Juan Marichal is infamous in Los Angeles Dodgers lore as being one of the best pitchers in San Francisco Giants history. Marichal pitched 16 seasons in the Major Leagues — 14 with the Giants — en route to a Hall of Fame career.
However, he put the finishing touches on his career in 1974 and 1975 by pitching for two other teams. On March 15, 1975, Marichal signed with the Dodgers.
It came as an enormous surprise to many in the baseball world as Marichal had long been a hated member of the Giants. However, some welcomed him due to the fact that the right-hander was one of the best pitchers in baseball history.
Marichal only managed to throw six innings for the Dodgers in 1975, though, due to poor performance. He retired shortly after his stint in Los Angeles at the age of 37. He finished his career with a 2.89 ERA that was only inflated by the rough stretches he had later on in his career.
Nicknamed the Dominican Dandy, Marichal pitched his way into 10 All-Star Game selections and an ERA title. His excellent right arm was not the only thing that Dodgers fans had long resented him for, however.
In 1965, Marichal got into a skirmish with John Roseboro while the Dodgers were in the heat of a pennant race. With tensions high and Sandy Koufax on the mound, Roseboro took it upon himself to whizz a ball by Marichal’s head back to the mound.
Marichal took exception and hit Roseboro with his bat. Interestingly enough, the two become friends after both men had retired and all was forgiven.
Marichal will be remembered as a true ace in baseball history, evidenced by his enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. On the other hand, though, many Dodger fans who were alive for that era of the rivalry might have a very different view of him for his incident with Roseboro.
Juan Marichal’s final game with Dodgers
Marichal retired one month after signing with the Dodgers. His final game was April 16, 1975, in a start against the Cincinnati Reds.
Marichal pitched only 2.1 innings while allowing four runs on six hits. He also walked two without collecting a single strikeout. The performance followed his Dodgers debut on April 12, when Marichal was only slightly more effective, lasting 3.2 innings and giving up five runs while walking three and striking out one.
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