| Mike Marshall | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: January 15, 1943 Adrian, Michigan |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| May 31, 1967 for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 4, 1981 for the New York Mets | |
| Career statistics | |
| Games pitched | 723 |
| Win–Loss record | 97–112 |
| Earned run average | 3.14 |
| Strikeouts | 880 |
| Saves | 188 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Michael Grant (Mike) "Iron Mike"[1] Marshall (born January 15, 1943 in Adrian, Michigan) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played in 1967 and from 1969-1981 for nine different teams.
Marshall won the National League Cy Young Award in 1974 as a member of the Dodgers as well as being named the NL Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News. He was a member of the National League All Star Team in 1974 and 1975. Marshall was also named Fireman of the Year by TSN with three different teams: in the NL in 1973 with the Montreal Expos and 1974 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and a third time in 1979 in the American League with the Minnesota Twins (sharing the award with Jim Kern).
Marshall, who relied primarily on an elusive screwball, led his league in games pitched four times, saves three times, and games finished five times. He is the holder of two major league records, both of which he set in the 1974 season: most appearances (games pitched) in a season (106), and most consecutive team games with a relief appearance (13). In his record-setting 1974 season, he pitched 208.3 innings, all of which came in relief appearances.
Marshall attended Michigan State University, earning three degrees, including a Ph.D. in kinesiology. In the months preceding his 1974 CY Young season, Marshall considered retiring in order to work on his Ph.D.[2]
Marshall teaches and advocates a pitching method he developed that he "believes could completely eradicate pitching-arm injuries."[3]
Marshall wants the pitchers to have a smooth transition. To pitch the arm has to externally rotate (hand lays back) before the ball accelerates. With traditional pitchers the thrower often lifts his elbow before his hand (also called scapula loading). this leads to the ball coming up late and the arm to externally rotate late. The elbow will be accelerated forward while the hand still goes backward, which creates enormous stress on the arm.
Marshall instead wants pitches to externally rotate early as they swing their arm up. that means the will lift the hand before the elbow, so that the wrist faces away from his body and up, the hand is above the elbow when the front foot touches the ground. that leads to a smooth transition without a "forearm bounce" as Marshall calls it (Marshall believes this causes UCL injuries which require Tommy John surgery).he wants to first lay back the forearm and then accelerate by using the body instead of accelerating before the hand is laid back
Marshall also believes in using the rotation of the trunk instead of bending over at the waist and in pronation the arm which according to him protects the elbow.
| Preceded by Clay Carroll |
National League Saves Champion 1973-1974 |
Succeeded by Rawly Eastwick & Al Hrabosky |
| Preceded by Tom Seaver |
National League Cy Young Award 1974 |
Succeeded by Tom Seaver |
| Preceded by Rich Gossage |
American League Saves Champion 1979 |
Succeeded by Rich Gossage & Dan Quisenberry |
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