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Mike Marshall broke into the big leagues in 1967 with the Detroit Tigers. Though it took time to become a full-time major leaguer, Marshall soon elevated the standards of pitcher durability.

From ’67-1970 Marshall played for four teams. In addition to the Tigers, he suited up as an original member of the Seattle Pilots, for the Houston Astros, and the Montreal Expos.

Starting in 1971 he began establishing himself as a workhorse. Pitching for the Expos, Marshall led the NL in games finished with 56. Then in ’72 he was outstanding. The NL’s pitching leader in games played (65), he went 14-8 and posted a stingy 1.78 ERA. In ’73 he again tallied 14 victories while setting an NL record for appearances with 92. Both seasons he was named the Montreal Expos Player of the Year. In ’73 he also earned the first of his three Fireman of the Year Awards.

At the end of that age-30 season he had 40 career wins, 85 saves, and a 3.21 ERA. From then until he retired he more than doubled the win and save totals while lowering his career ERA.

That positive change began in December of ’73 with a change in scenery via a one-for-one swap for Dodger Willie Davis.

Shown here is an autograph of Davis certified by PSA/DNA.

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Mike Marshall’s 1974 performance was one for the ages. That year the reliever established still-standing big league marks with 106 relief appearances and 208 1/3 regular season innings out of the ‘pen. He also pitched in 13 straight games for the Dodgers. A half-century after setting it, the record remains his.

Counting the All-Star Game, NLCS, and Fall Classic, he appeared in 114 games with 222 1/3 innings in 192 days. His work was recognized with his second Fireman of the Year Award. Even more impressive, the writers made him the first relief pitcher to earn the Cy Young Award.

Five years later in Minnesota in ’79, Marshall earned his third Fireman of the Year nod. That year he appeared in 90 games to set the American League record he still owns.

Five men in big league baseball history have tossed in as many as 90 contests in a single-season. Marshall did it three times. In addition to his workhorse seasons with the Dodgers and Twins, Marshall appeared in 92 games for the Expos in 1973. To this day he holds the single-season appearance mark for all three teams.

This image above is from the Heilbroner Baseball Bureau. It’s an information card filled out by Mike Marshall.

The statistical service was the brainchild of Louis Heilbroner, the manager of the 1900 Cardinals. Founded in 1909, the bureau was the first commercial statistical organization dedicated entirely to baseball.

Marshall filled out this card in its entirety including the penning of his name. Believing pro athletes should not be seen as heroes, Marshall refused to sign autographs for most of his life. This card is one of the earliest existing examples of his handwriting.

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Mike Marshall earned his doctoral degree in exercise physiology from Michigan State in 1978. After leaving the game as a player, he put that degree to use. Starting in 1981, he operated Dr. Mike Marshall’s Pitching Coach Service. Far ahead of his time, Marshall employed unorthodox training techniques. Frowned upon in his day, the methods Marshall pioneered are considered mainstream for pitcher development today.

Despite his forward thinking, Marshall never received the acclaim and acknowledgment he so desperately desired.

An ESPN article written by Jeff Passan titled Why pitching as we know it today wouldn’t exist without Mike Marshall summed it up best.

“He lived long enough to see some of his most foundational ideas — weighted-ball training, emphasis on spin, the importance of slow motion video — co-opted by major league organizations and spread to the masses. Marshall long wished for credit but never was willing to play the game — to market himself or to acknowledge some of his flaws or to abandon the pitching motion that he convinced himself would rid the game of arm injuries.”

The timing as Passan’s work coincided with Marshall’s death in 2021.

Shown here is the back of the Heilbroner card. It outlines the teams Marshall played for starting at age 18 in 1961. The information chronicles the time before the pitcher became a full-time big leaguer.