View source for Mike McCormick (pitcher)

{{Short description|American baseball player (1938–2020)}}
{{other people||Mike McCormick (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Mike McCormick
|image=Mike McCormick 1969.jpeg
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{birth date|1938|9|29}}
|birth_place=[[Pasadena, California]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|mf=yes|2020|6|13|1938|9|29}}
|death_place=[[Cornelius, North Carolina]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 3
|debutyear=1956
|debutteam=New York Giants
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=May 22
|finalyear=1971
|finalteam=Kansas City Royals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=134–128
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=3.73
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=1,321
|teams=
* [[New York Giants (NL)|New York]] / [[San Francisco Giants]] ({{mlby|1956}}–{{mlby|1962}})
* [[Baltimore Orioles]] ({{mlby|1963}}–{{mlby|1964}})
* [[Washington Senators (1961–71)|Washington Senators]] ({{mlby|1965}}–{{mlby|1966}})
* [[San Francisco Giants]] ({{mlby|1967}}–{{mlby|1970}})
* [[New York Yankees]] ({{mlby|1970}})
* [[Kansas City Royals]] ({{mlby|1971}})
|highlights=
* 4× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1960 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)|1960]]–[[1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)|1961²]])
* [[NL Cy Young Award]] (1967)
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders|NL wins leader]] (1967)
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders|NL ERA leader]] (1960)
* [[San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame]]
}}
'''Michael Francis McCormick''' (September 29, 1938 – June 13, 2020) was an American [[baseball]] [[pitcher]] who played 16 seasons in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB). He played for the [[San Francisco Giants|New York/San Francisco Giants]], [[Baltimore Orioles]], [[Washington Senators (1961–71)|Washington Senators]], [[New York Yankees]] and [[Kansas City Royals]] from 1956 to 1971. He batted and threw left-handed and served primarily as a [[starting pitcher]].

Signed by the Giants as a [[Bonus Rule|bonus baby]], McCormick [[List of baseball players who went directly to Major League Baseball|went directly to the major leagues]] and made his debut on September 3, 1956. After spending seven seasons with the organization, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles and played two years there before being dealt again, this time to the Washington Senators. He returned to the Giants in 1967 and in his first season back with the team, he became the first pitcher in Giants franchise history to win the [[Cy Young Award]] (from 1956 to 1966, the Award was only given out to one pitcher rather than one from each of the two leagues). In the middle of the 1970 season, he was traded to the New York Yankees, who released him before the start of the next season. He then signed with the Kansas City Royals, with whom he played his last game on May 22, 1971.

==Early life==
McCormick was born on September 29, 1938, in [[Pasadena, California]]. He studied at [[Mark Keppel High School]] in [[Alhambra, California]].<ref name=BR>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mccormi03.shtml|title=Mike McCormick Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=September 18, 2013}}</ref> During this time, he played in [[American Legion Baseball]], where he won 49 out of the 53 games he pitched, threw four [[no-hitter]]s and struck out 26 batters in a game.<ref name=original>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b6maArc1DTUC&q=mike+mcCormick+pitcher&pg=PT228|title=The Original San Francisco Giants: The Giants Of '58|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing Inc.|date=February 28, 2012|last=Bitker|first=Steve|isbn=9781613211526|access-date=September 18, 2013}}</ref>

After he graduated from high school, he married Carolyn Koehler on August 2, 1956.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QEosAAAAMAAJ&q=mike+mcCormick+baseball+carolyn+koehler|title=Baseball Register|publisher=C.C. Spink & Son|year=1965|pages=276|access-date=September 18, 2013}}</ref>  Several weeks later, on August 31, the [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] signed him as an amateur [[Free agent#Major League Baseball usage|free agent]]. Although McCormick was committed to attending college at the [[University of Southern California]],<ref name=encyclopedia>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781582616933|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781582616933/page/200 200]|quote=mike mccormick pitcher.|title=The Giants Encyclopedia|publisher=Sports Publishing LLC|year=2003|last1=Schott|first1=Tom|last2=Peters|first2=Nick|isbn=9781582616933 |access-date=September 18, 2013}}</ref> the Giants offered him a signing bonus of $50,000 to forego university and join the organization. Because of the [[Bonus Rule]], he could not be placed in the [[Minor League Baseball|minor leagues]] for two years.<ref name=gone>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fd5j_JwHjf8C&q=mike+mccormick+pitcher&pg=PA19|title=Giants: Where Have You Gone?|publisher=Sports Publishing LLC|year=2005|last=Johanson|first=Matt|pages=19–24|isbn=9781582617794|access-date=September 18, 2013}}</ref> As a result, he [[List of baseball players who went directly to Major League Baseball|went directly to the major leagues]] and immediately began training with the first team the day after he signed.<ref name=original/>

