The top three guys were an odd group. Blue was 22 years old; he
was a young black guy who was maybe the best athlete in the game.
Wood and Lolich were both fat white guys; Wood threw a knuckleball,
which allowed him to throw a tremendous amount of innings. And
Lolich...well, he threw hard, and didn't benefit too much from all
the extra work.
Wood was 29 years old. He had reached the majors at age 19,
but didn't pitch much for several years. He finally got a regular
job in the bullpen, and was one of the best relievers in the league
for four years. This year, manager Chuck Tanner decided that it was a
waste to have a good knuckleball pitcher throw 120 innings a year
when he could throw 320. This was the first of four straight 20+
win seasons for Wood. His career ended soon after, though; too many
innings and too much weight finally caught up to him.
Lolich was 30; he had been a fine pitcher for years with the
Tigers. In 1968, he won three games in the World Series. This year, the
Tigers' manager decided that Lolich was indestructible, and that he
could pitch 100 more innings than he ever had before. Lolich was
great, and became the poster boy for pot-bellied guys all over
America. He had another good year the following season, but was finished by
age 33.
Blue never regained his early brilliance, though he had a
pretty good career. He won 20 games two more times, and finished
with 209 wins. This year, he was sure tough to hit, and had good
control. I guess he could be considered a minor disappointment
considering his brilliant start, but you can't complain too much
about a guy who throws 312 innings at age 22, but remains healthy
enough to win 200 games.
