When the Tigers began the 1968 season in first place, winning nine consecutive games after losing the season opening game, McLain made controversial statements in early May by criticizing Detroit fans for being, " the biggest front-running fans in the world.

When that season ended, Short dealt his best starting pitcher and the left side of his infield to the Detroit Tigers for erstwhile 30-game-winner Denny McLain, who had spent most of the 1970 campaign suspended because of gambling allegations.

In, McLain became the last pitcher in Major League Baseball to win 30 or more games during a season ( 31 – 6 )— a feat accomplished by only thirteen players in the 20th century.

McLain pitched ineffectively in the final game and the Tigers lost to finish the season one game behind the Red Sox.

McLain went on to have a remarkable season in 1968, producing a 31 – 6 record along with a 1. 96 earned run average, as the Tigers led from start to finish to win the American League pennant.

Having already pitched an impressive 336 innings and 28 complete games during the regular season, a sore-armed McLain lost twice to National League Cy Young Award winner, Bob Gibson to help put the Tigers down three games to one.

After the season, when McLain was asked about Lolich's performance in the World Series, he responded controversially by saying: “ I wouldn ’ t trade one Bob Gibson for 12 Mickey Loliches .”

Despite the troubles, McLain had another productive season in 1969, winning 24 games and won a second consecutive Cy Young Award, tying with Baltimore ’ s Mike Cuellar, marking the first time two players had shared the award.

McLain was suspended indefinitely by Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn ; the suspension was then set for the first three months of the 1970 season.

After the 1971 season, McLain was traded to the Oakland Athletics for journeyman pitcher Jim Panther and prospect Don Stanhouse ( who would go on to have a few good years as the Baltimore Orioles ' closer in the late 1970s ).

In the first third of the 20th century ( especially after the Live Ball Era ), winning 30 games became the rare mark of excellent achievement ; this standard diminished to 25 games during the 1940s through 1980s ( the only pitcher to win 30 or more games during that time was Denny McLain in 1968, in what was an anomalous pitching-dominated season ).

In 1974, after Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Denny McLain had retired from the major leagues ( two years earlier ), McLain played a season for the London Majors, restricting himself to home games at Labatt Park.

Since the beginning of the 1921 season, the first full season of the live-ball era, only three pitchers have had 30-win seasons ( Lefty Grove in 1931, Dizzy Dean in 1934, and Denny McLain in 1968 ).

The team featured five regulars who hit at least. 300, a 30-game winner in Dizzy Dean ( the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in a single season, and the last pitcher in Major League Baseball to do so until Denny McLain accomplished the feat for the Detroit Tigers ), and four All-Stars, including player-manager Frisch.

Tigers pitcher Denny McLain, who won one of the games in the 1968 Series, had won 31 games during the season, outdoing Dizzy Dean.

The last pitcher to win more games in a season was Denny McLain, with 31 wins in 1968.

Rodríguez went to Detroit with shortstop Ed Brinkman and pitchers Joe Coleman and Jim Hannan before the 1971 season in an eight-player trade that brought Denny McLain to the Senators along with Don Wert, Elliott Maddox, and Norm McRae.

In 1974, after Denny McLain had retired from the major leagues two years earlier, McLain played a season for the London Majors.

Then, in 1970, the team fell to 79 – 83 in a season marked by the suspension of McLain amid gambling allegations.

Mike Cuellar shared the Cy Young Award with Detroit's Denny McLain.

McLain was brash and outspoken, sometimes creating controversy by criticizing teammates and fans with little provocation.

Upon his graduation from high school in June 1962, McLain was signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent and was assigned to play with the Harlan Smokies of the Appalachian League.

In 1966, McLain had a 13-4 record by mid-season to earn the role of starting pitcher for the American League in the 1966 All-Star Game, where he retired all nine batters that he faced with just 28 pitches.

McLain had an off year, finishing with a 17 – 16 record and a 3. 79 earned run average and was winless after August 29.

McLain had grown up idolizing New York Yankee center fielder, Mickey Mantle, who entered the game tied with Jimmie Foxx for third place in the major league career home runs list.

When Mantle came to bat in the eighth inning with McLain and the Tigers holding a 6-1 lead, McLain intentionally threw a soft pitch directly over home plate.

McLain created more dissension when he clashed with Tigers ' manager Mayo Smith over the latter's role in the firing of Johnny Sain as the team's pitching coach.

) A representative from Pepsi then offered McLain a contract with the company, just for doing a few endorsements.

McLain then received a seven day suspension in September for dousing two sportswriters ( Jim Hawkins of the Detroit Free Press and Watson Spoelstra of the Detroit News ) with buckets of water.

On October 9, 1970, McLain was traded by the Detroit Tigers with Elliott Maddox, Norm McRae and Don Wert to the Washington Senators for Joe Coleman, Eddie Brinkman, Jim Hannan and Aurelio Rodríguez.

Due to his arm troubles and his inability to get along with Williams, McLain went 10 – 22.

After short stints with minor league clubs in Des Moines and Shreveport, McLain retired.

As governor, Brown was again California's favorite son in 1960, winning his home state with a large margin to his only opponent George H. McLain .< ref >

In 1968, Denny McLain won 31 games and Bob Gibson had a 1. 12 ERA, while Carl Yastrzemski led the American League in hitting with a. 301 average.

Although the game does not use any real Major League Baseball teams, one of the default teams, the American Dreams, included players with names that are based on real ( former ) baseball players such as " Pete " ( Pete Rose ), " Hank " ( Hank Aaron ), " Babe " ( Babe Ruth ), " Sandie " ( Sandy Koufax ), " Cy " ( Cy Young ), " Denny " ( Denny McLain ), and " Willie " ( Willie Mays ).

McLain won 31 games and Lolich won 17 as the Tigers ran away with the pennant.

His daughter Sharyn married Denny McLain, a former star pitcher with the Detroit Tigers.

Broadcasting the Tigers ' games on TV London with veteran local sportscaster Pete James were former Tiger greats Mickey Lolich and later, Denny McLain.

* Nobody's Perfect by Denny McLain with Dave Diles ( The Dial Press, New York, 1975 ).

On September 14, 1968, at Tiger Stadium in front of a nationally televised audience, McLain pitched the Tigers to a 5-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics to become Major League Baseball ’ s first 30-game winner since.

After the Tigers had clinched the 1968 American League pennant, McLain added to his penchant for notoriety while pitching in his 31st victory in a game against the New York Yankees on September 19, 1968.

After the game, McLain smilingly denied that he had served up an easy pitch for Mantle to hit, however, he was later reprimanded by Major League Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn.

McLain also earned his second All-Star berth and won the American League Cy Young Award as well as the American League Most Valuable Player Award.

* Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers becomes the first pitcher in Major League Baseball to win 30 or more games since Dizzy Dean of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1934.

* Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Denny McLain, Major League Baseball

Since then, The Corner has been used periodically to videotape special segments, such as the appearance of Denny McLain on Fox Sports Net's Beyond the Glory and a pregame piece for the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game featuring Ernie Harwell.

For his outstanding year, Cuellar tied the Detroit Tigers ' pitcher Denny McLain for the American League Cy Young Award.

Gibson would be looking to become the first National League pitcher to win six World Series games while McLain would be pitching in his first World Series game.

He also finished third in the American League Most Valuable Player balloting, with two Detroit Tigers finishing ahead of him: pitcher Denny McLain won the award, and catcher Bill Freehan finished second.

* Kevin McLain ; National Football League player