Interview With Former Yankees Pitcher Larry Gowell, Part Two

(This is Part Two of my interview with former New York Yankees pitcher Larry Gowell, who found a place in the history books as the final AL pitcher to record a hit in the regular season before the DH rule was instituted in 1973. Larry passed away several days ago at age 72. 

This interview originally appeared on SB Nation's Minor League Ball, in October of 2017.)

Clinton Riddle: After two seasons at Oneonta, the Yanks moved you to High-A Fort Lauderdale. How tough was it adjusting to advanced competition? You put up fantastic numbers there; did you change your approach to hitters, add a new pitch, or was there some fundamental change in how you worked on the mound? Any coaches that were a great help to you, in particular?

Larry Gowell: Well, after my first year I did not go to spring training because I went to school to stay out of the draft. The second year I did go to spring training, and that is what made the difference.

Our pitching coach, Cloyd Boyer, brother of Clete, was our pitching coach. He worked me hard on the changeup. He also said I was over-throwing and the ball was not moving as much as it could. If I could keep the ball down and take a little off the fastball, I would have more life on the fastball and it would sink really hard. So, right out of the gate I was mowing hitters down left and right. My control finally came together and my fastball was sinking like a rock, and I really developed a great slider at this time.

The Yankees always knew I would do so based on my arm angle. I was sidearm pitcher and had a lot of flexibility in my arm. I went 8-0 in my first 8 games. Then came the draft and I was drafted, and I had to go to Miami for a physical. Well, as luck would had it, I was flat-footed. Well, the military turned me down because of that, thank God. They did not know I was a professional ball player, either.

Well, I went on to win eight more games and strike out 217 hitters in 196 innings with a 1.76 ERA. I then became a top prospect for the Yankees. There was even some talk they were thinking about bringing me up at the end of the year.

CR: Your next season in 1970 with Manchester was a success, as well. What sort of adjustments did you make when you faced competition in Double-A? Was there a specific pitch or a tweak to your mechanics?

LG: Yeah, going to Double-A, you are seeing much more experienced players. The big adjustment was getting left-handed hitters out, because I came from the side. Very tough on right-handers, as most people understand. So, I had to learn to get my arm out more and throw a curveball with more down movement, something I could throw down and in. Then I would throw my hard, sinking fastball away to the outside of the plate and work in a changeup. So, this is where I really worked hard at this and had an O.K year.

CR: In 1971, with Kinston and Manchester both, you put up fantastic numbers. That continued in West Haven in 1972. Had the Yankees hinted at a call-up before 1972 rolled around? Were they giving you any feedback as to how well you were doing?

LG: In spring training, I could not get my control going. I was very wild, and so they had me go to Kinston to start to work it all out. And I did, with a good solid performance, and then I got the call to go to Bobby Cox's West Haven Yankees, where they expected me to pitch in the first place.

I did throw some of my best baseball in West Haven with great control and a lot of ball movement with the fastball, and the slider was lights-out on the right-handers. I also was keeping my wrist higher up for my slider to make it go down and in on the left-handers. They should have brought me up in the middle of the year, but chose to bring up Ron Klimkoski instead of me. He was experienced in the major leagues and pitching quite well.

They still made a mistake, because I really could have made a mark in the big leagues with the stuff I had at the time. Yes, I did hear rumors, pro and con, about bringing me up.

CR: You made your ML debut on Sept 21^st, 1972, at Milwaukee. Mike Kekich was the starter; he took the loss, that day. You pitched two perfect innings, struck out a batter. Walk us through your first day with the team, and your first ML appearance.

LG: I can remember the phone ringing in the dugout to get me up to warm up and come into the game after we were falling behind. I remember my legs were shaking some, and the adrenaline was pumping through my body like never before. I was always one to get up for the big moment in whatever I did. I wanted to show the Yankees and the world that this little high school pitcher from Auburn, Maine belonged in the big leagues.

I had worked my whole life for this moment. It is all a blur after getting on the mound. I remember Munson catching the warm-up throws and then coming out to tell me that I belong in the majors. He said it was just another hitter and that I would be OK.

I remember that first pitch, and I think it was a ball. I was overthrowing somewhat. I took a few deep breaths and settled right in. “Just another hitter to get out”. “He is no better than me”, I kept saying. I threw the ball very well with a good sinker and slider, and had very few problems in those two innings.

