Mike McCormick (pitcher) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mike McCormick |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: September 29, 1938 Pasadena, California, U.S. |
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| Died: June 13, 2020 (aged 81) Cornelius, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 3, 1956, for the New York Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 22, 1971, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 134–128 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.73 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,321 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Michael Francis McCormick (born September 29, 1938 – died June 13, 2020) was an American baseball pitcher. He played for 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), which is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States.
Mike played for several teams, including the New York/San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators, New York Yankees, and Kansas City Royals. He played from 1956 to 1971. Mike threw the ball with his left hand and was mainly a starting pitcher, meaning he began most games for his team.
He joined the Giants right out of high school because of a special rule called the "Bonus Rule." This rule meant that if a team paid a player a large signing bonus, that player had to go straight to the major leagues. In 1967, after returning to the Giants, Mike McCormick became the first pitcher in the team's history to win the Cy Young Award. This award goes to the best pitcher in each league.
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Mike McCormick's Early Life
Mike McCormick was born on September 29, 1938, in Pasadena, California. He went to Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, California. During his time playing baseball in high school, he was an amazing pitcher. He won 49 out of 53 games he pitched. He also threw four "no-hitters," which means the other team didn't get any hits in those games. In one game, he even struck out 26 batters!
After high school, Mike signed with the New York Giants on August 31, 1956. The Giants offered him a big signing bonus of $50,000. This was a lot of money back then! Because of the "Bonus Rule," he couldn't play in the minor leagues first. So, he went straight to the major leagues and started training with the main team right away.
Mike's Professional Baseball Career
Mike McCormick made his first major league appearance for the Giants on September 3, 1956. He was only 17 years old! He came into the game as a relief pitcher and got three batters out without any trouble.
In 1959, Mike pitched a game that was stopped early because of rain. For a while, it was considered a "no-hitter" because the other team didn't get any hits before the game was called off. However, baseball rules changed in 1991. Now, a no-hitter has to last at least nine innings. So, this game is no longer officially counted as a no-hitter.
Mike played for the Giants for seven seasons. Then, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 1962. He played with the Orioles for two years before being traded again, this time to the Washington Senators.
Winning the Cy Young Award
In 1967, Mike returned to the San Francisco Giants. This year was one of the best of his career! He led the National League (NL) in wins, with 22 victories. He even beat every team in the NL except for the Giants themselves!
At the end of the 1967 season, Mike McCormick won the Cy Young Award. He received most of the votes, showing how well he had pitched. He was the first Giants pitcher ever to win this important award. It took 41 more years for another Giants pitcher, Tim Lincecum, to win it in 2008.
Mike McCormick was also known for giving up Hank Aaron's 500th career home run. Hank Aaron is one of the greatest home run hitters of all time! Because of this famous moment, Mike even had a special license plate that said "Mr. 500."
Life After Baseball
After he stopped playing baseball, Mike McCormick started a new career. He worked in the securities business, which deals with investments. He had actually started this business during his baseball off-seasons.
Later, he changed careers and worked with office machines and copiers. He worked for companies like Ricoh and Danka before he retired in 2002.
Even after retiring, Mike stayed involved with baseball. He often returned to the San Francisco Giants as a guest instructor during their spring training. He also helped with the team's fantasy camps and sometimes worked as a commentator for Giants games.
Mike's Cy Young Award plaque was damaged during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. It fell off the wall of his home. Even though it had a crack, he decided not to fix it. He said it "had more character now" and kept it in a special room with other baseball memories.
Mike's Family Life
Mike McCormick had four children from his first marriage. He was married to his second wife, Dierdre, for 34 years. They had one daughter named Tara.
After retiring from his office machine job, Mike and Dierdre moved from California to Pinehurst, North Carolina. Mike helped with the baseball program at The O'Neal School in Southern Pines, North Carolina. He also donated some of his baseball items to the school to help them raise money.
Mike McCormick's Passing
Mike McCormick passed away on June 13, 2020, at his home in North Carolina. He was 81 years old. For several years before his death, he had been living with Parkinson's disease.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
Images for kids
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Mike McCormick in 1969
