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Von and Lindy McDaniel Photo Gallery
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Bill Schaefer returns this week with the interesting story of the short-lived career of Von McDaniel, shown above with teammates Del Ennis and Stan Musial. Those of us who’ve been around for a while will remember the fine relief pitcher Lindy McDaniel. But how many remember that he had a younger brother, Von, who was a highly-touted bonus baby sensation? I’m sure our readers who are long-time Cardinal fans will recall with sadness his flash-in-the-pan career and will be thinking about “what might have been.” -GL
THE STRANGE CASE OF VON McDANIEL
“All the bright precious things fade so fast—and they don’t come back.” The Great Gatsby
“[Von McDaniel] was an instant major league pitching sensation in 1957, a struggling Class B hurler in 1958, and a career minor league infielder by 1959.” -Unknown sportswriter
As World War II sunk its teeth into Eastern Europe in 1939, worlds away in the tiny southwestern town of Hollis Oklahoma, on April 18, Newell and Ada Mae McDaniel were blessed with the middle of their three sons, Max Von McDaniel. Tenant farmers, the McDaniels survived The Great Depression and raised their children to follow the teachings of the Good Book. Seldom was any family member seen without a bible.
Older brother Lindy McDaniel was signed at 19 as a $50,000 “bonus baby” by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1955 and carved himself a fine 21- year career. Initially a starter, he became a premier relief pitcher for the Cards, Cubs, Giants, Yankees, and Royals. Lindy played with more than 300 teammates and pitched for eight different managers. Throwing a monster curve and a diving forkball, McDaniel was named The National League Sporting News Reliever of the Year twice.
THE METEORIC RISE OF VON McDANIEL
At age 18, Von McDaniel was considered a better pitching prospect than his older brother. A lean 180 pounds well proportioned over a 6’ 2” frame gave Von the look of an athlete. An all-state basketball star, he rejected a scholarship to Kansas University because his dream was to pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals—with his brother Lindy.
In his three years pitching for Arnett High School, Von hurled 243 innings, allowing only 25 hits. Hardly anyone got on base, so he had to receive special instruction on how to pitch from a stretch! He also batted .545.
All 16 Major League teams pursued him and many offered more than the $50,000 bonus given to Lindy. But his dad, Newell, was adamant, “Von will accept exactly what Lindy got, not a penny more or a penny less!” On May 23, 1957, just four days after graduating as class valedictorian, Von McDaniel signed a bonus contract for 50K, requiring him to start his career in the majors with the Cardinals. Three weeks later on June 13, barely 18, Von blanked the Phillies for four innings in a mop-up role, allowing only a single hit.
A few days later, the rookie entered a tie game at Ebbets Field and was about to face “The Duke of Flatbush,” Duke Snider. Shortstop Alvin Dark made a beeline for the mound to alert his kid pitcher, “You know who this is, Von?” The youngster’s reply was confident but respectful, “Oh sure. That’s Mr. Snider.” McDaniel then proceeded to fan the future Hall-of-Famer on five pitches. Von duplicated his previous performance with four scoreless innings of one-hit ball, resulting in his first win. The Duke enthused, “He’s real good…a fine curveball and exceptional control.”
On June 21, the young phenom made his first major league start at Busch Stadium against the same Brooklyn Dodgers and recorded a brilliant two-hit shutout. Another win at home against the Phillies gave him a 3-0 record for the month of June.
A couple of losses in July were bookended by a pair of sensational outings. On July second, Von took a perfect game into the seventh inning and topped the great Warren Spahn, 4-2, at Milwaukee’s County Stadium. Twenty-six days later, on a hazy, humid afternoon in St. Louis, Von faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of a doubleheader. It was his best game – a dazzling one-hit whitewash, retiring the first 22 batters he faced! He was now 5-2 heading into August and major league owners were drooling. They would enjoy a 20-percent increase in attendance when the teenager pitched, home or away.
Von McDaniel was an adorable wunderkind, with a wholesome country boy look. My best friend’s grandmother, effecting an unintentional yet perfect imitation of radio/ TV icon, Molly Goldberg, said, “Nice looking boy. Clean and cut.” He was also part of an emerging brother pitching act. During the summer of 1957, Lindy and Von were featured in Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, and Life. Each compared them to the legendary duo of Dizzy and Paul Dean. “These fellas are going a long way,” predicted Dizzy Dean. “One day they’ll sure enough win 49 games in a season like me and Paul did.”
Unfortunately, Von won only two more games in the big leagues. His final victory was an impressive route-going performance against the Giants at the Polo Grounds, 3-2, on August 20 (Von’s major league log was 7-5, with a 3.45 ERA, ironically the same as his brother Lindy!)
THE METEORIC DESCENT
Actually, the first signs of erosion were evident that September of ‘57. Von made two starts pitching only 3.1 innings. He yielded eight hits, seven runs, two homers, and walked six batters. Cooperstown inductee, Warren Spahn, offered a cogent comment, “A young pitcher breaking into the big leagues must have the good fastball and he must show it to the hitters. Von is 18…and pitching like an old man.”
Fearing too much pressure on a young arm, the St. Louis brain trust told their precious talent to rest up for the coming 1958 season. The following spring training was a disaster. Von couldn’t find the plate and couldn’t dent a cream puff with his fastball. And it got worse when the season opened. Pitching in two games, he threw just two innings, yielding five hits, five walks, and three runs. As Von later admitted:
“I did not take care of myself in the winter months. I was weak the next spring training. I had no power in my arm and I messed up my delivery by trying too hard. Then I injured the long muscle in my back. Also, I’d grown another inch and gained 10 pounds, which didn’t help.”
On May 14, McDaniel was optioned to Double-A Houston where he yielded 29 runs in 18 innings of work. Manager Harry Walker thought it was a problem of overthinking on the mound and using too much wrist in his delivery. Demoted again, Von found himself with Class-B Winston Salem. Skipper Vern Benson had this assessment, “There is no rhythm at all in his pitching motion. He throws like a girl who has never picked up a baseball.” This virtually marked the end of Von McDaniel’s pitching career at the tender age of 20. He would never return to the big leagues.
Sinking deeper into the minors, Von started the 1959 season with the Daytona Beach Islanders, in the Class-D Florida State League—but this time as the starting shortstop. Through the next eight years, mostly as an infielder, he bounced between Double and Triple-A, compiling a .255 minor league batting average. He retired after the 1966 season.
Von was not displeased with his fate. He was happily married with four daughters, working as a farmer, accountant, and part-time preacher. He left us too soon, succumbing to heart issues at the age of 56, in 1995.
The former “Mr. Von-derful” enjoyed his life and offered this comment,
“I was just real excited to be playing ball. Playing in the major leagues was fine, but just playing pro baseball was enough. I think I proved my point that I could play, by sticking around for 10 years.”
So let’s take a moment to shine our baseball spotlight on Von McDaniel, a fine pitcher with an abundance of talent and plenty of promise. Unfortunately, Von joins the ranks of the many ballplayers who, for one reason or another, never really achieved lasting success in the Big Show.
Bill Schaefer
Sources: Baseball reference.com
Cardinals schedule almanac, ’57, ‘58
Oklahoman.com/article/1983/Bob Hersom
Von McDaniel/SABR/article/David E. Skelton
Lindy and Von McDaniel, Wikipedia pages
