A true Giants icon that lived the transition from New York to San Francisco, Mike McCormick died, according to the Associated Press. He was 81 years old. He was most famous for winning the National League Cy Young Award in 1967. Prior to retiring after the 1971 season, McCormick had a brief stint with the New York Yankees.
According to the Giants, McCormick died on Saturday after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. The news became public on Tuesday, though.
He played for five franchises, including the Yankees
From 1956 to 1971, McCormick’s major league career lasted 16 years, over which he defended several uniforms, such as the Giants, Orioles, Senators, Yankees and Royals. Overall, he had a fantastic career with a 134-128 record and a 3.73 ERA.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Mike McCormick, a true gentleman and forever Giant,†Giants President and CEO Larry Baer said. “Like many Giants fans, I have many fond childhood memories of watching Mike pitch at Candlestick Park and then was blessed to call him my friend these past 30 years. As a member of the inaugural San Francisco Giants team in 1958, Mike helped establish baseball on the West Coast and then went on to play a major role in the legendary Giants teams of the 1960s, becoming San Francisco’s first pitcher to win a Cy Young Award.â€
He was a member of the All-Star team two times in his career, the first one coming in 1960 when he had a 2.60 ERA.
While the New York Yankees only had him for a brief period of time, and away from his prime, he was a part of their marvelous history.
The Yankees traded for him in 1970, and McCormick had a 2-0 record and a 6.10 ERA in 20.2 frames with the Bombers. He spent the bulk of his playing days with the Giants franchise.