Juan Marichal facts for kids

This page is about the baseball player. For the Spanish-Canarian historian, see Juan Marichal (historian).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Marichal and the second or maternal family name is Sánchez.

Quick facts for kids

Juan Marichal

Marichal with the San Francisco Giants in 1962

Pitcher

Born: October 20, 1937 (age 87)
Laguna Verde, Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic

Batted: Right

Threw: Right

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

Career highlights and awards

10× All-Star (1962–1969, 1971)
2× NL wins leader (1963, 1968)
MLB ERA leader (1969)
Pitched a no-hitter on June 15, 1963
San Francisco Giants No. 27 retired
San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame

Baseball Hall of Fame

Induction

1983

Vote

83.7% (third ballot)

Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20, 1937) is a famous former baseball pitcher from the Dominican Republic. He was known as "the Dominican Dandy." Juan played 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 high leg kick when he pitched. He also used many different types of pitches and throwing styles. He was very accurate with his pitches and could play for a long time without getting tired. In 1962, he won 18 games, helping the Giants reach the 1962 World Series. He won more games than any other pitcher in the 1960s, with 191 victories. He won 20 or more games six times. In these seasons, his earned run average (ERA) was very low, and he struck out over 200 batters. His 26 wins in 1968 are still a record for the Giants team.

Juan Marichal led the National League (NL) in wins, innings pitched, complete games, and shutouts twice each. He pitched a no-hitter in June 1963. A no-hitter is when a pitcher plays a whole game without allowing the other team to get any hits. He also had three one-hitters and six two-hitters. He was a nine-time All-Star player. In 1965, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star game.

Marichal's 243 wins, 2.84 ERA, 244 complete games, and 3,444 innings pitched are all records for the San Francisco Giants. 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.

Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Becoming a Professional Player
Pitching Style
Honors and Legacy
Personal Life
See also

Early Life and Baseball Dreams

Juan Marichal was born on October 20, 1937. He grew up in a small farming village called Laguna Verde in the Dominican Republic. He was the youngest of four children. His father passed away when Juan was three years old. His family lived on a farm, so they always had plenty of food, even though their house did not have electricity.

As a child, Juan helped on the farm every day. He took care of the family's horses, donkeys, and goats. He also loved to swim and fish in the nearby Yaque del Norte River. One time, he became very sick and was in a coma for nine days. Doctors thought he might not survive, but he slowly got better.

His older brother, Gonzalo, taught Juan how to play baseball. They played every weekend with friends. They would use golf balls covered in cloth for baseballs. They used tree branches for bats and canvas tarps for gloves. Among his childhood friends were the Alou brothers: Felipe, Jesús, and Matty. All three of them later played with Juan on the San Francisco Giants.

From the age of 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 difficult to achieve. In 1954, when he was 16, Juan joined a summer league team called Las Flores. He started as a shortstop but switched to pitching after being inspired by a national team player. In 1956, he left high school to play for the United Fruit Company team.

Becoming a Professional Player

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. Juan pitched against this team in his hometown and won 2–1. Right after the game, Ramfis ordered Juan to join the Air Force team.

In 1960, Marichal started and won the first game for the new Tacoma Giants. This team was a minor league team for the San Francisco Giants.

Major League Debut

Juan 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 on July 19 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He struck out the first batter and did not allow a hit for the first 19 batters. He almost pitched a no-hitter, but a single in the eighth inning stopped it. He finished with a one-hit shutout, walking only one batter and striking out 12. He played 10 more games that season, ending with a record of 6 wins and 2 losses.

Early Career and World Series

In 1961, injuries affected Marichal, but he still won 13 games. On August 2, he pitched another one-hitter. In 1962, the Giants and Dodgers were in a very close race for the league championship. Marichal missed some games due to a sprained ankle. The teams ended up tied and played a special three-game series to decide the champion. Marichal started the final game, and the Giants won, but he got injured while trying to bunt in the 1962 World Series. He broke his thumb and could not play for the rest of the series. The Giants lost the World Series in seven games.

Dominant Years: 1963-1969

After his 18-win season in 1962, Marichal had an amazing year in 1963. He won 25 games and lost only 8, with 248 strikeouts. He was selected for every All-Star game from 1962 through the 1960s. In May 1966, he was named the NL Player of the Month. He had a 6–0 record and a very low ERA of 0.97. He even pitched 31 scoreless innings in a row. On September 21, 1966, Marichal hit a walk-off home run to win a game for the Giants. This was a rare event for a pitcher.

Marichal in 1965

From 1963 to 1969, Marichal won more than 20 games every season except 1967. His ERA was never higher than 2.76. This was 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 in 1968. He and Sandy Koufax were the only two pitchers after 1946 to have more than one season with 25 or more wins.

Marichal won more games than any other pitcher in the 1960s (191 wins). He was known for his excellent control when pitching. He had 2,303 strikeouts and only 709 walks. This means he struck out batters much more often than he walked them. This ratio is one of the best in baseball history.

