"Big guy. Throws like hell. Hitter can't see it. But he can't see you either. He's practically blind. Can't hit, field or run. Curve not much. Neither is sinker. Just throws fast one. Unpredictable where it'll go. – minor league scouting report [2]
Duren was a showman. In those days, the Yankee bullpen was a part of the short-porch right field and only a low chain link fence served as the boundary. When called upon by Casey Stengel to relieve, he would not use the gate, but preferred to hop the fence with one hand and begin a slow walk to the mound with his blue Yankee warm-up jacket covering his pitching arm; he followed this routine even on the hottest days. When he finally took the ball and began his warmups, the first pitch was sometimes a hard fastball 20 feet over the catcher's head. The succeeding warmup pitches would be thrown lower and lower (but not slower) until Duren would finally "find" the plate. He was so wild that he allegedly hit a player in the on-deck circle.
Duren stayed with the Yankees until May 8, 1961, when he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels with Johnny James and Lee Thomas in exchange for Tex Clevenger and Bob Cerv. [3] Shortly after being traded to the Angels, he struck out seven successive Red Sox batters, then an American League record. He was sold to the Philadelphia Phillies before the 1963 season. Early in the 1964 season, he was shipped to the Cincinnati Reds. Released by Cincinnati in April 1965, he was signed by the Phillies; after being released two months later, he joined the Washington Senators, but was released again on August 24 to bring a close to his 10-year Major League career.
Personal life
In 1983, Duren was presented with the Yankee Family Award for his conquering alcoholism, and for service as an alcohol abuse educator. [4] In 2003, Duren and author Tom Sabellico wrote the book, I Can See Clearly Now. Duren talks from the heart about life, baseball and alcohol. The foreword was written by Jim "Mudcat" Grant. [5]
Duren is the uncle of singer Blackie Lawless from the heavy metal band W.A.S.P.
Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg was named in honor of Duren. [6]
Duren was the inspiration for the character Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn in the movie Major League , according to its author and director David S. Ward. [7]
See also
References
- ↑ Metzler, Brian (June 26, 2007). "World Series hero cherishes Denver no-hitter – Triple-A gem 'was quite a thrill,' Ryne Duren says". Rocky Mountain News – via HighBeam.
- ↑ Votano, Paul (2002). Late and Close: A History of Relief Pitching. McFarland. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-786-41162-7 . Retrieved August 8, 2012.
- ↑ Yanks, Angels complete six player trade
- ↑ "Ryne Duren". Winning Beyond Winning. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008.
- ↑ Duren, Ryne; Sabellico, Tom (2003). I Can See Clearly Now. Aventine Press. ISBN 1-593-30013-1.
- ↑ Baker, Chris (July 12, 1984). "Sandberg Takes Cubs With Him on a Ride to the Top". Eugene Register-Guard . Retrieved October 30, 2013.
- ↑ Nashawaty, Chris (July 4, 2011). "A League Of Its Own". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on July 1, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
External links
- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Ryne Duren at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
- Ryne Duren at Baseball Almanac
- Ryne Duren at Find a Grave
| Ryne Duren | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:February 22, 1929 Cazenovia, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
| Died: January 6, 2011 (aged 81) Lake Wales, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 25, 1954, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 18, 1965, for the Washington Senators |
New York Yankees 1958 World Series champions | |
|---|---|
| |
| |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
