Mike Marshall

    Mike Marshall was one of the most valuable relievers in history. He was effective as a short reliever or a long reliever, depending on the need. Nicknamed Iron Mike, he was always ready to come out of the pen, pitching 90 or more games in three separate seasons. 

    Michael Grant Marshall started his Big League career with the Tigers in 1967, pitching to a 1.98 ERA in 37 appearances. He spent all of 1968 and much of 1969 in the minors trying to become a starter, and made 14 starts for the Seattle Pilots in 1969. Marshall became a full time stopper in 1971, leading the NL with 52 games finished for the Montreal Expos. He had his breakthrough season in 1972, posting a 1.78 ERA in 65 games (116 innings). Proving he was no fluke, Marshall led the Majors with 92 appearances in 1973 and won the Cy Young Award in 1974, turning in 15 wins, 21 saves, and a 2.42 ERA in a Major League record 106 games. He also set the MLB record for relief innings in a season with 208 1/3, a record that will likely never be broken. All those innings seemed to take a toll on his arm, as he was less effective for the next couple seasons, but was back to form in 1978, converting 21 saves and putting up a 2.45 ERA. Marshall was even better in 1979, appearing in 90 games at age 36 and leading his league in saves for the third time in his career. He pitched part of the next two seasons before he hung up his spikes. 

    Mike Marshall is seldom remembered today (and never comes up in Hall of Fame debates) for one simple reason; he pitched before everyone cared about save totals. He collected 188 of them in his 16 year career (the fourth most of all time when he retired), but once you get a few Mariano Riveras and Trevor Hoffmans who triple that number, Marshall looks rather small. However, unlike most closers in the Hall of Fame, Marshall was not just a three out pitcher; he pitched 208 innings one year and 179 in another. He routinely pitched two or three scoreless innings at a time, which holds much more value than nailing down a three run game by recording three outs, where there is very little risk of blowing the lead. The sportswriters of his day recognized his value, voting him to a Cy Young Award in 1974, a second place finish in 1973, fourth in 1972, fifth in 1979, and seventh in 1978. Modern fans should also recognize the impact Mike Marshall had on his teams and on the history books.