This week was to be an opportunity to tell the story of somebody who did something no other major-league pitcher has ever done — or would ever do. A chance to re-visit the warm Baltimore day when a pitcher who would never make it to the Hall of Fame experienced a Hall of Fame moment. A flashback to Dave McNally, whose bat made him the only pitcher ever to hit a grand slam home run in the World Series.
And then… along came Shohei Ohtani.
McNally’s place in history was safe until last week. Then Ohtani hit three home runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starter, pitching six shutout innings. Previously, it was incomprehensible that McNally would ever have company in history because another pitcher would never have that opportunity. After all, pitchers don’t come to bat any more, right?
The pitcher-hitter who changed that, Ohtani, is now in the World Series. When he faces “Canada’s team,” as he will after last week’s masterpiece, all bets are off. He did hit 55 home runs this season. So it’s logical he could equal McNally’s feat from October 13, 1970. That afternoon, in the sixth inning, the little lefty from Montana hammered a Wayne Granger pitch into the left-field bleachers at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium to clear the bases. His complete-game, 9-3 victory made the Orioles a cinch to finish off Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine (Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Tony Perez) that was then still just “red.”
That was merely one highlight in the career of McNally, who died of cancer in 2002, and there are still things he accomplished that Ohtani hasn’t. He was among four Orioles who won 20 games in one season, the only time that’s happened since 1920. He was the first American League pitcher to make $100,000. He once reeled off 15 consecutive victories. He was a 20-game winner four times. In four World Series, his earned run average was 2.34. He is the greatest southpaw in Orioles’ history.
Oh yes, and he pitched for the Montreal Expos.
McNally made a dozen starts for the Expos, and as the Montreal Star baseball writer, I’m fairly certain I saw them all. He won his first three decisions, lost the next six. He went from “magnificent” to “retired” because he was too much of a winner to be a loser. He also pitched without signing a new contract; the Expos renewed his Baltimore deal while negotiating.
That was Freudian.
At the time, players were handcuffed by a “reserve clause” that bound them to a team for life. The only way to challenge it legally, according to Players Association boss Marvin Miller, was to play an entire season without a contract and then file a grievance and claim free agency. Even though he never played again, McNally qualified. So did Dodgers’ pitcher Andy Messersmith, who retired five years later.
The players won what became known as the “Messersmith-McNally arbitration” six months after McNally quit, laying the groundwork for free agency.
Shohei Ohtani played six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before joining the Dodgers. Even if he hits a grand-slam home run while pitching in this World Series, he’s no Dave McNally.
He is, however, a beneficiary.
