By Paul Casey Gotham
****Remember, try this without research. Make like Wally, and release your inner James Joyce. Show us your stream of consciousness as you try to decipher the answer.
Ten years elapsed between my all-star game appearances. Yeah, I realize that is kinda vague as far as clues go. I grew up “where they make the cars, but by night they make the bars.” The latter ruled much of my career. I pitched at Eastern Michigan in college. Not many Eagles can boast of winning a Cy Young. When I was 21, I was brought up during the season. In my first start, I pitched six shutout innings. A couple of months later, I mowed down the hated Giants with a complete-game shutout. I threw another complete-game shutout when we clinched the division. In game 2 of that year’s World Series, I struck out Reggie with two down in the ninth and the winning run on base. He got pay back later in the series. It wasn’t until I moved to the American League that I reached my potential. Well, for one year anyway. 17 seasons in the Major Leagues and I had an ERA of 3.47. I pitched in four World Series games. My October ERA was 5.40. The year after I won 27 games and the Cy Young, I dropped to 12-13.
Who am I?
A 27 game winner? A shame I don’t know this, but you learn something new on the Pine everyday. I’ll just wait for Wally Joyce.
Casey —
I was drawing a blank on this until you mentioned beating the Giants, so I’m thinking this person is a National Leage West pitcher. The next comment about striking out Reggie Jackson in the World Series makes it a Dodger pitcher. Of course, one of the most famous and replayed strikeouts in the WS was that one, and it was a young Bob Welch of the Dodgers who performed the feat. He of course would go on to a bit of a roller coaster ride in his career as the time between All Star appearances indicates. His mercurial start with the Dodgers as a young ace was offset as he floundered a bit before joining those great Oakland A’s teams of the early ’90s and became a Cy Young winner. Bob Welch is who you are.
Its a shame cause I knew this one too, not many guys won 27 games during my lifetime.
But Wally got it before I was even awake!!!
Nice job
Thanks, Gino. Where do you live? If you’re in the EST zone, you’ve got an edge on me. Maybe you need to get up earlier? 🙂
Gino, you have my wife’s sleep cycle. She’s working on her 11th hour of sleep at this very moment.
Right now I’m in the eastern time zone right outside of Pittsburgh, but don’t put me down as a pirates or steelers, I’m only here momentarily. I’m usually not awake before 10 (no I do not have a 9-5 job).
Well that’s better than my wife! Right now she does not believe that 10:00 (or 11:00 for that matter) comes TWICE each day!
Bob Welch is the answer and Wally is the man.
Wally have you been tested for having a photographic memory?
Didactic memory. Doesn’t just have to see it to remember it; can hear it too.
Let’s not blow this out of proportion, Casey … a lot of these Who Am I’s, esp recently, were in the ’70’s-80’s range when I paid attention to EVERYTHING in sports. And of course, anything in baseball is gonna be a little easier for me.
Does anyone else think I am blowing this out of proportion? 🙂
Not me. I think it is pretty impressive. I realize you may have read SI cover-to-cover in those years, but still remembering the details you remember is ridiculous. I’m 29 and already can’t remember a lot of details of the 90s, which is when I paid attention to EVERYTHING.
Talk about can’t remember, what are we talking about?
Wally, I have a good memory, but it pales in comparison to yours. Casey is NOT blowing this out of proportion. I remember many of the facts AFTER you jog my memory, but I would not be able to pull them on my own. That’s the difference between good memory and GREAT memory!