Pitching Duel with Warren Spahn

On July 2, 1963, Juan Marichal had an unforgettable pitching duel against Warren Spahn. Spahn was a 42-year-old future Hall of Fame pitcher for the Milwaukee Braves. The game was played at night in San Francisco. Both pitchers threw scoreless innings for a very long time. Finally, in the 16th inning, Willie Mays hit a home run off Spahn, and the Giants won 1–0.

Both Marichal and Spahn pitched more than 15 innings in this game. This has not happened before or since in Major League Baseball. Marichal allowed only eight hits and struck out 10 batters. Spahn gave up nine hits and walked only one. Marichal's manager, Alvin Dark, offered to take him out of the game twice after the 12th inning. But Marichal told him, "Do you see that man on the mound? That man is forty-two, and I'm twenty-five. I'm not ready for you to take me out." The game lasted only 4 hours and 10 minutes, which is very fast for such a long game.

The Roseboro-Marichal Incident

On August 22, 1965, an unusual event 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, Marichal was batting. The Dodgers' catcher, John Roseboro, threw the ball back to his pitcher, and it came very close to Marichal's head. Marichal reacted by hitting Roseboro with his bat. This caused a cut on Roseboro's head and started a big fight between the two teams.

Marichal was removed from the game. The National League president suspended him for eight games and fined him a large amount of money. Roseboro later sued Marichal, but they settled the case outside of court. After many years, Marichal and Roseboro became good friends. Roseboro even helped Marichal get elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. When Roseboro passed away in 2002, Marichal was an honorary pallbearer at his funeral. He said that Roseboro forgiving him was one of the best things that ever happened in his life.

Marichal warming before a game, c. 1967

Later Career and Retirement

In 1970, Marichal had health problems, including back pain and arthritis. His performance suffered that year, but he still earned his 200th career victory. He recovered in 1971, winning 18 games and having a good ERA. He also recorded his 2,000th strikeout. The Giants made it to the playoffs that year, but lost to the Pirates.

1971 was Marichal's last strong season. In 1972, he had his first losing season. After the 1973 season, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He played for the Red Sox in 1974, but arm and back problems continued. He then signed with the Dodgers in 1975. Dodger fans had not forgotten the incident with Roseboro, but Roseboro personally asked them to be kind to Marichal. However, Marichal's time with the Dodgers was short. He played only two games before retiring less than two weeks into the season.

Juan Marichal finished his career with 243 wins, 142 losses, 244 complete games, and 2,303 strikeouts. His 243 wins were the most by a foreign-born pitcher for over 50 years. He holds many records for Latin American pitchers. He played in the 1962 World Series and the 1971 National League Championship Series. Between 1962 and 1971, the Giants won an average of 90 games each season, and Marichal averaged 20 wins a year.

No-Hitter and All-Star Games

Juan Marichal pitched a no-hitter on June 15, 1963, against the Houston Colt .45s. He allowed only two walks and struck out 14 batters. The Giants won the game 1–0.

He was selected for nine All-Star teams. In the 1965 All-Star Game, he was named the Most Valuable Player. He pitched three shutout innings and allowed only one hit. His overall All-Star Game record was 2 wins and 0 losses, with a very low ERA of 0.50.

Career Statistics

Category	W	L	ERA	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	WHIP	FIP	ERA+	Ref.
Total	243	142	2.89	457	244	52	2	3,507	320	709	82	2,303	40	1.101	3.04	123

Pitching Style

Unlike some pitchers who threw with great power, Juan Marichal was a "finesse pitcher." This means he relied on accuracy and different types of pitches. He developed amazing control early in his career. He could throw five different pitches: a fastball, slider, changeup, curveball, and screwball. He could also throw them from three different arm angles: over the top, three-quarters, or sidearm. This made it very hard for batters to know what was coming.

Marichal was famous for his high leg kick when he pitched. His left leg would go almost straight up in the air. This helped him hide the ball and the type of pitch he was throwing until the very last moment. He kept this unique pitching style throughout his entire career.

Honors and Legacy


Juan Marichal's number 27 was retired by the San Francisco Giants in 1975.

Juan Marichal was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983. Many people believe that the incident with John Roseboro made it harder for him to be elected at first. However, after Roseboro personally asked voters to consider Marichal, he was finally inducted. In his induction speech, Marichal thanked Roseboro.

In 1975, the Giants retired Marichal's uniform number 27. This means no other Giants player will ever wear that number again. 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 Juan Marichal was placed outside Oracle 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, a baseball stadium in his home country, the Estadio Quisqueya, was renamed Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in his honor. A statue of Marichal was also unveiled outside the stadium the following year.

Personal Life

Marichal at the 2008 MLB All-Star Game Parade.

In the early 1960s, Juan 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 United States, wanted to go back home to bring Alma to the U.S. 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 together: 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 and has 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.