Why Not John Wyatt? Part 2

John Wyatt's 1967 season with the Boston Red Sox saw him win ten games and save another twenty. The American League leader in '67 was Minnie Rojas with 27. However Rojas blew eleven saves. Wyatt, who was tied for second in saves that season in the junior circuit with Bob Locker, blew only four. Locker himself had the same save percentage as Wyatt, 83.3.

Locker had four saves and Wyatt only two. John posted an ERA of 2.60 in the regular season. The St. Louis Cardinals, who bested the Boston Red Sox in seven games that October, had some success against him in the World Series. Wyatt's ERA in the 1967 Fall Classic was 4.91, but he earned the win in relief in the sixth contest. On the negative side, it was Lou Brock that belted a two-run home run off him that tied the game at four, before Boston broke it open with four runs in the last of the seventh.

Boston didn't use Wyatt in the seventh game, as Jim Lonborg looked for his third World Series triumph. But it was the opposing pitcher, Bob Gibson, who beat him 7-2. Lonborg made it through six frames. The Red Sox bullpen of Jose Santiago (Losing pitcher in the first and fourth contest), Dave Morehead, Dan Osinski and the surprising Ken Brett, stopped St. Louis in the last three innings, holding them to no runs and no hits. But manager Dick Williams had probably gone too far with Lonborg, and Gibson gave up just three hits. It it doubtful with Lonborg going as long as he could that Wyatt could have made a difference.

In any event, John Wyatt seemed to be the Red Sox go-to guy in the bullpen in 1967. Though both Jose Santiago and Sparky Lyle picked up five saves each, Dick Williams showed confidence in 32-year old John Wyatt. Wyatt fanned 68 batters in his 93.1 innings. But his 39 walks gave him 3.8 per nine. His wins above replacement was 2.2

Following this unexpected pennant, Wyatt was right back as the Boston closer in 1968. At least it would appear. But John took the loss in his first outing, which was the second contest of the Red Sox '68 year. By May 16th he still didn't have a save, but beat the New York Yankees on that very day for his first win. Guess what? That was his last game as a Red Sox. He was traded to the New York Yankees! With New York Wyatt pitched well, posting an ERA of just 2.16 in seven appearances. But the Yankees were past their glory days of the early 60s, though they'd win a more-than-respectable 83 games that year.

It was a team like Detroit that needed him. The Bengals went on to win 103 contests. And they were on the way to the Fall Classic. Wyatt helped them out by providing some steady pitching. Though he'd been 1-2 with Boston and 0-2 with New York (Despite an excellent earned run average), John went 1-0 with 2 saves with Detroit. The season ended with John strengthening a bullpen that already had John Hiller, Pat Dobson, Daryl Patterson, Fred Lasher, John Warden and Don McMahon. The Tigers had given up Dennis Ribant, who was just 26, to the White Sox for the 38-year old McMahon. Ribart had been 2-2 with a 2.22 ERA at the time he was dealt.

So it was McMahon and Wyatt who were the veterans of the Detroit bullpen. McMahon posted an earned run average of just 2.02, picking up three wins. John Wyatt got into twenty-two games with the Bengals and posted an ERA of just 2.37. Dobson, Lasher, Patterson and Hiller were all still in their twenties.

But the Tigers had a strong starting staff. Denny McLain won 31 games and posted an ERA of 1.96. That won him the Cy Young Award. The man that won three games in the Fall Classic, Mickey Lolich, went 17-9. Earl Wilson was just 13-12 but had an ERA of just 2.85. Joe Sparma was 10-10 with a 3.70 ERA.

Detroit had acquired another veteran in the offseason. One of the all-time greats at third base, Eddie Mathews. The Tigers decided to go with the Hall-of-Famer third sacker rather than John Wyatt for the World Series, thus Wyatt was denied the chance to pitch in the World Series for the second straight year. Detroit ended up beating the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

Wyatt came back for one last season. But it wouldn't be with Detroit. The Tigers would release him just as the season was getting going. Rather, the Oakland Athletics, who'd moved from Kansas after the 1967 season. John got into four games for the A's released him late in May. It marked the end of his big-league career.

