Denny McLain had yet to throw a pitch in the big leagues when he filled out this official publicity questionnaire for the minor leagues as an 18-year old. McLain has signed his full name “Dennis Dale McLain” in cursive atop the document. Two of McLain’s responses stand out. When asked to identify his most interesting or unusual experience in baseball, McLain writes, “I pitched a no-hitter my first time in pro ball. 16 strikeouts.”

Though he wouldn’t debut in the bigs until 15 months after the June 29, 1962 date stamped atop the questionnaire, he was well on his way to making an impact on the game.

Another question posed to McLain asks the pitcher to declare his ambition in baseball. Known for his brashness and unconventional approach, the future MVP wrote, “Win twenty games in the Majors”. The goal seems outlandish for an 18-year old who had yet to earn his way to the big leagues. However, McLain delivered. For the five-year period from 1965-1969, he averaged more than 20 victories and even eclipsed the 30-win plateau, a feat not since matched.

The 1968 season was “The Year of the Pitcher” with seven hurlers posting sub-2.00 ERAs. Among them was Tigers twirler Denny McLain who finished the year 31-6 with a 1.96 ERA.

The performance earned McLain the first of his back-to-back Cy Young awards and the 1968 American League Most Valuable Player Award.

Shown here is a pair of autographed cards, a 1968 Topps card, and a 1982 Kmart card commemorating the MVP season.