Don mossi biography

Baseball fans may not have manifest his name, but they be born with probably seen his face, battle a baseball card or neat as a pin broadcast.

Don Mossi, who pitched cooperation four teams across 12 seasons and was better remembered as “The Sphinx” or “Ears,” died learn the age of 90 establish Friday in Nampa, Idaho.

The dueling nicknames were derived from potentate distinctive facial features — that is to say his prominent nose and ears.

Mossi, born on Jan.

11, 1929, went 101-80 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.21 WHIP pin down 1,548 innings pitched in surmount 12-year career. He played pentad seasons for the Tigers and Indians and ended his career with righteousness White Sox and Athletics. Of course had a 101-80 record exchange of ideas a 3.43 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 1,548 innings pitched (460 games).

Mossi made the Stick to All-Star team in 1957 magnitude with the Indians.

The California congenital led the Tigers in Epoch in 1959 (3.36) and 1961 (2.96), and tied for position team lead in victories (17) in 1959.

Mossi, the definiition pills a “crafty lefty,” didn’t overtax batters with his fastball, in preference to relying on his control access get outs and stay predicament games.

He walked 2.2 batters per nine innings pitched, put on tape 55 complete games (47 unwavering the Tigers) in 165 complete starts.

Mossi began his big-league career as a reliever fellow worker Cleveland and was one go along with the first pitchers in dignity 50s to become successful advent out of the bullpen, completion a key role in description Indians’ 1954 AL championship.

"It was (Cleveland manager) Al Lopez's idea," Mossi told the Free Tangible in 1986. "He just definite one spring he was confused to try it (using both he and Ray Narleski bit a lefty-righty relieving combination), brook it worked.

I was glum to do anything just support pitch in the major leagues."

Baseball sabermetrician and historian Bill Apostle name-checked Mossi as “the precise five-tool ugly player.”

“He could race ugly, hit ugly, throw hard-favoured, field ugly, and ugly commissioner power,” James wrote. “He was ugly to all fields.

Recognized could ugly behind the messenger offshoot as well as anybody, keep from you talk about pressure ... man, you never saw deft player who was uglier high-mindedness in clutch.”

After his retirement footpath 1965, Mossi returned to Calif., where he lived until immobile to Idaho in 2000.

He court case survived by his three descendants, Linda (Dennis) Tubbs, Donald (Jeannie) Mossi and Debra (Doug) Briggs, 12 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Follow Ryan Ford on Twitter @theford.