By TJ Troup
Today is Dick Ellsworth's 81st birthday and my remembrance of seeing him pitch in person.
June of 1958 the 18-year-old rookie lost his one and only start to Cincinnati at Crosley Field 6-2. Ellsworth walked Smokey Burgess to load the bases in the bottom of the third with one out, and was replaced by Glen Hobbie (allowed a Grand Slam homer to Gus Bell).
Dick earned a spot in the starting rotation at the age of 20 in 1960 and pitched well in May, but the highlight for him in '60 came against the Braves on June 29th in a 3-2 complete-game victory. The youngster was resilient as he walked 7 and gave up 5 hits but still won.
He was now 4-5 with a 2.39 e.r.a. The rest of 1960 was a struggle for the tall left-hander as he went 3-8 in the 176 innings he logged on the mound. The Chicago Cubs attempted something new in 1961, no, winning is still not gonna happen—the Cubs used rotating managers known as the "college of coaches". The men chosen had almost no success and was painful to watch for all of us young Cub fans(probably for old ones also?).
The one-year experiment was kept for a second year in 1962, and by this time as an 11-year-old shortstop playing little league and loving baseball watched many a Cub game on television. The expansion New York Metropolitans, and Houston Colt '45's were expected to finish 9th & 10th in the National League, but leave it to the Cubbies to finish behind Houston with a record of 59-103.
Any team that sends out Lou Brock, Ken Hubbs, George Altman, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, and Ernie Banks should win right? Right? Oh, someone has to go to the mound to pitch you say—there was no Cub pitching in 1962 and Dick Ellsworth lost 20 games. May 18th the Cubs held on to beat the Phillies 11-8 and Ellsworth got the win to improve to 3-4 but his e.r.a was a very poor 5.98.
The rest of the way he won but 6 and lost 16; including a 2-1 game to the Mets on September 29th. Bob Kennedy is named Manager, and the Cubs are playing rock-solid baseball during early '63, and Ellsworth is just not the same pitcher. Excellent control, and his sharp breaking curve is his go-to pitch when he needs it.
July 11th he beats the Reds 7-0 in an 11 inning thriller. Dick went the distance, and his record is now 12-6 with an e.r.a of 1.88! When it was his turn in the rotation for Cub home games on WGN....you bet I was right in front of the TV listening to Jack Brickhouse.
Though he was not chosen for the all-star team, he was having a season in the sun at the age of 23. My dad tells me we are going to Wrigley for the game against the pennant contending Dodgers on August 7th, and he ponies up the money for box seats behind home plate. Why you ask? Simply because the left arm of God is on the hill for the Dodgers—Mr. Sandy Koufax. Have attended over 100 baseball games in person in my lifetime, yet this game remains my fondest memory.
Nine innings in the books and we are tied 0-0! Ellsworth is matching Sandy pitch for pitch, out for out every inning. Though Dick does not have the fastball or even the jug handle curve that Koufax has, he nonetheless is razor-sharp. The crowd, and a twelve-year boy named Terrence John is gripped on every pitch as we enter the 10th. Ellsworth gives up a run, and in the bottom of the 10th Sandy is taken out after recording one out, and the Cubs tie the game.
Tommy Davis is the hitting hero for Los Angeles in the 11th, but his heroics could not mar the day for me. Seeing Koufax pitch in person is burned into my memory, but also of the young Cub left-hander who has found his groove.
Ellsworth entered the game with a record of 15-7 and Koufax at 18-4, and both men continued to win the rest of the month. September 28th in his last start of the year Dick beat the Braves 4-1 to finish 22-10 with a 2.10 e.r.a! At the end of the season, he is voted the AP's NL Comeback Player of the Year for his efforts.
Ellsworth has set a record that still stands, the biggest improvement in earned run average from one season to the next for men who pitched at least 200 innings. Going from 5.09 to 2.10 is just unheard of! There is excitement in Chicago in 1964 as pennant fever is alive and well for the Cubs, and Ellsworth on June 27th beats the Astros 2-1 to improve his record to 10-6, with an e.r.a of 2.87. He is chosen for the National League All-Star team, and of course, everyone is hopeful he can continue his outstanding pitching and keep the Cubs in the pennant race.
Ellsworth falters the second half as he goes 4 and 12 the rest of the way, as the Cubs fall out of contention. His 1965 season is off to a strong start and on June 30th he beats the Dodgers 4-1 to improve his record to 9-3, but again the second half he falters and goes 5-12 the rest of '65 as the Cubs finish in 8th place. Leo Durocher takes over and states, "This is not an 8th place ball club". Right, Leo, it is a 10th place ball club and you are responsible for the disaster in '66.
Dick Ellsworth struggles all year and finishes 8-22 with a 3.98 e.r.a. He allowed the most hits; 321 of any pitcher in the National League. From the victory over Dodgers in 1965 to the end of '66 he is 13-35 and is traded to Philadelphia for Ray Culp, August 12th, 1967 Dick Ellsworth shut-out the Cubs 9-0 to even his record at 4-4, and for the year he is 6-7 with a 4.38 e.r.a.
Ellsworth is again traded, and boy oh boy did the Red Sox get a steal in this deal. Ellsworth and Gene Oliver for Mike Ryan. Left-handers in Fenway see the green monster right behind them, but he faced a similar situation in Wrigley, and this tough-minded man is not gonna give in.
Dick wins 16 and loses but 7 for the Red Sox, and he finished strong in 1968 as he won his last three games allowing just 3 earned runs in 23 innings. He was involved in a major trade in 1969 between the Red Sox and Indians, and by the end of 1971, his career is over after a stint with the Brewers.
The final tally of 115 wins and 137 losses is not the stuff of Hall of Famers, but for one magic season he could stand next to Koufax & Warren Spahn as the best left-handed pitchers in baseball.
Happy Birthday Dick Ellsworth.