I have a Yankee fan, who is now my friend, that was in the stands that day, named Dr. Mark Cannon, and he said I looked great and seemed to be calm, even though my insides were all over the place. I kept my cool and am so very proud I had success!

CR: You ended up facing the Brewers again, this time at Yankee Stadium. You got the start, and went five strong innings, giving up only one run on three hits, striking out six. It was the final game of the regular season. You also made history, that night. It's bottom of the third, you're leading off the inning, bases are empty. Can you describe the at-bat vs. Jim Lonborg? Do you remember what pitch he threw that you sent into left field?

LG: Again, I was always a guy that got pumped up for any big moment in my life. I remember standing in the batter's box, taking my warm-up swings, and I said to myself, “This could be my only at bat in the major leagues. I am not going down without a fight.”

I had a great bat in high school and loved to hit. I had a lot of pride in my pitching and hitting abilities. So, as I stood at the plate to face the great Jim Lonborg, who was pitching a great game, I said to myself, “I will not be called out on strikes. I will go down trying to hammer the ball.” His first pitch was a strike that I took, then he threw a few on the plate and I did not swing. I worked the count to 3-2. At this point I know that fastball is coming because I am a no-hit pitcher up to bat, and he is not going to walk me from a curve ball. So, I am looking fastball.

He throws me a high fastball at my letters, trying to throw it by me. I got my bat head out in front of that fastball and hit a bullet down the line, in Yankee Stadium! The ball went all the way to the wall. I was standing on second base thinking I was in a dream. I could not believe I had a double, and I looked up and out came Elston Howard with my jacket to keep my arm warm. My blood now was really boiling as at that point I was batting 1.000 in the bigs, with a double, no less. No cheap hit from Jim.

The next hitter hit a ball to the shortstop and I shocked him by running to third, and he did not throw me out. The next hitter made an out, so they could not score me to tie the game up. If we would have tied that game, I would have pitched the rest of the game because I was throwing great that night, as you can see with the 6 K's in 5 innings.

Anyhow, it was an experience of a lifetime, and then 20 years or so later I find I out that that the ball is historic. Since that was my first hit, they stop the game and give me the ball. I decided to let the Hall Of Fame have it after it having been appraised for $6,000 or more, which I wrote off my taxes.

Today, the Hall tells me the ball is invaluable for its place in all of baseball history. I am so honored to be part of baseball history during my very short cup of coffee in the big leagues.

CR: So where did life take you after your time in baseball was over? What have you been up to, since then?

LG: I decided to go in the life insurance business and worked as a sales rep soon after retiring from baseball. That career lasted about 25 years or so.

Today, I am semi-retired over the past nine years. I am now a professional singer and piano player doing about 140 performances a year, singing to the senior community all over Maine. I perform the old standards and a lot of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Broadway music, gospel and much more. My two biggest moments were singing at the Metropolitan Club in New York City and singing the National Anthem for the Boston Red Sox. In my spare time I play a lot of golf, ski, go kayaking, and I'm generally enjoying my later years in life.

The nature of baseball is such that, even when a player has a small window in which to make his mark, nearly anything is possible. Larry Gowell experienced this, first-hand, and left his own mark in the history of the game. While his time with the Yankees is precious to him, it was merely prelude to a successful and fulfilling life after the cheering stopped.

(Mr. Gowell has acquainted himself with social media, recently, and has a Facebook page under his name. He is also using a photo previously shot by a Topps photographer to make his own baseball card through the Topps website. Check out his YouTube videos here.)

Larry Gowell, Last Pitcher To Get a Hit Before DH Rule, Passes Away at 72

Former New York Yankees pitcher Larry Gowell, the last pitcher to collect a base hit before the installation of the DH rule in 1973, has passed away at age 72.

A former 4th-round selection by the Yankees in 1967 out of Edward Little High School in Auburn, Maine, Gowell made his ML debut on September 21st, 1972, pitching two perfect innings and striking out one batter. Nearly two weeks later on October 4th, in the final game of the season, Gowell started against the Milwaukee Brewers, his only ML start and final ML appearance. He went five innings while allowing one run on three hits, walking two and striking out six in the 1-0 loss. He also collected his first and only ML hit, a double, on a 3-2 fastball from Brewers pitcher Jim Lonberg in the bottom of the third inning.

