Denny McLain (full name Dennis Dale McLain; born March 29, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player who pitched for ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Detroit Tigers. He is best known for becoming the last MLB pitcher to win 30 or more games in a single season, achieving a 31–6 record in 1968.
Early Life and Career
McLain was born in Markham, Illinois, and attended Mount Carmel High School in Chicago. He was signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent in 1962. After being selected on waivers by the Detroit Tigers in April 1963, he made his MLB debut on September 21, 1963, at age 19.
Peak Years (1965–1969)
McLain emerged as one of the American League's premier pitchers from 1965 to 1969. His 1968 season is among the most celebrated in baseball history:
- 1968 season: 31–6 record, 1.96 ERA, 28 complete games, 336 innings pitched, 280 strikeouts, 6 shutouts
- Won both the AL Cy Young Award and AL Most Valuable Player Award (the first AL pitcher to win both in the same season)
- Led the Tigers to a World Series championship over the St. Louis Cardinals
- 1969 season: 24–9 record, 2.80 ERA, 9 shutouts (team record), won his second consecutive Cy Young Award (shared with Mike Cuellar)
McLain was a three-time All-Star (1966, 1968, 1969) and was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year in 1968.
Career Statistics
Over 10 MLB seasons (1963–1972), McLain compiled:
- Win–loss record: 131–91
- Earned run average: 3.39
- Strikeouts: 1,282
- Innings pitched: 1,886.0
- Complete games: 105
- Shutouts: 29
- WHIP: 1.163
He played for the Detroit Tigers (1963–1970), Washington Senators (1971), Oakland Athletics (1972), and Atlanta Braves (1972).
Downfall and Legal Issues
McLain's career unraveled rapidly after 1969 due to arm injuries, suspensions, and legal troubles. In February 1970, Sports Illustrated published an article linking him to bookmaking activities. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended him for the first three months of the 1970 season. Later that year, he was suspended again for carrying a gun on a team flight. After the 1970 season, the Tigers traded him to the Washington Senators.
His arm problems worsened, and he was out of baseball by age 29 after the 1972 season.
In his post-baseball life, McLain faced multiple legal convictions:
- 1985: Convicted of racketeering, cocaine trafficking, and extortion (sentence later reversed on appeal)
- 1996: Convicted of embezzlement, mail fraud, and conspiracy for stealing $2.5 million from a company pension fund; served six years in prison
Other Pursuits
McLain was also a talented organist, releasing two albums on Capitol Records: Denny McLain at the Organ (1968) and Denny McLain in Las Vegas (1969). He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and other television programs. He later worked as a radio talk show host in Detroit.
Legacy
McLain remains the last MLB pitcher to win 30 games in a season, a feat widely considered unlikely to be repeated due to modern five-man pitching rotations and increased reliance on relief pitchers. He is not a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
