Highlighted Year: Art Mahaffey, 1962

Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies

Age: 24 (June 4)

3^rd season with Phillies

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 185 

Prior to 1962:

A Cincinnati native, Mahaffey was tall and thin at Cincinnati’s Western High School, which had a top-flight baseball program. Playing American Legion ball as well as high school, he developed his pitching skill and drew the attention of major league scouts. Mahaffey signed with the Phillies in 1956 and was assigned to Mattoon of the Class D Midwest League where he started 10 games and produced a 4-4 record and 5.28 ERA with 61 strikeouts over 75 innings. Concerned that he was too thin to have the necessary stamina to be a major league pitcher, in the offseason he filled out a bit. With teams at the Class C and B level in 1957 his tally was a combined 12-11 with a 4.79 ERA, 7 complete games, and 174 strikeouts over 205 innings. He spent 1958 with High Point-Thomasville of the Class B Carolina League (his second stop the previous season), where he went 5-1 with a 2.12 ERA before being promoted to Williamsport of the Class A Eastern League where his season ended after three appearances (that produced no record) due to surgery for a sports hernia. Mahaffey started the 1959 season with Williamsport, where he produced an 8-0 tally before advancing to the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AAA International League where his record was 8-5 with a 4.42 ERA and 81 strikeouts over 108 innings pitched. Prone to inconsistency, he found himself back with Buffalo in 1960 where he started the season off at 11-9 with a 3.74 ERA before being called up to the Phillies in June, who were sorely in need of pitching help. Due to an excellent pickoff move to first base, the highly self-confident Mahaffey picked off the first three major league batters to reach base against him. He also possessed an effective fastball and curve and finished up his rookie major league season with a 7-3 tally and 2.31 ERA with 5 complete games that included a shutout, and 56 strikeouts over 93.1 innings. He placed third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Hindered by a back injury, control problems, and playing for a cellar-dwelling club in 1961, Mahaffey had some fine performances, including a 17-strikeout outing against the Cubs, but also lost 10 straight decisions at one point and also was struck in the face by a thrown ball. Along the way he was an All-Star selection for the Phillies. His record for the year was 11-19 with a 4.10 ERA, 12 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 158 strikeouts over 219.1 innings.

1962 Season Summary

Appeared in 42 games

P – 41, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 41

Games Started – 39 [3, tied with Billy O’Dell]

Complete Games – 20 [2, tied with Billy O’Dell]

Wins – 19 [5, tied with Billy O’Dell]

Losses – 14 [10, tied with six others]

PCT - .576 [16, tied with Billy O’Dell]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 2 [10, tied with fourteen others]

Innings Pitched – 274 [4]

Hits – 253 [9]

Runs – 131 [4, tied with Dick Ellsworth]

Earned Runs – 120 [1]

Home Runs – 36 [1]

Bases on Balls – 81 [13]

Strikeouts – 177 [8]

ERA – 3.94

Hit Batters – 12 [2, tied with Bob Shaw & Bob Bruce]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 7 

League-leading earned runs allowed were +2 ahead of runner-up Dick Ellsworth

League-leading home runs allowed were +1 ahead of runner-up Roger Craig

Midseason Snapshot: 10-9, ERA - 3.93, SO - 85 in 137.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 12 (in 9 IP) at NY Mets 8/2

10+ strikeout games – 2

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 4 (in 9 IP) vs. NY Mets 6/6, (in 9 IP) vs. Pittsburgh 7/28, (in 9 IP) at Houston 9/3, (in 7 IP) at Mil. Braves 4/24

Batting

PA – 106, AB – 92, R – 6, H – 13, 2B – 0, 3B – 1, HR – 2, RBI – 10, BB – 3, SO – 29, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .141, GDP – 3, HBP – 1, SH – 10, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 38

Put Outs – 14

Assists – 24

Errors – 0

DP – 1

Pct. - 1.000

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

26^th in NL MVP voting, tied with Del Crandall, MilB & Ed Roebuck LAD (2 points – 1% share)

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The Phillies went 81-80 to finish seventh in the NL, 20 games behind the pennant-winning San Francisco Giants. Following four straight last-place finishes, the retooling Phillies started slowly but finished strong in August and September to nose just above .500 with Mahaffey barely missing out on a 20-win season. Mahaffey won his 19^th game in mid-September but failed in three subsequent starts to notch his 20^th. As a batter one of his two home runs was a grand slam against the New York Mets at the Polo Grounds.

Aftermath of 1962:

Hindered by shoulder and ankle injuries in 1963, Mahaffey’s performance dropped off to 7-10 and a 3.99 ERA with 6 complete games, one shutout, and 97 strikeouts over 149 innings. The Phillies appeared to be on the way to the NL pennant in 1964 before suffering an epic collapse in September. The slide started in a home game against Cincinnati with Mahaffey on the mound, starting with a 12-8 record at that point, he had lost his last two decisions and been bumped from his previous scheduled start. Engaged in a scoreless pitching duel against Cincinnati RHP John Tsitouris, Reds infielder Chico Ruiz reached third base in the seventh inning and stole home with slugger Frank Robinson at bat, beating Mahaffey’s wide throw to catcher Clay Dalrymple to score what would prove to be the game’s only run and sending Mahaffey to not only his ninth loss of the season, but spurring what would turn out to be a 10-game Philadelphia losing streak. Mahaffey started only one more game and finished with a 12-9 tally and 4.52 ERA with two complete games (both shutouts) and 80 strikeouts over 157.1 innings. In 1965 a sore arm limited Mahaffey to 71 innings and a 2-5 record with a 6.21 ERA. Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in the offseason, he appeared in only 12 games and went 1-4 with a 6.43 ERA. Demoted to the Tulsa Oilers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, he produced a 4-4 tally and 5.05 ERA in 11 starts. Dealt to the New York Mets in 1967, he continued pitching in the minors and never played for the Mets. A torn rotator cuff put an end to his career at age 29. For his major league career, which was almost entirely spent with the Phillies, Mahaffey posted a 59-64 record with a 4.17 ERA, 46 complete games, 9 shutouts, and 639 strikeouts over 999 innings. He was a three-time All-Star. Following his playing career, Mahaffey worked in insurance. A pitcher who struggled with inconsistency and physical maladies, at his best he had some very impressive performances. 

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.