Sam McDowell, known as Sudden Sam, a former All-Star pitcher, died on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 84. The cause of death was not given.
He pitched in Major League Baseball for 15 seasons, 11 of them with the then-Cleveland Indians. He also spent two seasons with the San Francisco Giants, two with the New York Yankees, and a last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In 1965 he won the American League ERA title at 2.18 and made the first of six All-Star Game appearances. His career record was 141-134, with a 3.17 ERA in 425 appearances.
The Pittsburgh native was inducted into the Guardians Hall of Fame. He reached the majors at 18 and was out of the game by 32, in 1975, sidelined that year by alcoholism.
After rehabilitation in 1978 he returned to college and became a licensed therapist in sports psychology. From 1987 to 2016 he worked for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers as an addiction and recovery consultant for the Baseball Assistance Team, back in the game he had lived for.