==Professional career==
McCormick made his major league debut for the Giants on September 3, 1956, at the age of 17,<ref name=BR/> [[Relief pitcher|relieving]] [[Rubén Gómez (baseball)|Rubén Gómez]] in the ninth inning and [[Out (baseball)|retiring]] all three batters he faced in a 5–1 loss against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI195609031.shtml|title=September 3, 1956 New York Giants at Philadelphia Phillies Play by Play and Box Score|work=Baseball-Reference.com|date=September 3, 1956|access-date=September 18, 2013}}</ref> He made two [[Games started|starts]] later in the season, and finished with a 0–1 [[Win–loss record (pitching)|win–loss record]] and a 9.45 [[earned run average]] (ERA) in {{frac|6|2|3}} [[innings pitched]].<ref name=BR/>

McCormick threw a five-inning rain-shortened no-hitter against the [[Philadelphia Phillies|Phillies]] on June 12, 1959, allowing one walk.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jun 12, 1959, Giants at Phillies Play by Play and Box Score|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI195906120.shtml|website=baseball-reference.org|publisher=sports-reference.org|access-date=April 30, 2016|date=June 12, 1959}}</ref> The Phillies were able to secure 1 hit (and 1 run) in the bottom of the 6th inning, but the game was called because of the rain.<ref>{{cite web|title=San Francisco Giants 3, Philadelphia Phillies 0|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1959/B06120PHI1959.htm|website=retrosheet.org|access-date=April 30, 2016|date=June 12, 1959|quote=[G]ame called for rain in the bottom of the sixth; the Phillies had the bases loaded with no one out with the score 4–1[.]}}</ref> As the 6th inning was never finished, the game statistics reverted to the completion of the last full inning, securing his no-hitter.<ref>{{cite news|title=McCormick Hurls 5-Inning No-Hitter: Rain Preserves 3–0 Giant Win: Ashburn Single in Phil Half Of Sixth Canceled by Downpour|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gctRAAAAIBAJ&pg=7358%2C2116526|access-date=April 30, 2016|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=June 13, 1959|location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|agency=[[Associated Press]] (AP)|page=12}}</ref> However, due to a statistical rule change in 1991, no-hitters [[No-hitter#Shortened no-hitters|must last at least nine innings]] to count. As a result of the retroactive application of the new rule, this game and [[List of Major League Baseball no-hitters#Shortened games|thirty-five others]] are no longer considered no-hitters.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b6maArc1DTUC&q=mike+mcCormick+pitcher&pg=PT228|title=The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball|edition=2|publisher=McFarland|date=March 25, 2016|last=Light|first=Jonathan Fraser|page=658|isbn=9781613211526}}</ref>

He was acquired along with [[Stu Miller]] and [[John Orsino]] by the [[1963 Baltimore Orioles season|Orioles]] from the [[1962 San Francisco Giants season|Giants]] for [[Jack Fisher]], [[Billy Hoeft]] and [[Jimmie Coker]] on December 15, 1962.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=S0tAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BQEGAAAAIBAJ&pg=4801%2C5737217 "Giants, Orioles Exchange Hurlers in Six-Man Deal," ''United Press International'' (UPI), Saturday, December 15, 1962.] Retrieved March 1, 2023.</ref>

At the end of the 1966 season, McCormick returned to the Giants in a trade that brought [[Cap Peterson]] and [[Bob Priddy (baseball)|Bob Priddy]] to the Senators.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mike McCormick Returns To Giants|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DbpeAAAAIBAJ&pg=5132,3034225&dq=mike+mccormick+pitcher&hl=en|date=December 14, 1966|page=10|access-date=September 18, 2013|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

The 1967 season saw McCormick churn out one of the best statistical years in his career. He led the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) in [[Win–loss record (pitching)#Winning pitcher|wins]] with 22,<ref name=BR/> and defeated every NL team other than the Giants that year.<ref>{{cite news|title=McCormick Hits Two Milestones|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pD9QAAAAIBAJ&pg=7219,2454097&dq=mike+mccormick+pitcher&hl=en|date=August 15, 1967|page=15A|access-date=September 18, 2013|newspaper=The Evening Independent|location=St. Petersburg|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>  At the end of the season, McCormick won the [[Cy Young Award]],<ref>{{cite news|title=McCormick Wins Young Hill Award|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dy4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=3013,146296&dq=mike+mccormick+pitcher&hl=en|date=November 1, 1967|page=29|access-date=September 18, 2013|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> garnering 90% of the vote and 18 out of 20 first place votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1967.shtml#NLcya|title=1967 Awards Voting – NL Cy Young Voting|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=September 18, 2013}}</ref>  In doing so, he became the first Giants pitcher to win the award, and was the only one to do so for 41 years until [[Tim Lincecum]] won it in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lincecum beats out Webb, is Giants' second Cy Young winner|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3696269|date=November 13, 2008|access-date=September 18, 2013|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|work=ESPN|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

