A great one passes away

[Ubiquitous]

Johnny Sain died on Tuesday at the age of 89. Known perhaps best for the catchy line Spahn and Sain and pray for rain. But he was much more then that. 3 time all star, and again he was much more then that. One of the all time if not the greatest pitching coach of all time.

,

[hudsonharden]

Just looked up his stats on baseball reference. Pretty good postseason record for a pitcher generally unknown to younger generations (Reagan babies like me). For what team was he a pitching coach?

[iPod]

He was a pitching coach for several teams, but I had heard too that he was just a dynamo with pitchers. I think he was the Tigers pitching coach when McLain won 31 games in '68, and coached for the '65 Twins who won 102 games. But he was disagreeable and outspoken and consequently was always on the move.

[AutographCollector]

I just read it on yahoo sports. RIP Mr Sain.
:(

[Los Bravos]

But he was disagreeable and outspoken and consequently was always on the move. Tended to feud with managers.

Leo Mazzone is a huge disciple of his. Most of the ideas that Leo worked into his program (like throwing a lot, especially halfway between starts; not running too much ["You don't run the ball to the plate!" as he told Mayo Smith]) had their origin with John.

Had a huge influence on the game and should, by virtue of this varied and far reaching career, be in the HOF.

[Mattingly]

His passing hasn't been updated yet on the site I'm linking, but here's a nice writeup on him, including the teams he's worked for and comments upon his coaching style:

http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Johnny_Sain_1917
"Spahn and Sain and pray for rain," was the Braves' motto for the 1948 stretch drive, as they pushed toward their first pennant since 1914. That season Spahn was actually not much more effective than the Braves' third and fourth starters, Bill Voiselle and Vern Bickford. Sain, however, led the NL with 24 wins, 39 starts, 28 complete games, and 314 innings.

A rookie in 1942, he spent 1943-45 in the military, but lost no time establishing himself upon his return. He won 20 each year from 1946 to 1948, slumped in 1949, but came back with a 20-13 mark in 1950. Although Sain could strike men out when the occasion demanded, the 6'2" Arkansan had pinpoint control and a let-'em-hit-it philosophy. In three of his 20-win seasons, he led the league in hits allowed. Sent to the Yankees in August 1951 for Lew Burdette and $50,000, he contributed 11-6 and 14-7 marks to the 1952 and '53 Yankee pennants, then led the AL with 22 saves in 1954.

An excellent-hitting pitcher (.245), Sain averaged .346 in 1947 and .353 in 1954, and led the NL with 16 sacrifice hits in 1948. He became an instructor and ML pitching coach with the A's, Yankees, Twins, Tigers, Angels, White Sox, and Braves. He became known for developing 20-game-winners in tight, four-man rotations. Whitey Ford, Jim Kaat, Earl Wilson, Denny McLain, Clyde Wright, Stan Bahnsen, and Wilbur Wood all had their biggest seasons under Sain's supervision. Loved by his pitchers, often hated by his jealous managers, he coached five ML teams that won pennants. Jim Bouton has called Sain "the greatest pitching coach who ever lived." When Sain was fired by Yogi Berra, Bouton said, "What general likes a lieutenant that's smarter?"

[hellborn]

Most apropos that it's raining here today.

Sain is one of those guys that just crops up all around baseball, as a pitcher, coach, character, etc. A big loss to the game.

[KCGHOST]

The start of Sain's career was delayed four years by WWII. His 1948 and 1949 campaigns have to be one of the most Jekyll-Hyde back-to-back seasons ever posted.

RIP.

[DoubleX]

Just looked up his stats on baseball reference. Pretty good postseason record for a pitcher generally unknown to younger generations (Reagan babies like me). For what team was he a pitching coach?

You my friend, need to read Ball Four by Jim Bouton. Bouton does a good job of highlighting Sain's skill as a pitching coach.

[Los Bravos]

You my friend, need to read Ball Four by Jim Bouton. Bouton does a good job of highlighting Sain's skill as a pitching coach.When Bouton made his comback w/ the Braves in '78 and all the Dodgers badmouthed him and called him a clown...after he beat them, Sain sardonically told Jim that he had invented a new way to measure a pitcher's success. Just ask the opposition how he did and ignore all of his game stats :laugh

I remembered that when Albert Pujols had his little spell of verbal diarrhea after Glavine beat the Cards in Game 1 of the NLCS.

[west coast orange and black]

"first we'll use spahn, then we'll use sain, then an off day, followed by rain.

back will come spahn, followed by sain. and followed, we hope, by two days of rain."