Sam McDowell

Samuel Edward Thomas McDowell, an American former professional baseball starting pitcher, was born September 21, 1942, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of six siblings. His father, Thomas, was a heat inspector for U.S. Steel. McDowell attended Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School, where he played baseball, basketball, football and track, graduating in 1960. As a senior he posted an 8–1 pitching record (also reported as 8–0), striking out 152 batters in 63 innings while allowing no earned runs, and he threw a total of nine no-hitters during his high school career. In the 1960 Colt World Series he pitched two no-hitters and a one-hitter. That year he was considered the top baseball prospect in the country and received signing bonus offers from all 16 major league teams.

McDowell played in Major League Baseball from 1961 to 1975, most notably for the Cleveland Indians. Standing 6 feet 5 inches and powerfully built, he threw a left-handed fastball delivered with an unusually calm pitching motion, which earned him the nickname "Sudden Sam." He was a six-time All-Star and led the American League in strikeouts five times.