It would be the final base hit for a pitcher in the American League before the Yankees and Ron Blomberg kicked off the era of the designated hitter in 1973. That ball was sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame, where it remains today.

Gowell actually became just as well known for his singing, years after his last professional game. In fact, another dream was realized when he sang the National Anthem at Fenway Park before the Red Sox faced the Orioles on July 6th, 2014, rendering a deeply-emotional performance in front of 35,811 fans. (Gowell appears in the video at the 16:00 mark.) He even maintained a YouTube channel, showcasing his renditions of "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Fascination", and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco", among other selections.

Gowell was very fond of chatting with fans on Facebook, and would readily share stories about his playing career, as well as his post-baseball pursuits. In my exchanges with him, I recall a man who was very grateful of his role in baseball history, and as someone who pursued his off-field interests with every bit of the fire and determination that he took with him onto the mound.

Even though we were barely acquaintances on a personal level, I will miss him.

I had the opportunity to speak with him for an interview in October of 2017, and he shared with me the story of a full, rewarding life. Originally on SB Nation's Minor League Ball (now defunct), here is part one of that interview. I hope you enjoy it, as much as I did when I wrote it.

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When Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Archie Bradley became the first reliever to hit a triple in the postseason, it blew a lot of us out of our ratty, Cheetos-infested recliners.

Madison Bumgarner raked, this year. Clayton Kershaw had his moments with the stick. Luis Perdomo hit four triples and a double (and that's all) this year, for crying out loud. But they were all NL pitchers; they were at least used to taking their turn in the batting order.

Before the advent of inter-league play, the American League enjoyed the advantage of having a DH in the lineup, every regular-season game of every year since 1973. Ron Blomberg was the first DH to take a turn at bat in the regular season when, on April 6^th, 1973, he stepped in against the Red Sox starter Luis Tiant. Ironically, the “designated hitter” walked, though with the bases loaded. The bat he carried to the plate in that plate appearance is now enshrined in the Hall Of Fame.

But that train of thought eventually led me to this question: who was the last AL pitcher to record a hit in a regular-season game before the DH was instituted?

Some of you already know the answer to this trivia question: on October 4^th, 1972, it would be another Yankee who would make his mark in history when rookie right-hander Larry Gowell, facing Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jim Lonborg, stung a 3-2 fastball down the left-field line for a double. Interestingly enough, it was both his first and last ML hit, as well as the final regular-season hit by an American League pitcher until we were blessed (ahem!) with interleague play.

As it turns out, there's a lot more to his story than just one hit. I recently had a chance to sit down with Mr. Gowell, who spoke with me at length about his childhood, his early baseball years, his experiences in minor-league baseball, and his post-baseball experiences. (This is Part One of a two-part article.)

Clinton Riddle: So you were drafted right out of high school, in the 4^th round, by the Yankees. Growing up in the Auburn, Maine area, did you have expectations about what you wanted to do when you grew up? Did you always want to play baseball, or did you have a different idea as to what you wanted from life?

Larry Gowell: I really had no idea what I wanted to do growing up. I had great passion for sports and music. The sports took over my life at an early age.

My father, Lawrence Gowell Sr. was a big baseball player for his high school, playing second base and pitching. He was a baseball fanatic and got both my brother and me into organized ball at age five. From a very early age, all I wanted to do was play baseball as much as possible. I remember playing on four teams: the Police Athletic League, Colt League, Legion Baseball and a softball team to boot. At about 12 years old I started pitching after showing a great arm from center field. The coaches could see I had great potential and I had my chance to pitch a lot in those early years. My brother, Richard was also a great player, but hurt his arm at 13 throwing too many curveballs.

Having a brother to play with and pitch to every other day helped a lot. Set up a pitcher's mound in the back yard and worked on our curveballs, changeups and fastballs. So, I really did not have any other direction in my life. I played no other sports in high school. So, the bottom line is I did not have any other plans in life or a desire to go on to college, because I really did not like going to school. Being signed as a 4th round draft pick, the 61st player in the nation, was a really big deal coming from our area of the country. It was a great honor to be picked.

At my high school graduation the school gave me a made-up contract sent from the Yankees to recognize me at the graduation. That meant more to me than the diploma. So, the Yankees gave me the chance of a lifetime and without that chance I would have been working next to my father in the shoe shop.

CR: Tell me a bit about the town in which you grew up.

