1. Overview
Michael Francis McCormick was an American baseball pitcher who played for 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1956 to 1971. A left-handed pitcher, he primarily served as a starting pitcher for five different teams, most notably the New York/San Francisco Giants. McCormick made his professional debut at the young age of 17, having bypassed the minor leagues due to the then-active Bonus Rule. He achieved significant success in his career, notably winning the prestigious Cy Young Award in 1967, becoming the first pitcher in Giants franchise history to receive the honor. That same year, he also led the National League in wins and was recognized with the Comeback Player of the Year Award. Additionally, he earned an ERA title in 1960 and was selected for two All-Star Games. After retiring from baseball, McCormick pursued successful careers in the securities business and office machine sales, while also maintaining a connection to baseball as a guest instructor and commentator for the Giants. He passed away in 2020 at the age of 81 after suffering from Parkinson's disease. His contributions to the San Francisco Giants were recognized with his induction into the San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame in 2006.
2. Early Life and Background
Michael Francis McCormick was born on September 29, 1938, in Pasadena, California. He attended Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, California. During his high school years, he was a prominent player in American Legion Baseball, where he compiled an impressive record of 49 wins against only 4 losses. He also threw four no-hitters and once struck out 26 batters in a single game, showcasing his exceptional talent from an early age.
After graduating from high school, McCormick married Carolyn Koehler on August 2, 1956. Just weeks later, on August 31, the New York Giants signed him as an amateur free agent. Despite his commitment to attend college at the University of Southern California, the Giants offered McCormick a significant signing bonus of 50.00 K USD to forgo his university plans and join their organization. Due to the Bonus Rule in effect at the time, which required teams to keep players signed for a certain bonus amount on their major league roster for a specified period, McCormick was prohibited from being placed in the minor leagues for two years. As a direct result, he bypassed the minor leagues entirely and went directly to the major leagues, commencing training with the Giants' first team the day after his signing.
3. Professional Career
Mike McCormick's professional baseball career spanned 16 seasons, characterized by his early debut, significant achievements including a Cy Young Award, and stints with multiple teams before his retirement.
3.1. Early Career and Debut
McCormick made his major league debut for the Giants on September 3, 1956, at the remarkably young age of 17. He entered the game as a relief pitcher for Rubén Gómez in the ninth inning of a 5-1 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies. In his debut, he efficiently retired all three batters he faced. Later in that same season, he made two starts, concluding his debut year with a win-loss record of 0-1 and an earned run average (ERA) of 9.45 across 6⅔ innings pitched.
In 1958, McCormick achieved his first season with double-digit wins. On June 12, 1959, he threw a five-inning rain-shortened no-hitter against the Phillies, allowing only one walk. Although the Phillies did record one hit and one run in the bottom of the sixth inning, the game was called due to rain before the inning was completed. This meant the game's statistics reverted to the end of the last full inning, which secured his no-hitter at the time. However, a significant statistical rule change in 1991 retroactively stipulated that no-hitters must last at least nine innings to be officially recognized. As a result, this game, along with 35 others, is no longer officially considered a no-hitter. In 1960, McCormick was selected for his first All-Star Game and also secured the ERA title, leading the National League with an ERA of 2.70. He was again selected for the All-Star Game in 1961.
3.2. Key Achievements and Awards
McCormick's 1967 season stands out as one of the most statistically impressive years of his career, marking a significant comeback. In this year, he led the National League in wins with 22 victories, remarkably defeating every team in the National League except the Giants themselves. At the conclusion of the 1967 season, McCormick was awarded the prestigious Cy Young Award, receiving 90% of the vote and 18 out of 20 first-place votes. This achievement made him the first pitcher in San Francisco Giants franchise history to win the award. Notably, from 1956 to 1966, the Cy Young Award was given to only one pitcher across both leagues, making his 1967 win even more significant as it marked a shift to a league-specific award. He remained the sole Giants pitcher to win the award for 41 years until Tim Lincecum earned it in 2008. In recognition of his exceptional performance and turnaround, McCormick also received the Comeback Player of the Year Award in 1967.
