Juan Marichal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Juan Marichal |
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Marichal with the San Francisco Giants in 1962
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: October 20, 1937 Laguna Verde, Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic |
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| debut | |||
| July 19, 1960, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 16, 1975, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 243–142 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.89 | ||
| Strikeouts | 2,303 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1983 | ||
| Vote | 83.7% (third ballot) | ||
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20, 1937), known as "the Dominican Dandy," is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played for 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1960 to 1975. Most of his career was spent with the San Francisco Giants.
Marichal was famous for his unique pitching style. This included a very high leg kick, using many different types of pitches, and throwing from various arm angles. He was also known for his amazing control and ability to pitch for many innings. He won 18 games in 1962, helping the Giants reach the 1962 World Series. In the 1960s, he won 191 games, more than any other pitcher in MLB.
He won 20 or more games six times in his career. In those seasons, his earned run average (ERA) was always below 2.50, and he struck out over 200 batters. He was the first right-handed pitcher since Bob Feller to win 25 games three times. His 26 wins in 1968 are still a record for the Giants team.
Marichal led the National League (NL) in wins, innings pitched, complete games, and shutouts twice each. He pitched a no-hitter in June 1963. Two weeks later, he won a 1–0 game in 16 innings against Warren Spahn. He also threw three one-hitters and six two-hitters. Marichal was a great All-Star player, chosen for the team nine times. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1965 All-Star game.
In 1965, Marichal was involved in a famous incident with catcher John Roseboro. They later became good friends. Roseboro even helped Marichal get elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Marichal's 243 wins, 2.84 ERA, 244 complete games, and 3,444 innings pitched are San Francisco Giants team records. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983. He was the first player from the Dominican Republic and the first foreign-born player to be elected.
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Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Juan Marichal was born on October 20, 1937. He grew up in Laguna Verde, a small farming village in the Dominican Republic. He was the youngest of four children. His father passed away when Juan was three years old. His family's home did not have electricity, but they had plenty of food from their farm.
As a child, Juan worked on the farm every day. He took care of horses, donkeys, and goats. He loved to swim and fish in the nearby Yaque del Norte River. One day, he became very sick and was in a coma for nine days. Doctors did not think he would live, but he slowly got better.
His older brother, Gonzalo, taught him how to play baseball. They played every weekend with friends. They used golf balls covered with cloth for baseballs. Tree branches served as bats, and canvas tarps were their gloves. Among his childhood friends were the Alou brothers: Felipe, Jesús, and Matty. All three later played with Marichal on the San Francisco Giants.
From age six, Juan dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. However, his mother wanted him to get an education instead. At that time, no players from the Dominican Republic had made it to the major leagues. So, his dream seemed very far away. At age 11, he briefly worked cutting sugarcane.
In 1954, at 16, Marichal joined a summer league team called Las Flores in Monte Cristi. He started as a shortstop. But he switched to pitching after being inspired by Bombo Ramos, a pitcher for the Dominican national team. In 1956, he left high school to play for the United Fruit Company team.
Playing Career Highlights
Juan Marichal was discovered by Ramfis Trujillo, whose father was the leader of the Dominican Republic. Ramfis was a big supporter of the Dominican Air Force Baseball Team. Marichal pitched against them and won 2–1. Right after the game, he was asked to join the Air Force team.
Marichal started his professional career in the United States in 1960. He won the first game played at Cheney Stadium, home of the Tacoma Giants.
Starting in the Major Leagues
Marichal was called up to the major leagues in July 1960. He was only the second pitcher from the Dominican Republic to play in MLB. He made a huge first impression. In his first game against the Philadelphia Phillies, he struck out the first batter. He did not allow anyone to reach base for the first 19 batters. He almost pitched a no-hitter, but gave up a single in the eighth inning. He finished with a one-hit shutout, walking only one batter and striking out 12.
Injuries affected him in 1961, but he still won 13 games. On August 2, he pitched another one-hitter against the Dodgers. In 1962, the Giants and Dodgers were in a very close race for the league title. Marichal was injured late in the season. The teams ended up tied and played a special three-game series. Marichal started the final game, but the Giants won in the ninth inning. In the 1962 World Series, Marichal injured his thumb while trying to bunt. He could not play for the rest of the series. The Giants lost the World Series in seven games.
Dominant Years (1963-1969)
After winning 18 games in 1962, Marichal had an amazing year in 1963. He won 25 games and had a 2.41 ERA. He was chosen for every All-Star game from 1962 through the 1960s. On August 4, 1965, he struck out a career-high 14 batters. In May 1966, he was named the NL Player of the Month. He had a 6–0 record and a very low 0.97 ERA. He pitched 31 scoreless innings in a row that month.
From 1963 to 1969, Marichal won over 20 games every season except 1967. His ERA was never higher than 2.76. This period is considered one of the best pitching performances in baseball history. He led the league in wins in 1963 and 1968, winning 26 games in 1968. He also led the league with 30 complete games that year. This was the most by any pitcher in the 1960s.
Marichal won more games (191) than any other pitcher in the 1960s. He was known for his amazing control. He had 2,303 strikeouts and only 709 walks. This means he struck out more than three batters for every walk he allowed. This is one of the best ratios in baseball history. He led the league four times in allowing the fewest walks per nine innings.
