The Saga of Sudden Sam: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Sam McDowell by Sam McDowell and Martin Gitlin

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Saga of Sudden Sam: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Sam McDowell by Sam McDowell and Martin Gitlin David Bohmer Sam McDowell with Martin Gitlin. The Saga of Sudden Sam: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Sam McDowell. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2022, 171 pp. Cloth, $26.95. As a teenager residing in suburban Cleveland in the early 1960s I remember Sam McDowell as the great young hope for the future success of the Indians. In effect, he would be the next Herb Score, a southpaw strikeout artist who could return the ball club to its glory days of the 1950s. It didn’t happen. There were flashes of brilliance. McDowell often led the league in strike-outs, was frequently named to the All- Star team, and once even won twenty games. Yet he always seemed to fall short of expectations. I even recall a professor in graduate school alleging McDowell had been satisfied just knowing he could have been great. While a solid pitcher with Cleveland, his career went downhill after he was traded, never coming close to his earlier years. Reliving that history, the book did not disappoint me, since it also explained why McDowell had never reached his potential, and his career ultimately fell apart. At the same time, that explanation— his problems with alcohol— keeps this from being categorized as just a baseball book. It is the story of a very talented athlete with exceptional potential doomed not to reach it. That athlete could have been from any sport, but it so happened McDowell excelled at baseball. [End Page 138] Along with that talent, he was a narcissist who suffered from depression. Although he excelled at sports and academics in high school, nothing seemed to fulfill him personally. While his baseball skills did not, he eventually discovered that alcohol would. Drinking was not uncommon for ballplayers, but for one with McDowell’s other problems it became a crutch. It also slowly affected his performance and family. Ultimately, it ended his baseball career as well as his first marriage. It didn’t help that the Indians lacked a supportive structure for him both on and off the field in the 1960s. By the time he was traded to the Giants, he was well on the way to failure. However, this is also a book about redemption. Joining Alcoholics Anonymous and adhering to its program, McDowell was ultimately able to control his addiction. It also led him to a new life as a counselor for ballplayers suffering from alcohol and drug abuse. He worked for years with two major league clubs, also counseling former players suffering from addictions. While his own rehabilitation was too late to save his marriage, it did turn around his relationship with his children and helped lead to what has truly been a productive life after his playing career ended. In many regards, McDowell has accomplished far more in his life than had he been a Hall of Fame talent in baseball. My expertise is not in counseling, psychology, or alcoholism, so it’s hard to disagree with the authors’ assessments in those areas. As a student of baseball I can question McDowell’s opinion that the 1968 Indians’ pitching staff may have been one of the best— solid, yes, but great, doubtful. I also would submit that the change in the strike zone before the 1963 season had more impact on pitching dominance in the ’60s than did the higher pitcher’s mound. But those are minor quibbles. This is both an interesting and a rewarding read, a story of someone finding true purpose and success after having come close to hitting rock bottom. McDowell was good at baseball but much better at his later pursuits once alcohol was no longer his crutch. Copyright © 2023 University of Nebraska Press