A notable anecdote from his career involves Hank Aaron's 500th home run. While it was once suggested that McCormick was the pitcher who gave up the 500th home run by an MLB pitcher, this calculation is believed to be a considerable underestimate and its basis is unclear. However, it is an undisputed fact that McCormick was the pitcher who surrendered Hank Aaron's 500th career home run. Due to his involvement in these two "500th home run" reports, McCormick famously personalized his license plate with the words "Mr. 500".
3.3. Team Changes and Later Career
Throughout his 16-season Major League Baseball career, Mike McCormick played for five different teams. He began his career with the New York Giants in 1956, and remained with the franchise as they relocated to become the San Francisco Giants in 1958, playing for them until the end of the 1962 season.
On December 15, 1962, McCormick was traded from the Giants to the Baltimore Orioles in a six-player deal that also sent Stu Miller and John Orsino to Baltimore in exchange for Jack Fisher, Billy Hoeft, and Jimmie Coker. He played two seasons with the Orioles (1963-1964).
After his time in Baltimore, he was dealt to the Washington Senators, where he played for two seasons (1965-1966). At the end of the 1966 season, McCormick returned to the San Francisco Giants in a trade that sent Cap Peterson and Bob Priddy to the Senators. He enjoyed a successful return to the Giants from 1967 to the middle of the 1970 season.
In the middle of the 1970 season, he was traded to the New York Yankees. The Yankees released him before the start of the 1971 season. McCormick then signed with the Kansas City Royals, with whom he played his last major league game on May 22, 1971, before retiring.
3.4. Career Statistics
| Year | Team | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | W | L | W-L% | TBF | IP | H | HR | BB | IBB | WP | SO | HBP | BK | R | ER | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | NYG SFG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -- | 0 | 1 | .000 | 36 | 6⅔ | 7 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 9.45 | 2.55 |
| 1957 | SFG | 24 | 5 | 1 | 0 | -- | 3 | 1 | .750 | 321 | 74⅔ | 79 | 7 | 32 | 2 | 3 | 50 | 4 | 1 | 37 | 34 | 4.10 | 1.49 |
| 1958 | 42 | 28 | 8 | 2 | -- | 11 | 8 | .579 | 773 | 178⅓ | 192 | 20 | 60 | 6 | 3 | 82 | 6 | 0 | 103 | 91 | 4.59 | 1.41 | |
| 1959 | 47 | 31 | 7 | 3 | -- | 12 | 16 | .429 | 972 | 225⅔ | 213 | 24 | 86 | 13 | 1 | 151 | 9 | 0 | 117 | 100 | 3.99 | 1.33 | |
| 1960 | 40 | 34 | 15 | 4 | -- | 15 | 12 | .556 | 1033 | 253.0 | 228 | 15 | 65 | 12 | 1 | 154 | 12 | 0 | 87 | 76 | 2.70 | 1.16 | |
| 1961 | 40 | 35 | 13 | 3 | -- | 13 | 16 | .448 | 1033 | 250.0 | 235 | 33 | 75 | 3 | 2 | 163 | 4 | 0 | 99 | 89 | 3.20 | 1.24 | |
| 1962 | 28 | 15 | 1 | 0 | -- | 5 | 5 | .500 | 447 | 98⅔ | 112 | 18 | 45 | 2 | 1 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 59 | 5.38 | 1.59 | |
| 1963 | BAL | 25 | 21 | 2 | 0 | -- | 6 | 8 | .429 | 591 | 136.0 | 132 | 18 | 66 | 4 | 0 | 75 | 3 | 0 | 70 | 65 | 4.30 | 1.46 |
| 1964 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -- | 0 | 2 | .000 | 81 | 17⅓ | 21 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 5.19 | 1.67 | |
| 1965 | WSA | 44 | 21 | 3 | 1 | -- | 8 | 8 | .500 | 654 | 158.0 | 158 | 17 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 88 | 1 | 1 | 64 | 59 | 3.36 | 1.23 |
| 1966 | 41 | 32 | 8 | 3 | -- | 11 | 14 | .440 | 884 | 216.0 | 193 | 23 | 51 | 8 | 2 | 101 | 6 | 1 | 98 | 83 | 3.46 | 1.13 | |
| 1967 | SFG | 40 | 35 | 14 | 5 | -- | 22 | 10 | .688 | 1073 | 262⅓ | 220 | 25 | 81 | 18 | 5 | 150 | 9 | 0 | 88 | 83 | 2.85 | 1.15 |
| 1968 | 38 | 28 | 9 | 2 | -- | 12 | 14 | .462 | 838 | 198⅓ | 196 | 17 | 49 | 13 | 2 | 121 | 9 | 0 | 92 | 79 | 3.58 | 1.24 | |
| 1969 | 32 | 28 | 9 | 0 | -- | 11 | 9 | .550 | 824 | 196⅔ | 175 | 20 | 77 | 8 | 1 | 76 | 6 | 2 | 81 | 73 | 3.34 | 1.28 | |
| 1970 | SFG NYY | 32 | 15 | 1 | 0 | -- | 5 | 4 | .556 | 452 | 99.0 | 106 | 17 | 49 | 8 | 3 | 49 | 4 | 0 | 73 | 68 | 6.18 | 1.57 |
