Don McMahon

Donald John McMahon (January 4, 1930 – July 22, 1987) was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was signed by the Boston Braves before the 1950 season. He played for the Milwaukee Braves (1957–1962), Houston Colt .45s (1962–1963), Cleveland Indians (1964–1966), Boston Red Sox (1966–1967), Chicago White Sox (1967–1968), Detroit Tigers (1968–1969), and San Francisco Giants (1969–1974).

McMahon was used almost exclusively in relief during his 18-year major league career. He appeared in 874 games, just two as a starter, and was one of the busiest and most dependable relievers of his era. He never was on the disabled list, and in the fifteen full seasons that he played (1958–1972), he averaged about 54 games and 81 innings pitched per year.

Early life McMahon was born on January 4, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York. He was a baseball star at Erasmus Hall High School, where he was known for his hitting ability and power, speed, and defensive skill in the outfield (which featured his strong throwing arm), as well as playing third base. One of his Erasmus Hall classmates was future owner of the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders Al Davis, whom McMahon beat out for starting right fielder on Erasmus Hall's baseball team. As a youth, he also played sandlot baseball for the Flatbush Robins, where his batting average was always in excess of .350.

Career McMahon was signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent in 1950. He reached the big leagues at the advanced age of 27 after playing minor league ball for about years and spending two years in the military (May 30, 1951 – May 17, 1953). After returning from military service, he had a 6–5 record and 4.50 ERA with the Class-B Evansville Braves in 1953; starting 12 of the 26 games in which he appeared. He was promoted to the Braves' Double-A affiliate in 1954, where manager Whitlow Wyatt converted him into a full-time relief pitcher.

McMahon improved over the prior season, now pitching almost exclusively in relief, but when promoted to the Triple-A Toledo Sox in 1955, he had a poor year, with a 2–13 record and 5.01 ERA, starting 17 of the 42 games in which he appeared. He split the 1956 season between Double-A ball, where his record was 4–2 with a 2.00 ERA, pitching 13 of 14 games in relief; and the Triple-A Wichita Braves, where he was 4–4, with a 4.35 ERA; starting only six out of his 40 games.

McMahon was on the Braves 1957 spring training roster, but started the season with Wichita. He pitched almost exclusively in relief, and improved to 6–2 with a 2.92 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched.

Major leagues

Milwaukee Braves McMahon was called up to the Milwaukee Braves in June of 1957, during the team's run to the National League championship and eventual World Series success. McMahon believed he was the first pitcher to come up to the major leagues strictly as a relief pitcher. He appeared in 32 regular season games for the Braves, all in relief. He had a 1.54 ERA, eight saves (tied for 7th in the National League ), 46 strikeouts in 46.2 innings, and a 2–3 record.

In McMahon's first full major league season (1958), the Braves won the NL championship again, but this time lost to the Yankees in the World Series, four games to three. McMahon pitched in 38 games, all in relief. He had a 7–2 regular season record, with eight saves and a 3.68 ERA in 58.2 innings pitched. ), and a 2.57 ERA in 80.2 innings pitched (finishing more games (49) than any other pitcher in all of major league baseball). In 1960, his ERA rose by over 3 runs (5.94) and his record was 3–6. He regained form in 1961, appearing in 53 games with a 6–4 record, eight saves, and 2.84 ERA. In early May of 1962, however, he had pitched in only two games for the Braves when they sold McMahon's contract rights to the Houston Colt 45s.

