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Frank Linzy
Frank Alfred Linzy was a major league star for a decade, yet he has retained a folksy friendliness and unassuming air.
Linzy, now living the life of a semi-retired coalminer, on a baseball pension of "over $1,500 a month," was one of baseball's best relief pitchers from 1965 through '74. He was the National League Rookie Pitcher of the Year in '65, with a 9-3 record, 21 saves (second in the NL) and a league-leading 1.43 earned run average for the San Francisco Giants. All for the minimum major league salary of $7,200.
Over 11 major league seasons, in which he never made more than $32,000 a year, Linzy had a 62-57 record, 111 saves and 2.85 ERA. If you had a dollar for every major league pitcher with an ERA better than 3.00 after 10 seasons you still wouldn't have enough for the mortgage company next month.
But ask Linzy about his major league career or anything else, for that matter and you get an aw, shucks answer and it's sincere. He is humorous in the grand Will Rogers tradition, too.
Ask him about his career ERA and he says, "That's because I threw crooked. When the ball hit the outfield it would hit the ground and die. It wouldn't jump. I had a different spin on the ball, like a dry spitter was what it was. It was just natural. I don't really know how I did it."
Ask him how he learned to throw a sinkerball and he says, "I found that by accident in '62. I was warming up in the bullpen and I saw the ball sink about six inches and I thought, "How in the world did I do that?' I finally figured out that you just hold the slick part of the ball, not on the seams."
Ask him about his first three pro seasons (1960-62), when he was a pitcher and an outfielder, and he says, "I couldn't hit the curveball.
I could swing at it, but I couldn't hit it. I kept swinging at it, too."
Ask him about his duties as a coalminer and he says, "I ran a drag line. I'd just sit there and dig dirt and throw it over yonder. To me, it's easier than playing ball. You don't have to run anywhere or dodge line drives or none of that stuff."
Ask him about his activities now and he says, "I've got a great big garden, cattle and pecan trees. I mow my yard, my mother-in-law's yard and my mother's yard and between that and hunting and fishing I don't know how I'd find time to work."
Ask Linzy about baseball today and he says he watches games on television "nearly every night." He adds: "I think once you like it, you can't keep from liking it." - The Oklahoman from July 19, 1988
I enjoyed the whole article. Tried to capture the glasses as best I could.
i'll get the others I owe folks tomorrow. Been a busy week at the real job.
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