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Art Mahaffey
Arthur Mahaffey Jr. (born June 4, 1938) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the National League (NL) Philadelphia Phillies (1960–1965) and St. Louis Cardinals (1966). He batted and threw right-handed. In a seven-season MLB career, Mahaffey posted a 59–64 record, with 639 strikeouts, and a 4.17 earned run average (ERA), in 999.0 innings pitched.
Mahaffey was born on June 4, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Western Hills High School in Cincinnati. His father had been a professional boxer, under the name Kid Mahaffey. He played high school and American Legion baseball.
Mahaffey's parents moved from their home of 22 years in Cincinnati, to another part of Cincinnati so Mahaffey could play baseball both at Western Hills under coach Paul Nohr, and for the French-Bauer Bentley Legion Post under coach Joe Hawk. The Bentley teams played 60-70 games a summer, and coach Hawk practiced the team four hours a day, even on game days. In addition to Mahaffey, other major league players who learned under Hawk included Don Zimmer, Herm Wehmeier, Dick Drott, Jim Brosnan and Russ Nixon.
Bentley was state champion in 1954, with Mahaffey as its star pitcher. In the same year, at just 16-years old, Mahaffey was an honorable mention selection to the Hamilton County Class A high school baseball All-Star Team. He had a 27–4 won–loss record in high school, and a 28–3 record for Bentley.
Mahaffey was signed as an amateur free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies on June 29, 1956. Ten teams had been interested in signing Mahaffey. He wanted to play for a National League team so he could play some games in his hometown, but thought he had a better chance of making the team with the Phillies rather than the Cincinnati Reds.
Mahaffey pitched 41⁄2 seasons in the Phillies' farm system. He began his Minor League Baseball career in the summer of 1956, playing Class D baseball. In 1957 he played Class B and Class C baseball. At the Class C Salt Lake City Bees, ex-Brooklyn Dodger catcher and Bee's player-manager Cliff Dapper helped Mahaffey improve his control as a pitcher. Dapper would catch Mahaffey's games and set targets for Mahaffey on the inside and outside of the plate, teaching Mahaffey how to move the ball while pitching.
Overall in those two years he had a 16–15 won–loss record and his earned run average (ERA) was never below 4.79. His pitching improved considerably in 1958. After a positive spring training with the Phillies, he was assigned to the Single-A Williamsport Grays, playing in only three games. He then played with the Class B Highpoint-Thomasville Hi-Toms of the Carolina League, under manager Frank Lucchesi. He had a 5–1 record and 2.12 ERA in six starts, before missing the second half of the 1958 season after having either an appendectomy or hernia.
Now 20-years old, Mahaffey began the 1959 season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He did not pitch well in his only start. The team believed he needed more experience and an opportunity to pitch more regularly, and sent him back to Williamsport. At Williamsport, Mahaffey had an 8–0 record in nine starts, with a 1.67 ERA. He was recalled to Buffalo in June, winning five of his first six decisions by early August. At one point he had 12 consecutive wins between the two teams. Overall, he was 8–5 with a 4.42 ERA at Buffalo in 1959, with 81 strikeouts and 47 bases-on-balls in 108 innings pitched.
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Art Mahaffey
Arthur Mahaffey Jr. (born June 4, 1938) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the National League (NL) Philadelphia Phillies (1960–1965) and St. Louis Cardinals (1966). He batted and threw right-handed. In a seven-season MLB career, Mahaffey posted a 59–64 record, with 639 strikeouts, and a 4.17 earned run average (ERA), in 999.0 innings pitched.
Mahaffey was born on June 4, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Western Hills High School in Cincinnati. His father had been a professional boxer, under the name Kid Mahaffey. He played high school and American Legion baseball.
Mahaffey's parents moved from their home of 22 years in Cincinnati, to another part of Cincinnati so Mahaffey could play baseball both at Western Hills under coach Paul Nohr, and for the French-Bauer Bentley Legion Post under coach Joe Hawk. The Bentley teams played 60-70 games a summer, and coach Hawk practiced the team four hours a day, even on game days. In addition to Mahaffey, other major league players who learned under Hawk included Don Zimmer, Herm Wehmeier, Dick Drott, Jim Brosnan and Russ Nixon.
Bentley was state champion in 1954, with Mahaffey as its star pitcher. In the same year, at just 16-years old, Mahaffey was an honorable mention selection to the Hamilton County Class A high school baseball All-Star Team. He had a 27–4 won–loss record in high school, and a 28–3 record for Bentley.
Mahaffey was signed as an amateur free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies on June 29, 1956. Ten teams had been interested in signing Mahaffey. He wanted to play for a National League team so he could play some games in his hometown, but thought he had a better chance of making the team with the Phillies rather than the Cincinnati Reds.
Mahaffey pitched 41⁄2 seasons in the Phillies' farm system. He began his Minor League Baseball career in the summer of 1956, playing Class D baseball. In 1957 he played Class B and Class C baseball. At the Class C Salt Lake City Bees, ex-Brooklyn Dodger catcher and Bee's player-manager Cliff Dapper helped Mahaffey improve his control as a pitcher. Dapper would catch Mahaffey's games and set targets for Mahaffey on the inside and outside of the plate, teaching Mahaffey how to move the ball while pitching.
Overall in those two years he had a 16–15 won–loss record and his earned run average (ERA) was never below 4.79. His pitching improved considerably in 1958. After a positive spring training with the Phillies, he was assigned to the Single-A Williamsport Grays, playing in only three games. He then played with the Class B Highpoint-Thomasville Hi-Toms of the Carolina League, under manager Frank Lucchesi. He had a 5–1 record and 2.12 ERA in six starts, before missing the second half of the 1958 season after having either an appendectomy or hernia.
Now 20-years old, Mahaffey began the 1959 season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He did not pitch well in his only start. The team believed he needed more experience and an opportunity to pitch more regularly, and sent him back to Williamsport. At Williamsport, Mahaffey had an 8–0 record in nine starts, with a 1.67 ERA. He was recalled to Buffalo in June, winning five of his first six decisions by early August. At one point he had 12 consecutive wins between the two teams. Overall, he was 8–5 with a 4.42 ERA at Buffalo in 1959, with 81 strikeouts and 47 bases-on-balls in 108 innings pitched.
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