Colt 45s McMahon came to the Colt 45s in their first year of existence, after the NL expansion in 1962. He pitched in 51 games for the Colt 45s, who finished their first season 64–96–2; but McMahon had a 5–5 record with eight saves and a sterling 1.53 ERA to go along with 69 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched. As part of the new team's efforts to gain fans, the Brooklyn-born McMahon and teammate Hal Woodeshick competed in a cow-milking contest against the Cincinnati Reds. His ERA rose to 4.05 in 1963, with a 1–5 record. He had a 6–4 record, with a 2.41 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 101 innings pitched. His ERA rose in 1965 to 3.28, with a 3–3 record and 11 saves. On June 2, 1966, he and Lee Stange were traded to the Boston Red Sox for fellow relief pitcher Dick "the Monster" Radatz. One year to the day after being traded to the Red Sox, the team traded him to the Chicago White Sox for versatile infielder Jerry Adair on June 2, 1967. McMahon excelled for the White Sox. He appeared in 52 games as a relief pitcher, with a 1.67 ERA, 5–0 record, three saves, and 74 strikeouts in 91.2 innings pitched. In 1968, McMahon had appeared in 25 games for the White Sox, with a 1.96 ERA, when he was traded to the Detroit Tigers for Dennis Ribant on July 26. The Tigers won the AL championship, and then defeated the St. Louis Cardinals four games to three in the 1968 World Series. McMahon pitched in two World Series games, giving up three runs in two innings, including a three-run home run to future Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda.

On August 8, 1969, McMahon had a 3.89 ERA with a 3–5 record and 11 saves, when the Tigers traded him to the San Francisco Giants for a player to be named later (Cesar Gutierrez). ). He also had a 9–5 record and 2.96 ERA, with 74 strikeouts in 94.1 innings pitched. He appeared in two NLCS games, pitching three innings without giving up a hit, base on balls or a run.

In 1972, he appeared in 44 games for the Giants, with a 3.71 ERA, and was released by the Giants, effectively forcing his retirement. However, the Giants re-signed McMahon in late-June 1973 because their bullpen pitching was weak. At age 43, in his first game back, he got the six Atlanta Braves he faced out in succession (including Hank Aaron). That year, McMahon had 22 relief appearances with a 4–0 record, six saves, and 1.48 ERA. He was again released at the end of the season, and was re-signed in May of 1974. His major league career ended in July 1974, when after pitching only 11.2 innings, the Giants released McMahon for the final time.

In his final game, at the age of 44 (by far the oldest player in Major League Baseball at that time ), McMahon pitched two scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers (June 29, 1974). Unlike some other players who pitched into their 40s, such as his contemporary Hoyt Wilhelm, McMahon still relied on the fastball as his principal pitch.

He recorded his 1,000th strikeout at the age of 44 on May 27, 1974 on All-Star shortstop Don Kessinger of the Chicago Cubs. A little more than a month later, when McMahon retired, only Hoyt Wilhelm, Lindy McDaniel, and Cy Young had pitched in more games.

For his career he finished with a lifetime record of 90–68, 153 saves, 506 games finished, and an earned run average of 2.96. As of the conclusion of the 2006 season, McMahon ranked 17th all-time for fewest hits allowed per 9 innings pitched (7.24). Through 2024, he ranks 21st all time in hits allowed per nine innings.

McMahon held Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Johnny Bench, Harmon Killebrew, Bill Mazeroski, Joe Morgan, Stan Musial, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, and Willie Stargell to a .149 collective batting average (28-for-188). Coaching McMahon served as the Giants pitching coach from 1972 to 1975, and also from 1980 to 1982. He was activated by San Francisco for parts of the 1972, 1973, and 1974 seasons when the Giants needed his experienced and effective arm to help out in the bullpen. (Relievers Elías Sosa and Randy Moffitt - brother of tennis star Billie Jean King - were shouldering most of the load, and were not getting enough help from the others.) He also was the pitching coach of the Minnesota Twins from 1976 to 1977 and of the Cleveland Indians from 1983 to 1985.

Personal life During his playing career, McMahon served as a football scout for his old high school teammate Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders. He was buried at the Good Shepherd Cemetery in Huntington Beach, California, Don had several children with his wife Darlene, including his son Jack and Mike McMahon. At the time of Mr. McMahon's death the family lived in Garden Grove, California.