McCormick was described, apparently in good faith, as the player who hit the 500th [[home run]] [[List of Major League Baseball all-time leaders in home runs by pitchers|by an MLB pitcher]].<ref name=story>{{cite news|title=Cy Young Winner Will Share Story|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:SPNB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=12820B27D7798D50&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=105B9A93AF33E3E3|date=April 15, 2009|access-date=September 19, 2013|first=Tom|last=Embrey|newspaper=The Pilot|location=Southern Pines}} '''{{subscription required}}'''</ref> However, it is unclear how this was calculated, in an age without baseball encyclopedias, and it appears to have been a considerable under-estimate. In contrast, the claim that he was responsible for giving up [[Hank Aaron]]'s [[500 home run club|500th home run]] is undoubtedly correct.<ref>{{cite news|title=500th Home Run By Aaron|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=X4dQAAAAIBAJ&pg=6458,2827114&dq=hank+aaron+500th+home+run+mccormick&hl=en|date=July 15, 1968|page=2|access-date=September 19, 2013|newspaper=The Milwaukee Sentinel|agency=Associated Press}}{{dead link|date=July 2017}}</ref>  Because of these two reports, he [[Vanity plate|personalized]] his license plate with the words "Mr. 500".<ref name=story/>

==Personal life==
After retiring from baseball, McCormick went on to pursue a career in [[Security (finance)|securities]] business that he himself established over several MLB offseasons.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

After three years in that field, he switched to office machines and copiers, working for [[Ricoh]] and then Danka, before retiring in 2002.<ref name=gone/>

He served annually as a guest instructor for the San Francisco Giants during [[spring training]].<ref name=encyclopedia/> He also conducted the team's fantasy camps and occasionally [[Sports commentator|commentated]] on Giants' games.<ref name=gone/>

McCormick's Cy Young Award plaque was damaged in the [[1989 Loma Prieta earthquake]] after it fell off the wall of his [[Cupertino, California|Cupertino]] condominium.  Although he was initially going to get the crack at the back repaired, he decided against it, noting how "it had more character now."<ref>{{cite news|title=McCormick Is Eager To Share Fame|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_multi=SJ&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=124697AE8A69D520&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|date=November 9, 2008|access-date=September 19, 2013|first=Andrew|last=Baggarly|newspaper=San Jose Mercury News}} '''{{subscription required}}'''</ref>  He then housed it in a special room along with other memorabilia from his career.<ref>{{cite news|title=McCormick Would Gladly Share His Cy Young-winning Status|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:SJMB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=11B99BD81ACA8D10&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=105B9A93AF33E3E3|date=September 9, 2007|access-date=September 19, 2013|page=7C|first=Daniel|last=Brown|newspaper=San Jose Mercury News}} '''{{subscription required}}'''</ref>

==Family==
McCormick had four children from his first marriage to Carolyn.<ref name=gone/> He was married to wife Dierdre for 34 years. They had one daughter, Tara.

After retiring from Danka, they moved from [[Sunnyvale, California]]<ref name=original/> and settled in [[Pinehurst, North Carolina]].<ref name=gone/> At the O'Neal School in [[Southern Pines, North Carolina]], McCormick assisted the school's baseball program and donated his baseball memorabilia to the school to help them with their auctions.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pitcher Mike McCormick Talks About Baseball|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:SPNB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=12820B27CEB38108&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=105B9A93AF33E3E3|date=April 15, 2009|access-date=September 19, 2013|newspaper=The Pilot|location=Southern Pines}} '''{{subscription required}}'''</ref>

==Death==
McCormick died on June 13, 2020, at his home in North Carolina. He was 81, and had been suffering from [[Parkinson's disease]] in the years leading up to his death.<ref>{{cite news|title=Former Cy Young winner Mike McCormick dies at age 81|url=https://apnews.com/bcf42ff5d3770898db1aad239db3f19c|date=June 16, 2020|access-date=June 16, 2020|work=Associated Press}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Baseball}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats |mlb=118598 |espn= |br=m/mccormi03 |fangraphs= |brm=mccorm002mic |retro=M/Pmccom103}}
* [http://baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=mccormi03 Baseball Almanac]

{{NL Cy Young}}
{{NL Comeback Players of the Year}}
{{Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year Award}}
{{NL wins champions}}
{{NL ERA champions}}
{{San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCormick, Mike}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:National League All-Stars]]
[[Category:National League ERA champions]]
[[Category:National League (baseball) wins champions]]
[[Category:Cy Young Award winners]]
[[Category:New York Giants (baseball) players]]
[[Category:San Francisco Giants players]]
[[Category:Baltimore Orioles players]]
[[Category:Washington Senators (1961–1971) players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:New York Yankees players]]
[[Category:Kansas City Royals players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Rochester Red Wings players]]
[[Category:Phoenix Giants players]]
[[Category:Hawaii Islanders players]]
[[Category:Tacoma Twins players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Pasadena, California]]
[[Category:Neurological disease deaths in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Deaths from Parkinson's disease in the United States]]
[[Category:Mark Keppel High School alumni]]