Famous Pitching Duel
On July 2, 1963, Marichal had an incredible pitching duel. He faced Warren Spahn, a 42-year-old future Hall of Famer for the Milwaukee Braves. The game was played at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Both pitchers threw scoreless innings until the 16th inning. Finally, Willie Mays hit a home run off Spahn, and the Giants won 1–0.
Both Marichal and Spahn pitched more than 15 complete innings. This has not happened since in the major leagues. Marichal allowed only eight hits and struck out 10 batters. Spahn gave up nine hits and walked only one batter. Marichal later said his manager offered to take him out of the game twice. But Marichal refused, saying he was 25 and Spahn was 42, so he wasn't ready to leave.
The Roseboro-Marichal Incident
Marichal is also remembered for an incident with John Roseboro on August 22, 1965. This happened during a game between the Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Giants-Dodgers rivalry was very strong at the time.
During the game, after a pitch, Roseboro's throw back to the pitcher came very close to Marichal's head. Marichal reacted by hitting Roseboro with his bat. This caused a cut on Roseboro's head. A big fight broke out between the two teams.
Marichal was removed from the game. He was suspended for eight games and fined a large amount of money. Roseboro later filed a lawsuit, but they settled it outside of court. Many people thought Marichal's punishment was too light. Fans booed him for the rest of the season when he played away games. The Giants were in a close race for the league title with the Dodgers. The Giants ended up losing the title by two games. Some believed Marichal's absence hurt the team.
Years later, Roseboro said he was trying to get back at Marichal for throwing a pitch close to another Dodgers player. After many years, Roseboro and Marichal became good friends in the 1980s. They would meet at old-timers' games and charity events. When Roseboro passed away in 2002, Marichal was an honorary pallbearer at his funeral. Marichal said that Roseboro forgiving him was one of the best things that happened in his life.
Later Career (1970–1975)
In 1970, Marichal had health issues, including back pain and arthritis. His performance dropped, but he still got his 200th career win. He recovered well in 1971, winning 18 games and lowering his ERA. He also got his 2,000th strikeout that year. The Giants made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1962. They lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1971 National League Championship Series.
1971 was Marichal's last strong season and his last All-Star selection. In 1972, he had his first losing season. After 1973, his contract was sold to the Boston Red Sox. He had some success in 1974, but arm and back problems continued. He was released after the season.
He then signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dodger fans had not forgotten the incident from 10 years earlier. It took a personal request from John Roseboro to calm them down. However, Marichal's time with the Dodgers was short. He struggled in two starts and retired less than two weeks into the 1975 season.
He finished his career with 243 wins and 142 losses. He had 244 complete games and 2,303 strikeouts. His ERA was 2.89 over 3,507 innings pitched. His 243 wins were the most by a foreign-born pitcher for over 50 years. He held many records for Latin American pitchers.
No-Hitter and All-Star Games
Marichal pitched a no-hitter on June 15, 1963. It was a 1-0 shutout against the Houston Colt .45s. He did not allow a hit and only walked two batters.
He was chosen for nine All-Star teams. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1965 game. In that game, he pitched three shutout innings and faced the minimum number of batters. His overall All-Star Game record was 2–0 with a very low 0.50 ERA.
Pitching Style
Unlike some other famous pitchers who threw with great power, Marichal was a finesse pitcher. This means he relied on skill and control rather than just speed. He developed amazing control early in his career.
He could throw five different types of pitches: a fastball, slider, changeup, curveball, and screwball. He could throw these pitches for strikes from three different arm angles: over the top, three-quarters, or sidearm. This made him very hard for batters to predict.
Marichal was famous for his very high leg kick when he pitched. His left leg would go almost straight up in the air. This high kick helped him hide the ball and the type of pitch he was throwing until the last moment. He kept this unique delivery throughout his entire career.
Honors and Legacy
Marichal was not elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first two tries. Many believed this was because voters still remembered the incident with John Roseboro. However, after Roseboro personally asked for his election, Marichal was chosen in 1983. He thanked Roseboro in his induction speech.
In 1975, the Giants retired Marichal's uniform number 27. This means no other Giants player will wear that number. In 1999, he was ranked #71 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He was also a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
In 2005, a statue of Marichal was placed outside SBC Park (the Giants' home stadium). The Giants also honored him by wearing jerseys that said "Gigantes," which is Spanish for "Giants."
On July 20, 2003, Marichal was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame. In 2005, he was named one of the three starting pitchers on Major League Baseball's Latino Legends Team. In 2015, the Estadio Quisqueya stadium in his home country was renamed Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in his honor. A statue of Marichal was also unveiled outside the stadium the next year.
Personal Life
In the early 1960s, Marichal became engaged to Alma Rosa Carvajal. After a political event in the Dominican Republic in 1961, conditions became unsafe. Marichal, who was in spring training in the U.S., wanted to bring Alma back with him. His manager, Alvin Dark, not only let him leave but also gave him two plane tickets.
Marichal married Alma Carvajal in March 1962. They have six children: Rosie, Elsie, Yvette, Ursula Raquel, Charlene, and Juan Antonio.
Since retiring from baseball, Marichal lives on a farm in the Dominican Republic. He often travels to the United States. He has also worked in baseball in different roles. From 1996 to 2000, he served as the Minister of Sports and Physical Education for the Dominican Republic government.
Images for kids
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Marichal with the San Francisco Giants in 1962
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Marichal pitching in 1965
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Marichal warming before a game, circa 1967
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Marichal at the 2008 MLB All-Star Game Parade.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- List of Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
- List of Major League Baseball retired numbers
