Sports
Denny McLain
born 1944 · baseball pitcher
Tigers right-hander who won 31 games in 1968, the last major-leaguer to win 30 in a season, taking the MVP and Cy Young awards for the world champions.
- Born
Markham, Illinois
age 82- Birth name
- Dennis Dale McLain
- Detroit years
- 1963–1970, later years
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
The Tigers claimed McLain off waivers from the Chicago White Sox in April 1963, and by 1966 he was a 20-game winner. In 1968 he produced one of the most famous seasons in baseball history: on September 14, before a national television audience at Tiger Stadium, he beat Oakland for his 30th victory, the first 30-win season since 1934, and he finished 31–6 with a 1.96 earned run average. He was named the American League's MVP and Cy Young Award winner, and Detroit won the World Series. A brash personality who also played the organ in nightclubs and on records, he won a second Cy Young in 1969. His career then unraveled: in 1970 he was suspended for involvement in a bookmaking operation, and the Tigers traded him after the season. His later life in Michigan included two federal convictions and prison terms.
Highlights
- 31–6 with a 1.96 ERA in 1968, the last 30-win season in the majors
- 1968 American League MVP and Cy Young Award winner
- Shared the 1969 Cy Young Award
- Won his 30th game at Tiger Stadium on September 14, 1968
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 1963–1970
Tiger Stadium (site)
Demolished · 1912–1999
Scene of his 30th win in September 1968; demolished in 2008–2009.