Chicago White Sox: back when Jack McDowell was dealing

The Chicago White Sox had an ace when it came to Jack McDowell and most times he was the last one sitting at the table when are the cards had been played.

Known as “Black Jack” because he was always dealing when he was on the mound, Jack McDowell really came of age in the 1991 season. He had a three-year run for the Chicago White Sox which rivaled the statistics of the game’s elite pitchers.

McDowell was a 14-game winner in 1990 but from ’91 to ’93 he won 59 games including a major league-leading 22 in 1993. He represented the White Sox in the All-Star game all three of those years, finishing second in the Cy Young voting in ’92 and winning it in ’93.

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Two things were certain every time Jack McDowell’s turn came up in the rotation. He was going to make his start and odds were he was going to finish his start. From 1990 to 1993, McDowell averaged 34 starts a season and he led the league with 25 starts in the strike-shortened 1994 season.

Three times as a member of the White Sox McDowell pitched over ten complete games in a year, leading the major leagues in that category twice. He pitched in a time when pitchers finished what they started, and Black Jack was an innings eater for sure.

Standing 6-5 and weighing 180 pounds, he was all arms and legs coming at the hitter when he was throwing. What looked like a lot of wasted motion, did not wear on his endurance. The fact he was not a strikeout pitcher and didn’t go deep in a lot of counts helped save energy allowing him to go the distance most starts.

For as a memorable of pitcher he was during the regular season, his 1993 postseason for the White Sox was forgettable. In two games against the eventual World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays, McDowell pitched nine innings giving up 18 hits and ten earned runs, losing both contests.

Jack McDowell was entertaining and a treat to see on the hill in the Windy City.