Evening star., 1961-12-19
AL: Pitching Title Gives Donovan
Lost Laugh at White Sox' Expense

grab bag by the new Senators.
Today it is official - Dono-
van, the reject, was the leagues
most effective pitcher in 1861
With a 2.40 earned-run aver
age, the first to win the coveted
title in a Washington uniform
n 33 years.
The White Sox had belittled
lis skills by declaring that he
couldn't hold runners on base
and that to be effective Dono-
'an had to have pinpoint con-
,rol. Also his age-33 at the
lime - was held against him.
Solves Problem at Plate
Dick solved the problem of
men on the bases part
y by keeping them to a mini
mum. His control, for this day
md time, was almost flawless
only 80 unintentional walks
n 1863 innngs). Result: Dono-.
IAN yielded only As earned
'uns all season and led all the
est, including big winners
Ford and Frank Larry.
True, Dicks won-and-loSt
mark was only 1910, but this
vas sort of remarkable, too,
considering how snake-bitten
led been in the early weeks of
81 losing one single-run de-
,ision after another. Three
lines he was on the shelf with
yet after each long
ayoff he returned with his con-
,rol intact.
At seasons end Donovan,
Who cost the Washington club
$4,000, as did 27 other ex-
oendables last December IA, was
If such value that he was the
factor in the five.
player trade with Cleveland that
brought Centerfelder Jim Pier
'all, third leading hitter in the,
eague, to the Capital.
1t was ironic that an ex-
oansion draftee should top the
AL in ERA. Moreover, Dick
was the only one among the
'irSt Is effective pitchers. And
not since Garland Braxton won
n 1928 had a Senator captured
,he championship.
Three Under 800
Only three pitchers who quail
fled were under the three
runs-per-game standard. Bill
Stafford of the Yankees was
to Donovan with~2 2.68
and Don Mossi of the Tigers
was the other with 2.96. =,
Ford of the Yankees, who
vas 25-4 for 1862, was No. /
oercentage-wise and ranked
'anked 11th in ERA. Whitley
also worked the most innings,
283, and started the most
games, 80. And he was run
lerup to Camilo Pascual of
Minnesota in strikeouts, with
209.
PaScual and Baltimore's
Steve Barber shared the shut
,ut lead with eight.
The only other AL pitcher,
% win 20 or more was Larry
If Detroit, who was 23-9 and
completed the most games, %.
However, Ford's tie a nm a tie,
Ralph Terry, finished second in
percentage with a 1873 mark
or .842. Still another Yam
lee, Luis Arroyo, appeared in
he most games, 65.
A couple of "old" Senators, :
oaScual and Pedro Ramos of
he Twins, were up to their
I'D tricks. With his wicked,
varied-speed curve, Pascual
vas tops in strikeouts, tanning
'2l, and Ramos was a some
lines belabored workhorse, as
Usual. The gay senior from
Havana gave up the most hits,
!65; most runs. 1874 and the
most home runs, 80.
Another ex Senator, Jim
kaat, was a leader in a dubi-
,us category when he ranked
No. l in hitting batters I'll
Ind throwing 10 wild pitches to
lie Jack Fisher of the Orioles
md Johnny Klippstein of the
To Chuck Estrada
'f the Orioles went the un-
bases-on-balls title.
Estrada walked 1872 batters, yet
Baltimore had the best club
'arned-run average, 1922.
All told, the Senators shaped
lp formidably in pitching.
3ennie Daniels Q2-lD was
5th in earned-run average
With 344 and the Washington
'orpS as a whole ranked sixth
n the 10-club circuit with 4.23,
opping Minnesota, Boston, Los
angeles and Kansas City. An
'ddity: The new Senator's
'itching was more effective
han that of the new Angels,
'et the Washington hurlers
AIMED the fewest (666) while
LOS Angeles brigade struck out
he most, 973.