Jack McDowell
Encyclopedia
Jack Burns McDowell is a former Major League Baseball
player. A right-handed pitcher
, McDowell won the American League
Cy Young Award
in 1993. He was nicknamed "Black Jack."
McDowell is now a musician with a rock band called Stickfigure. He also maintains a weblog for a site owned by the Chicago Tribune
.
in the 20th round of the 1984 amateur draft, but did not sign and instead chose college. After attending Stanford University
(Stanford won the College World Series in 1987), McDowell was drafted by the Chicago White Sox
in the 1st round (5th pick) of the 1987 amateur draft
and made his Major League debut on September 15, 1987.
By the early 1990s, he had established himself as one of the most dependable pitchers in the game, pitching effectively and recording over 250 innings each season from 1991 to 1993. Jack won 20 games in 1992 and 22 in 1993, when he won the American League
Cy Young Award
and led the White Sox to the postseason (they lost in the American League Championship Series
to the Toronto Blue Jays
). From 1988 until 1995, his season ERA
was consistently between 3.00 and 4.00, well below the league average http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mcdowja01.shtml. In 1993, he set a modern (post-1950) record by recording a decision in each of his first 27 starts. http://www.telegram.com/article/20070813/NEWS/708130427/1009/SPORTS
After the 1994 season McDowell was traded to the New York Yankees for minor league pitcher Keith Heberling and a player to be named later. McDowell spent one rocky season in New York with the Yankees and put up decent numbers, but was perhaps best known for giving the finger
to the fans at Yankee Stadium after being booed off the field after getting bombed by the White Sox on July 18, 1995 in the second game of a doubleheader.http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1106982/index.htm. McDowell was also the pitcher who gave up the walk-off, series-winning hit to Edgar Martínez
in Game 5 of the 1995 American League Division Series
, scoring Joey Cora
and Ken Griffey, Jr.
to eliminate the Yankees from the playoffs and send the Seattle Mariners to the American League Championship Series
.
McDowell struggled over his final seasons, starting in 1996, and eventually retired in 1999. During this time he played for the Cleveland Indians
and Anaheim Angels
.
in various groups in the alternative rock
genre, usually performing during the baseball off-season.
McDowell's band, Stickfigure, was formed in 1992, following a tour with his former band, V.I.E.W., as the opening act for The Smithereens
.
In 2008, musicians Scott McCaughey (of The Minus 5
), Steve Wynn, Linda Pitmon, and Peter Buck formed The Baseball Project
to pay homage to America 's greatest pastime. Their album Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
contains the song The Yankee Flipper, a tribute to their friend Jack McDowell and a confession that a long night of drinking with the musicians may have led to the infamous finger to the crowd.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. A right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
, McDowell won the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
in 1993. He was nicknamed "Black Jack."
McDowell is now a musician with a rock band called Stickfigure. He also maintains a weblog for a site owned by the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
.
Baseball career
Jack McDowell was drafted by the Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in the 20th round of the 1984 amateur draft, but did not sign and instead chose college. After attending Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
(Stanford won the College World Series in 1987), McDowell was drafted by the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
in the 1st round (5th pick) of the 1987 amateur draft
1987 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1987 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-External links:*...
and made his Major League debut on September 15, 1987.
By the early 1990s, he had established himself as one of the most dependable pitchers in the game, pitching effectively and recording over 250 innings each season from 1991 to 1993. Jack won 20 games in 1992 and 22 in 1993, when he won the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
and led the White Sox to the postseason (they lost in the American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
). From 1988 until 1995, his season ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
was consistently between 3.00 and 4.00, well below the league average http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mcdowja01.shtml. In 1993, he set a modern (post-1950) record by recording a decision in each of his first 27 starts. http://www.telegram.com/article/20070813/NEWS/708130427/1009/SPORTS
After the 1994 season McDowell was traded to the New York Yankees for minor league pitcher Keith Heberling and a player to be named later. McDowell spent one rocky season in New York with the Yankees and put up decent numbers, but was perhaps best known for giving the finger
Middle finger
The middle finger or long finger is the third digit of the human hand, located between the index finger and the ring finger. It is usually the longest finger...
to the fans at Yankee Stadium after being booed off the field after getting bombed by the White Sox on July 18, 1995 in the second game of a doubleheader.http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1106982/index.htm. McDowell was also the pitcher who gave up the walk-off, series-winning hit to Edgar Martínez
Edgar Martinez
Edgar Martínez , nicknamed "Gar" and "Papi", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and designated hitter. He spent his entire 18-year Major League career with the Seattle Mariners. He is the cousin of Carmelo Martínez.-Seattle Mariners:On December 19, 1982, the Seattle Mariners signed...
in Game 5 of the 1995 American League Division Series
1995 American League Division Series
-Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees:-Game 1, Tuesday, October 3:Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OhioAfter a 39-minute rain delay, Game 1 got underway with two veterans, Roger Clemens and Dennis Martínez, starting the opener. The Red Sox jumped in front first in the third on John Valentin's two run...
, scoring Joey Cora
Joey Cora
Jose Manuel Cora Amaro was a baseball player known as "The Rooster" with an 11 year career in the MLB spanning the years 1987 and 1989-1998. He played for the San Diego Padres of the National League and the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians of the American League...
and Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
to eliminate the Yankees from the playoffs and send the Seattle Mariners to the American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
.
McDowell struggled over his final seasons, starting in 1996, and eventually retired in 1999. During this time he played for the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
and Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
.
Music career
Even during his baseball career, McDowell played guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
in various groups in the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
genre, usually performing during the baseball off-season.
McDowell's band, Stickfigure, was formed in 1992, following a tour with his former band, V.I.E.W., as the opening act for The Smithereens
The Smithereens
The Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio , Jim Babjak , Mike Mesaros , and Dennis Diken...
.
In 2008, musicians Scott McCaughey (of The Minus 5
The Minus 5
The Minus 5 is an American rock band, headed by musician Scott McCaughey and featuring R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck.-Band history:Formed in 1993, McCaughey designed the Minus 5 as a pop collective, with each record the group put out featuring a new lineup...
), Steve Wynn, Linda Pitmon, and Peter Buck formed The Baseball Project
The Baseball Project
The Baseball Project is a supergroup composed of Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, Steve Wynn and Linda Pitmon formed in 2007. The performers came together from discussions between McCaughey and Wynn at R.E.M.'s March 21, 2007 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in...
to pay homage to America 's greatest pastime. Their album Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
The Baseball Project's first album, Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails was released on Yep Roc Records on July 8, 2008. The album is available on compact disc and digitally on Yep Roc's site.-Track listing:#"Past Time" – 2:57...
contains the song The Yankee Flipper, a tribute to their friend Jack McDowell and a confession that a long night of drinking with the musicians may have led to the infamous finger to the crowd.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball wins champions