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Samuel Edward McDowell
Cleveland Indians
Pitcher
Born: September 21, 1942, Pittsburgh, PA
Signed: Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1960 season
Major League Teams: Cleveland Indians 1961-71; San Francisco Giants 1972-73; New York Yankees 1973-74; Pittsburgh Pirates 1975
Bolstering the Indians' starting pitching rotation through the mid to late-1960s, Sudden Sam McDowell was a six-time All-Star, won the ERA title in 1965 and led the league five times in strikeouts. He was a superstar with the Indians, and his sneaky fastball contributed to eight seasons in a row with at least nine or more wins between 1964 and 1972. His best season came in 1970 when he finished third in the American League Cy Young voting behind Jim Perry (#146) and Dave McNally (#340). That season, McDowell went 20-12 with a 2.92 ERA over 305 innings pitched, which led the league. He also led the league with 304 strikeouts, the second time in his career he had reached the 300 strikeout plateau in a season. While he missed out on the Cy Young, The Sporting News named him their American League Pitcher of the Year.
McDowell struggled somewhat with his control throughout his career and those struggles intensified following the 1971 season when he demanded a trade from the Indians. McDowell was dealt to the Giants for future Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry (#485) and the two pitchers' careers headed in opposite directions. McDowell pitched briefly for the Yankees and Pirates before retiring. He struggled with alcoholism before entering a rehabilitation facility and then eventually earning a college degree in sports psychology and addiction. McDowell served as a sports addiction counselor with the Blue Jays and Rangers, earning a 1993 World Series ring with the Blue Jays.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
Building the Set / Card #608
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Vintage Sports)
I found 28 commons needed before moving on to my third stop. This was the 13th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 49th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day. Sleeved, this card cost less than $2 after a dealer discount.
The Card / Indians Team Set / Accuracy Index +1
1969 Season
From McDowell's SABR biography, written by Joseph Wancho:
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1962 Topps #591
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13): 1962-74
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2013 Panini Golden Age #71
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 161 in the Beckett online database as of 1/3/26.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Vintage Sports)
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show. The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year. I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova. I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.
I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set. My second stop was the aptly named Vintage Sports table. I always appreciate a dealer with clear signage explaining their pricing method, and Vintage Sports had a marker in their selection of 1969 Topps cards laying out that cards without a sleeve were $1 and cards with a sleeve were $2. I had one "high number" in a sleeve, and that was a whopping $4.
The Card / Indians Team Set / Accuracy Index +1
This same exact photo was used on McDowell's 1967 Topps card. The back of the card highlights a few memorable events from the 1968 season - McDowell's 283 league-leading strikeouts and his scoreless inning in the All-Star Game. He struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh, retiring Tom Haller (#310), Willie Mays (#190) and Willie McCovey (#440), as the American League won the game, 1-0.
Accuracy Index: McDowell's card sinks to a +1 given the repeat photo.
Inserts: McDowell is included as one of the 48 decals in the Topps Decals insert set.
1969 Season
From McDowell's SABR biography, written by Joseph Wancho:
Heading into the 1969 season, McDowell was happy pitching for the Indians and his manager. In spring training he was confident that the Tribe could contend for the pennant. "As a strategist, [manager Al] Dark (#91) shows me things I never dreamed of before," he said. "He has it all, and because he does, we’ve got a shot at the pennant this year - you better believe it." But it did not turn out that way. McDowell with an 18-14 record, led the team in victories and had a 2.94 ERA. He led the league in strikeouts with 279. But [Luis] Tiant (#560) finished with a record of 9-20, and led the league in losses. (New Commissioner Bowie Kuhn had restored the 10-inch height of the pitching mound and shrunk the strike zone.) Neither [Dick] Ellsworth (#605) nor [Juan] Pizarro (#498) [acquired in a preseason trade with the Red Sox] did much to help the staff. On June 27, McDowell threw the 1,500th strikeout of his career, whiffing Yankees center fielder Ron Woods (#544). But Sam’s prediction for the team fell flat; as they finished 46 1/2 games behind first place Baltimore.
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First Mainstream Card: 1962 Topps #591
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13): 1962-74
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2013 Panini Golden Age #71
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 161 in the Beckett online database as of 1/3/26.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
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