Ray Washburn
Encyclopedia
Ray Clark Washburn is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
. Washburn, a right-hander, pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals
from to and the Cincinnati Reds
in .
A 1961 graduate of Whitworth University
, Washburn, a $50,000 "bonus baby," went 12-9 with the Cardinals as a rookie in . A shoulder muscle tear midway into the season sidelined him for the remainder of the year and limited his effectiveness for the next two years afterwards. Relying mostly on a curveball, Washburn returned to the starting rotation in , winning 11 games against 9 losses; in , he won 10 games against 7 losses on a Cardinal team that won the World Series
, defeating the Boston Red Sox
in seven games. He had missed nearly a month of action that season after his thumb was dislocated by a Johnny Roseboro
line drive single on June 21.
was Washburn’s best season; he posted a 14-8 record with a 2.26 earned run average
on a Cardinals team that repeated as National League
champions. The wins and ERA were a career best, as was his strikeout
total (124). Washburn also no-hit
the San Francisco Giants
2-0 at Candlestick Park on September 18 of that year; the no-hitter was the first by a Cardinal since Lon Warneke
in and came one day after the Giants’ Gaylord Perry
had pitched a no-hitter of his own, defeating the Cardinals and Bob Gibson
—the first time in Major League history that back-to-back no-hitters had been pitched in the same series. In Game Three of the World Series
against the Detroit Tigers
, Washburn allowed home runs to Al Kaline
and Dick McAuliffe
but only two hits otherwise, and defeated the Tigers 7-3. However, he was shelled in Game Six, giving up five runs in two innings, the last three coming in a record-tying 10-run third inning for the Tigers, who won the game 13-1. St. Louis then lost Game Seven the very next day, and the Series with it—after leading three games to one.
Washburn slumped to 3-8 as a spot starter during the season, after which the Cardinals traded him to the Cincinnati Reds for another 1968 no-hit pitcher, George Culver
. Washburn pitched mostly in relief
on a Reds team that won the National League pennant, its first in nine years. His last Major League appearance was in the final game of that year's World Series
, in which the Baltimore Orioles
defeated the Reds in five games.
In his career, Washburn won 72 games and lost 64 with a 3.53 earned run average and struck out 700 batters in 1209 innings pitched
.
On May 12, , Washburn threw the first pitch in the history of Busch Stadium II; the Cardinals defeated the Atlanta Braves
in 12 innings. He also pitched, as a Red, in the first game at Riverfront Stadium on June 30, , also against the Braves.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. Washburn, a right-hander, pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
from to and the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in .
A 1961 graduate of Whitworth University
Whitworth University
Whitworth University is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Spokane, Washington, United States, that offers Bachelor's and Master's degrees in a variety of academic disciplines. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church...
, Washburn, a $50,000 "bonus baby," went 12-9 with the Cardinals as a rookie in . A shoulder muscle tear midway into the season sidelined him for the remainder of the year and limited his effectiveness for the next two years afterwards. Relying mostly on a curveball, Washburn returned to the starting rotation in , winning 11 games against 9 losses; in , he won 10 games against 7 losses on a Cardinal team that won the World Series
1967 World Series
The 1967 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the 1946 World Series, with the Cardinals winning in seven games for their second championship in four years and their eighth overall...
, defeating the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in seven games. He had missed nearly a month of action that season after his thumb was dislocated by a Johnny Roseboro
Johnny Roseboro
John Junior Roseboro was a Major League Baseball catcher and coach, who was born in Ashland, Ohio.-Career:A left-handed-hitter, Roseboro had a lifetime .249 batting average with 104 home runs and 548 RBI in 1585 games played with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , Minnesota Twins and...
line drive single on June 21.
was Washburn’s best season; he posted a 14-8 record with a 2.26 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
on a Cardinals team that repeated as National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
champions. The wins and ERA were a career best, as was his strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
total (124). Washburn also no-hit
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
2-0 at Candlestick Park on September 18 of that year; the no-hitter was the first by a Cardinal since Lon Warneke
Lon Warneke
Lonnie Warneke , nicknamed the "The Arkansas Hummingbird," was a Major League Baseball player, Major League umpire, county judge, U.S. Military serviceman, and businessman from Montgomery County, Arkansas whose career won-loss record as a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs and St...
in and came one day after the Giants’ Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Jackson Perry is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1962-1983 for eight different teams in his career. During a 22-year baseball career, Perry compiled 314 wins, 3,534 strikeouts, and a 3.11 earned run average...
had pitched a no-hitter of his own, defeating the Cardinals and Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
—the first time in Major League history that back-to-back no-hitters had been pitched in the same series. In Game Three of the World Series
1968 World Series
The 1968 World Series featured the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Tigers winning in seven games for their first championship since 1945, and the third in their history...
against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Washburn allowed home runs to Al Kaline
Al Kaline
Albert William "Al" Kaline is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kaline played his entire 22-year baseball career with the Detroit Tigers. Kaline still works for the Tigers as a front office official. Because of his lengthy career and...
and Dick McAuliffe
Dick McAuliffe
Richard John McAuliffe is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop and second baseman for the Detroit Tigers from to and for the Boston Red Sox from to . He was a part of the Tigers' 1968 World Series championship, and was known for his...
but only two hits otherwise, and defeated the Tigers 7-3. However, he was shelled in Game Six, giving up five runs in two innings, the last three coming in a record-tying 10-run third inning for the Tigers, who won the game 13-1. St. Louis then lost Game Seven the very next day, and the Series with it—after leading three games to one.
Washburn slumped to 3-8 as a spot starter during the season, after which the Cardinals traded him to the Cincinnati Reds for another 1968 no-hit pitcher, George Culver
George Culver
George Culver is a former professional baseball player who played pitcher in the major leagues from 1966-1974. Culver would play for the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies...
. Washburn pitched mostly in relief
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
on a Reds team that won the National League pennant, its first in nine years. His last Major League appearance was in the final game of that year's World Series
1970 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 10, 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Jackson 5 performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the game, which almost became an embarrassment when the group realized shortly before their performance that they weren't familiar with the lyrics...
, in which the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
defeated the Reds in five games.
In his career, Washburn won 72 games and lost 64 with a 3.53 earned run average and struck out 700 batters in 1209 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
On May 12, , Washburn threw the first pitch in the history of Busch Stadium II; the Cardinals defeated the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in 12 innings. He also pitched, as a Red, in the first game at Riverfront Stadium on June 30, , also against the Braves.