Juan Marichal: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20, 1937 in Laguna Verde, Dominican Republic), better known as Juan Marichal, was a Major League Baseball starting pitcher known for his high leg kick and dominating stuff, and his intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters' helmets.

Marichal entered the major leagues in 1960 with the San Francisco Giants, for whom he made an immediate impression by going 6-2 in 11 starts with a 2.66 ERA. He improved his victory totals to 13 and 18 over the following two seasons respectively before finally cracking the 20-victory plateau in 1963, when he went 25-8 with 248 strikeouts and a 2.41 ERA. Marichal enjoyed similar success through the 1969 season, posting over 20 victories in every season except 1967 and never posting an ERA higher than 2.76. He led the league in victories in 1963 and 1968.

Marichal's career stumbled in 1970, when he only posted 12 wins and his ERA shot up to 4.12, before straightening itself with a stellar 1971 season in which he won 18 games and his ERA slid below 3. It was his final great season, however, as he posted 6-16 and 11-15 records in 1972 and 1973 respectively. He played briefly with the Boston Red Sox in 1974 and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1975 before retiring. He finished his career with 243 victories, 142 losses, 2303 strikeouts and a 2.89 ERA over 3507.3 innings pitched. His teams appeared in two post-seasons (in 1962 and 1971) but were not victorious in either series.

Marichal pitched a no-hitter in 1963 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983. He was named to nine All-Star teams.