Cal McLish, an All-Star in 1959 for the Cleveland Indians, passed away on August 26. He was 84.
His full name was Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish. Now there’s a name that’s hard to forget—or remember in its entirety, for that matter. It was easier to just call him Cal, or Bus, or Buster, which is what many people did.
Unlike most players, McLish did not spend any time in the minor leagues prior to his 1944 big league debut—he jumped straight into the heart of the action. Though he appeared in 23 games that season, he was used sparingly after that. It was not until he was signed by the Indians in 1955 that he was used regularly. In his first year with the Tribe, 1956, McLish was used mostly in relief and went 9-7 with a 2.74 ERA in 42 games.
Beginning in 1957, McLish moved into the starting rotation—it was a move that paid dividends. He went 16-8 with a 2.99 ERA that year, and the next season he went 19-8 with a 3.63 ERA, earning a spot in the season’s second All-Star Game (from 1959 to 1962, two All-Star Games were played each year). From 1957 to 1959, he went 35-16 with a 3.32 ERA.
After two mediocre years, McLish went to the Philadelphia Phillies to finish his career. He experienced a renaissance in 1962 when he went 11-5, and the next season he went 13-11 in 32 starts.
Following his career in the majors, he coached and scouted for many years.