| 1971 | KCR | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -- | 0 | 0 | ---- | 46 | 9⅔ | 14 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 9.31 | 1.97 |
| Career (16 years) | 484 | 333 | 91 | 23 | 12 | 134 | 128 | .511 | 10058 | 2380⅓ | 2281 | 256 | 795 | 101 | 24 | 1321 | 75 | 6 | 1100 | 986 | 3.73 | 1.29 | |
- Values in bold indicate the league's best for that season.
- NYG (New York Giants) changed its team name to SFG (San Francisco Giants) in 1958.
4. Later Life and Activities
After his retirement from professional baseball, Mike McCormick embarked on a career in the securities business. He established his own firm, a venture he had begun pursuing during his Major League Baseball offseasons.
After three years in the securities field, he transitioned to the office machine and copier industry. He worked for Ricoh, a multinational imaging and electronics company, and later for Danka, a document management company, before ultimately retiring from this career in 2002.
Despite his full retirement from professional playing, McCormick remained deeply connected to the San Francisco Giants organization. He annually served as a guest instructor for the team during their spring training sessions, sharing his experience and knowledge with younger players. He also actively participated in and conducted the team's fantasy camps, providing fans with unique baseball experiences. Additionally, he occasionally served as a commentator for Giants' games, offering insights and analysis to audiences.
5. Personal Life and Family
Mike McCormick had four children from his first marriage to Carolyn Koehler. Later in life, he was married to his wife Dierdre for 34 years, and together they had one daughter named Tara.
After McCormick retired from his business career with Danka in 2002, he and Dierdre relocated from Sunnyvale, California, where they had previously resided, and settled in Pinehurst, North Carolina. In North Carolina, McCormick became involved with the O'Neal School in Southern Pines, North Carolina, assisting their baseball program. He also generously donated some of his personal baseball memorabilia to the school to aid their fundraising efforts through auctions.
A notable incident in McCormick's personal life occurred during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. His Cy Young Award plaque, a symbol of his career's pinnacle, fell off the wall of his Cupertino condominium and was damaged. Despite initially considering repairs for a crack on the back of the plaque, McCormick ultimately decided against it. He reportedly remarked that the plaque "had more character now" due to the damage, embracing its new, unique appearance. He subsequently housed the award in a special room, alongside other cherished memorabilia from his illustrious baseball career.
6. Death
Mike McCormick died on June 13, 2020, at his home in North Carolina. He was 81 years old at the time of his passing. In the years leading up to his death, McCormick had been suffering from Parkinson's disease, which was the cause of his demise.
7. Legacy and Honors
Mike McCormick left a significant legacy in Major League Baseball, particularly with the San Francisco Giants. His professional achievements earned him several notable honors. He was recognized with the Cy Young Award in 1967, becoming the first Giants pitcher to win this prestigious award. In the same year, he was also the National League wins leader with 22 victories and received The Sporting News National League Comeback Player of the Year Award. Earlier in his career, in 1960, he led the National League in earned run average (ERA). He was also selected for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game twice, in 1960 and 1961.
In recognition of his contributions to the franchise, Mike McCormick was inducted into the San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame in 2006. This honor solidifies his place among the notable figures in Giants history.