics[]
Pitching Stats[]
Year
Team
G
GS
W
L
ERA
K
R
ER
CG
SHO
SV
IP
H
HR
BB
IB
WP
HBP
1963
DET
A
3
3
2
1
4.29
22
12
10
2
0
0
21
20
2
16
0
1
0
1964
DET
A
19
16
4
5
4.05
70
48
45
3
0
0
100
84
16
37
0
0
1
1965
DET
A
33
29
16
6
2.61
192
73
64
13
4
1
220.1
174
25
62
1
3
2
1966
DET
A
38
38
20
14
3.92
192
120
115
14
4
0
264.1
205
42
104
3
6
3
1967
DET
A
37
37
17
16
3.79
161
110
99
10
3
0
235
209
35
73
3
4
3
1968
DET
A
41
41
31
6
1.96
280
86
73
28
6
0
336
241
31
63
2
3
6
1969
DET
A
42
41
24
9
2.80
181
105
101
23
9
0
325
288
25
67
7
5
4
1970
DET
A
14
14
3
5
4.63
52
51
47
1
0
0
91.1
100
19
28
0
0
3
1971
WAS
A
33
32
10
22
4.28
103
115
103
9
3
0
216.2
233
31
72
8
4
3
1972
OAK
A
5
5
1
2
6.04
8
17
15
0
0
0
22.1
32
4
8
0
0
0
1972
ATL
N
15
8
3
5
6.50
21
41
39
2
0
1
54
60
12
18
0
1
1
1972
Total
20
13
4
7
6.37
29
58
54
2
0
1
76.1
92
16
26
0
1
1
Total
NL
15
8
3
5
6.50
21
41
39
2
0
1
54
60
12
18
0
1
1
Total
AL
265
256
128
86
3.30
1261
737
672
103
29
1
1832
1586
230
530
24
26
25
Total
280
264
131
91
3.39
1282
778
711
105
29
2
1886
1646
242
548
24
27
26
Fielding Stats[]
Year
Team
POS
G
GS
INN
PO
A
ERR
DP
TP
PB
SB
CS
PkO
AVG
1963
DET
A
P
3
3
21
0
6
2
2
0
0
0
0
2
.750
1964
DET
A
P
19
16
100
4
6
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
.909
1965
DET
A
P
33
29
220.1
17
30
1
1
0
2
9
5
0
.979
1966
DET
A
P
38
38
264.1
14
34
0
2
0
1
2
5
2
1.000
1967
DET
A
P
37
37
235
21
22
5
4
0
1
16
8
0
.896
1968
DET
A
P
41
41
336
36
40
1
3
1
1
19
5
1
.987
1969
DET
A
P
42
41
325
26
24
2
1
0
0
24
9
0
.962
1970
DET
A
P
14
14
91.1
7
14
0
1
0
1
7
1
0
1.000
1971
WAS
A
P
33
32
216.2
27
26
0
1
0
3
15
9
0
1.000
1972
OAK
A
P
5
5
22.1
0
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.000
1972
ATL
N
P
15
8
54
2
5
1
0
0
0
4
2
0
.875
1972
Total
P
20
13
76.1
2
10
1
0
0
0
4
2
0
.923
Total
P
280
264
1886
154
212
13
15
1
10
96
45
5
.966
Batting Stats[]
Year
Team
G
AB
R
H
HR
RBI
AVG
OBP
SLG
2B
3B
BB
SO
HBP
SH
SB
IBB
GDP
1963
DET
A
3
5
1
1
1
2
.200
.167
.800
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1964
DET
A
20
37
2
5
0
2
.135
.158
.135
0
0
1
15
0
4
0
0
1
1965
DET
A
33
74
2
4
0
3
.054
.123
.054
0
0
6
32
0
4
0
0
0
1966
DET
A
38
93
10
17
0
5
.183
.224
.204
2
0
5
39
0
5
1
0
3
1967
DET
A
38
85
3
10
0
0
.118
.138
.118
0
0
2
37
0
5
0
0
3
1968
DET
A
44
111
7
18
0
4
.162
.170
.189
1
1
1
37
0
16
0
0
1
1969
DET
A
42
106
5
17
0
8
.160
.188
.160
0
0
4
41
0
13
0
0
2
1970
DET
A
14
31
2
2
0
0
.065
.065
.097
1
0
0
13
0
3
0
0
0
1971
WAS
A
33
58
0
6
0
7
.103
.161
.155
1
1
4
22
0
9
0
0
0
1972
OAK
A
5
4
0
0
0
0
.000
.000
.000
0
0
0
3
0
2
0
0
0
1972
ATL
N
15
12
0
2
0
0
.167
.286
.167
0
0
2
4
0
2
0
0
0
1972
Total
20
16
0
2
0
0
.125
.222
.125
0
0
2
7
0
4
0
0
0
Total
NL
15
12
0
2
0
0
.167
.286
.167
0
0
2
4
0
2
0
0
0
Total
AL
270
604
32
80
1
31
.132
.163
.152
5
2
23
240
0
62
1
0
10
Total
285
616
32
82
1
31
.133
.166
.153
5
2
25
244
0
64
1
0
10
Transactions[]
Signed as an amateur free agent by Chicago White Sox (1962).
Claimed on first-year waivers by Detroit Tigers from Chicago White Sox (April 8, 1963).
Traded by Detroit Tigers with Don Wert, Norm McRae and Elliott Maddox to Washington Senators in exchange for Ed Brinkman, Aurelio Rodriguez, Joe Coleman and Jim Hannan (October 9, 1970).
Traded by Texas Rangers to Oakland Athletics in exchange for Jim Panther and Don Stanhouse (March 4, 1972).
Traded by Oakland Athletics to Atlanta Braves in exchange for Orlando Cepeda (June 29, 1972).
Released by Atlanta Braves (March 26, 1973).
Trivia[]
McLain is the last pitcher to win 30 games in one season. He did it in 1968 for the Detroit Tigers.