Don Schwall

Donald Bernard Schwall (born March 2, 1936 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox (1961–62), Pittsburgh Pirates (1963–66) and Atlanta Braves (1966–67).

Schwall was selected an All-Big Eight basketball star at the University of Oklahoma in 1957. A year later, he signed with the Red Sox.

In 1961, Schwall posted a 15–7 record with 91 strikeouts and a 3.22 earned run average, for a Boston team that finished 33 games out of first place and ten games under .500. He won his first six decisions, extended the dazzling first-year stats to 13–2, and won Rookie of the Year honors, beating out Hall of Fame-bound teammate Carl Yastrzemski. At Fenway Park, on July 31, he pitched three innings in the first All-Star Game tie in major league baseball history (1–1), occurred when the game was stopped in the 9th inning due to rain.

After a sub-par 1962 season (9–15), Schwall was sent to Pittsburgh. He and catcher Jim Pagliaroni were traded to the Pirates for first baseman Dick Stuart and pitcher Jack Lamabe. He went 6–12 in 1963, and later switched to a reliever, recording a career-best 2.92 ERA while winning nine games in 1965. The Pirates traded him to the Braves on June 15, 1966 for left-handed pitcher Billy O'Dell. Schwall finished his career with Atlanta early in the next season.

In seven seasons, Schwall compiled a 49–48 record with 408 strikeouts, a 3.72 ERA, 18 complete games, five shutouts, four saves, and 743 innings pitched in 172 games (103 as a starter).

Don Schwall was the second Red Sox player to be named the AL Rookie of the Year, joining Walter Dropo (1950), and later joined by Carlton Fisk (1972), Fred Lynn (1975), Nomar Garciaparra (1997), and Dustin Pedroia (2007).

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• 2002 interview
• Don Schwall at:
  • Baseball Almanac (MLB players who played for University of Oklahoma)
  • PSA Collectors Universe (article)