Juan Marichal- the Dominican Dandy

On August 22nd 1965, Juan Marichal faced Sandy Koufax in the midst of a heated pennant race. The Giants and Dodgers had almost brawled just two days earlier over catcher's interference calls, when the batter tips the catcher's mitt as he swings. Los Angeles star shortstop Maury Wills had allegedly tipped the Giant's catcher's mitt with his bat on purpose in that contest, and Juan Marichal's best friend, outfielder Matty Alou had in turn tipped the edge of Dodger's catcher John Roseboro's facemask with his bat. Roseboro, in retaliation, had nearly hit Alou in the head with his toss back to the pitcher. This set the stage two days later for an ugly incident in Juan Marichal's life, a black eye on what was otherwise a brilliant Hall of Fame career.

In the game of August 22nd, Marichal had knocked down Wills and Dodger Ron Fairly with brush back pitches when Roseboro supposedly asked Koufax to hit Marichal with a pitch. Tensions were high and when Koufax refused, Roseboro's return throw came close to hitting Marichal in the head. The resulting name calling erupted into a melee when the irate Dodger receiver ripped off his mask and stood up. Suddenly, Marichal struck the catcher on the head with his bat and one of the most violent brawls in Major League Baseball history started. Willie Mays of the Giants helped the stunned Roseboro, now suffering from a concussion, to the dugout, while Dodger Bob Miller went after Marichal. Matty Alou punched Miller, and second baseman Tito Fuentes of the Giants threatened to use his own bat on the Dodgers. Roseboro would sue Marichal, but eventually dropped the lawsuit. Marichal was fined $1750, suspended for a week, and missed two important starts as the Giants finished a scant two games behind their archrivals. As the years passed, the two initial combatants, Marichal and Roseboro, became good friends, and Marichal always lamented the fact that he had used his bat in such a way. The entire episode would tarnish Juan Marichal's legacy, as one of the greatest hurlers in baseball history.

Born October 20th 1937, in Laguna Verde, Dominican Republic, Juan Antonio Marichal Sanchez was the first and only Dominican inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He had quit high school in the eleventh grade to concentrate on the sport, and was signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent in 1957. The Giants headed out west to San Francisco shortly after, and Marichal went to Tacoma, Washington, where he compiled an 11-5 record before being called up to the big club in 1960. He made his Major League debut on July 19th, 1960, tossing a one-hit 2-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies. The only hit was a two out eighth inning single, and the man who would soon be nicknamed "The Dominican Dandy" struck out twelve batters. He went 6-2 in 1960 and soon found himself anchoring the rotation of the Giants. He followed with a pair of okay seasons the next two years, but blossomed in 1963 with a 25-8 record and 5 shutouts among his 18 complete games.

The prejudice against Latin players at that time was so strong that Marichal received little backing for the Cy Young Award. It didn't help that for the first seven years he pitched in the majors, there was only one award given out as opposed to the one that each league gives the best pitcher today. Compounding his situation was the presence of Sandy Koufax, who took the trophy home repeatedly. Marichal no-hit the Houston Colt .45s at Candlestick Park, the windy and cold home of the San Francisco club, in 1963. He needed only 89 pitches to do the trick, considerably more in a sixteen inning duel with Milwaukee's Warren Spahn later in the year, a 1-0 victory on the strength of a Willie Mays home run.

Juan Marichal, with his variety of pitches delivered with an exaggerated and high leg kick, won more games in the Sixties than any other National League pitcher. His 194 total wins were well ahead of the next man, the Cardinal's Bob Gibson, who recorded 164. He went a remarkable 154-65 from 1963 through 1969, with little fanfare. Roberto Clemente, the Puerto Rican icon and Hall of Fame outfielder, said of Juan Marichal, "It doesn't matter what he throws; when he's got it, he beats you."

Marichal pitched in a total of nine All-Star games and won the 1962 and 1965 summer classics. His combination of fastballs, screwballs, sliders, curves, and changeups, coming from all angles, baffled hitters to no end. In 1970, Juan suffered a back injury and the pain nearly ended his career. He bounced back in 1971 with an 18-11 mark for the National League West champion Giants. Eventually the back problems forced him to retire, after short stints with the Boston Red Sox in 1974, and of all teams, the Dodgers, in 1975. He finished his distinguished run with a record of 243-142, 52 shutouts, and a 2.89 ERA. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Giants retired his uniform number, number 27. He currently resides in the Dominican Republic, where he is the Minister of Sports for his native country.
In May of 2005, a life-sized bronze statue of Juan Marichal was dedicated at the Giants new stadium, Pac Bell Park. It depicts the Latino legend in his familiar high leg kick, fixing to release the ball. In front of the other four living Giant Hall of Famers, Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Gaylord Perry, Willie McCovey, and a packed house, Marichal was asked to speak. He thanked the crowd for being there for his special occasion and told current slugger Barry Bonds the he was glad he was present, as it made it feel like Bonds' dad, Bobby, a deceased teammate of Marichal's, was there as well. He stepped to the mike and acknowledged the fans and turned to Barry Bonds and said, "I think I could get you out." Few in the park should have doubted that he could.