LG: The city of Auburn is about 30,000 people. We call our area L/A area. That stands for the L/A of the northeast, since Lewiston is across the river. They have about 25,000 in Lewiston. It was a mill town in those early years, shoe factories. A lot of blue-collar labor was needed to keep things going. A very friendly town and people, and they would really get behind you. Great sports and arts area. A lot of sports and music. My whole family played music; my brother was a songwriter, singer and guitar player and I was a trumpet and organ player and sang in the choir. I've been a professional singer for more than nine years now.

I was going to a Seventh day Adventist private school where I sang in the choir and played in the band. They had no sports programs of which to speak. I was told by people that I had to go to public high school to been seen. So, I switched to Edward Little High School in Auburn, Maine. It had a very good baseball team and its history was great. We had the late Artie Belivieu, who was a Bates College graduate. He was a very good coach that happened to be a huge Yankees fan. So, in my first year I did not pitch that much as I was a new young buck on the team. I went 3-0. I was wild that first year. I threw very hard but walked a few too many. I still won all my games. After having a great Legion baseball year I was a front-runner, pitching my team to a 6-0 season, breaking some strikeout records and pitching some close no-hitters. During the summer of my junior year was when I made my mark as a major prospect. Our New Auburn Legion team, under Jim Bouchles, went for the Maine State Championship in Augusta. Since I did not pitch on Friday night and Saturday, I started the first game on Friday and pitched a 1 hit shutout. With one day rest on Saturday, I pitched on Sunday and pitched a no-hitter. That was 18 innings, with one hit, against the best in Maine. 

We had nine scouts at the game, and on that day I was on the radar of many teams. So, now comes my senior year with scouts showing up like Frank Malzone for the Red Sox, the Cubs and Phillies scouts, and on and on. In my last season I was 7-0 with several one-hitters. I also was a great hitter in high school and hit .390 or so over my three years. I had the home run record (14) over three years until the metal bats came out and they broke it. Now, one of the later games of the year my coach got the big scouts from the Yankees in to see me pitch against our rival, Lewiston High. 

Pat Cogan showed up to see me pitch for the first time just before the draft. In that game, I was throwing bullets. I knew he was sitting right behind the cage. I struck out 19 out of 19 hitters, then several tried to bunt on me and got some bunts down but we got them out. I ended up with 22 strikeouts, 3 walks and my first no-hitter in high school. It was the best I had ever thrown and the scout was all smiles, talking with me and my father. At that point my value went way up. I was not going to be a fourth round pick before that game. 

The Cubs were the other team most interested in me, along with many others. Since my coach was a huge Yankees fan and he got the big scouts to come to what was the very best game of my life, I ended up picked 61st out of the whole nation. I was told many years later by some scouts that the 1967 draft was the most talented group of players in the history of baseball. So, my competition way very high. Yes, I was undefeated and had the home run record for the school in 1967.

CR: The Yankees signed you in '67, and sent you to Oneonta. What was it like adjusting to your first year in pro ball? Are there any experiences that stand out from that season?

LG: My father was a tough negotiator. We worked the Yankees hard to get a $20,000 bonus and he got my brother signed with me to watch over me my first year. My brother's name is Richard. He was on the bench, but did get up a few times and then they released him. Yeah, we had the fiery Frank Verdi, a little like Billy Martin. A great guy. I went 3-0 my first year.

I was in awe of the players. Many of them from major universities like Florida State, Arizona Stare, Clemson and so on. You say to yourself, “I have to be better than these big college players to get noticed?” It is overwhelming when you talk to a pitcher from Florida State who went 10 and 2 for Division I! I just came from a small school in Maine.

Anyhow, I did have a lot of pride in myself and I was told by Verdi that they all put their pants on the same way. “You are here because you have great talent, or we would not have taken you in the 4th round,” he told me. “We have faith in your abilities, so just go out and do your best.” Well, I did, with a 3-0 season after coming to the team in late-middle July because of a late signing.

The town of Oneonta is a great town, and the people really took you in like family. The one experience I had was on one night when I was throwing really hard. My brother was in the dugout looking in, and I threw a pitch and several people said they never saw it come out of my hand.

They just heard it hit the mitt.

(Stay tuned for Part Two, as Gowell speaks about friends he made as a minor-league newbie, how control issues led to a change in his delivery that led to his ML call-up, and his moment in history after less than two weeks in the bigs.)