Greatest Relief Seasons of All-Time Stat Set 2

Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Bernhard	1899	0	?	?	?	2.65	23	1.6	1.179	2.0
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Walsh	1904	1	?	?	?	2.60	57	4.6	1.102	0.1
Griffith	1905	1	?	?	?	1.68	46	4.1	0.954	3.3
Ferguson	1906	7	?	?	?	2.58	32	5.5	1.280	0.2
Keefe	1907	3	?	?	?	2.50	20	3.1	1.387	2.0
Chappelle	1908	0	?	?	?	1.79	23	2.9	1.095	0.3
Leever	1909	2	?	?	?	2.83	23	3.0	1.257	-0.1
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Phillipe	1910	4	?	?	?	2.29	30	2.2	0.986	2.0
Benz	1911	0	?	?	?	2.26	28	4.5	1.168	0.7
Baskette	1912	1	?	?	?	3.18	51	4.0	1.336	2.2
Crandall	1913	6	?	?	?	2.86	42	3.9	1.290	0.5
Wolfgang	1914	0	?	?	?	1.89	50	3.8	1.073	1.8
Bressler	1914	2	?	?	?	1.77	96	5.9	1.138	3.5
Mays	1915	7	?	?	?	2.60	65	4.4	1.063	1.0
Danforth	1917	9	?	?	?	2.65	79	4.1	1.324	3.2
Dubuc	1919	3	?	?	?	2.66	32	2.2	1.182	0.6
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Morton	1921	1	?	?	?	2.76	45	3.8	1.207	2.3
Baumgartner	1925	3	?	?	?	3.57	18	1.4	1.368	2.5
Marberry	1926	22	?	?	?	3.00	43	2.8	1.348	3.1
Clark	1927	2	?	?	?	2.32	32	2.3	1.262	2.8
Haid	1928	5	?	?	?	2.30	21	4.0	1.064	0.4
Rommel	1929	4	1	0.800	1	2.85	25	2.0	1.484	1.6
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Lindsey	1931	7	1	0.875	?	2.77	32	3.9	1.634	1.1
Quinn	1932	13	?	?	?	2.66	24	3.5	1.383	1.1
Russell	1933	13	?	?	?	2.69	28	2.0	1.218	3.1
Malone	1936	9	1	0.900	0	3.81	72	4.8	1.515	2.9
Brown	1938	5	?	?	?	3.80	55	3.7	1.500	0.4
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Beggs	1940	7	4	0.636	0	2.00	25	2.9	1.161	2.2
Murphy	1941	15	7	0.682	0	1.98	29	3.4	1.397	2.2
Adams	1943	9	2	0.818	0	2.82	46	3.0	1.254	3.0
Heving	1944	10	?	?	0	1.96	46	3.5	1.228	1.9
Maltzberger	1944	12	?	?	0	2.96	49	4.8	1.095	1.8
Berry	1944	12	4	0.750	0	1.94	44	3.6	0.907	3.7
Karl	1945	15	1	0.938	1	2.99	51	2.5	1.245	3.6
Christopher	1947	12	2	0.857	0	2.90	33	3.7	1.277	1.4
Wilks	1948	13	1	0.929	1	2.62	72	4.9	1.163	4.8
Page	1949	27	11	0.711	0	2.59	99	6.6	1.315	4.2
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Konstanty	1950	22	4	0.846	0	2.66	56	3.3	1.039	4.7
Aloma	1951	3	1	0.750	0	1.82	25	3.2	1.096	3.2
Wilhelm	1952	11	1	0.917	1	2.43	108	6.1	1.155	2.7
Paige	1952	10	5	0.667	1	3.07	91	5.9	1.254	3.4
Kinder	1953	27	8	0.771	4	1.85	39	3.3	1.140	4.5
Mossi	1954	7	0	1.000	0	1.94	55	5.3	1.022	3.3
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Narleski	1955	19	2	0.905	6	3.71	94	7.6	1.281	2.5
Freeman	1956	18	3	0.857	2	3.40	50	4.1	1.344	2.6
Farrell	1957	10	3	0.769	0	2.38	54	5.8	1.320	2.4
Zuverink	1957	9	8	0.529	0	2.48	36	2.9	1.278	2.7
Hyde	1958	18	5	0.783	0	1.75	49	4.3	1.136	4.9
Duren	1959	14	7	0.667	1	1.88	96	11.3	1.200	3.8
Staley	1959	15	4	0.789	2	2.24	54	4.2	1.169	2.5
Face	1959	10	9	0.526	1	2.70	69	6.7	1.243	3.2
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
McDaniel	1960	26	6	0.813	1	1.29	95	8.2	0.863	6.0
Brosnan	1960	12	2	0.857	2	2.36	62	5.6	1.020	2.7
Arroyo	1961	29	10	0.744	1	2.19	87	6.6	1.109	3.3
Fox	1961	12	2	0.857	3	1.41	32	5.0	1.012	2.6
Radatz	1963	25	3	0.893	0	1.97	162	11.0	1.096	5.7
Perranoski	1963	21	8	0.724	0	1.67	75	5.2	1.202	4.5
Baldschun	1963	16	5	0.762	1	2.30	89	7.0	1.240	2.0
Lee	1964	19	8	0.704	1	1.51	111	7.3	1.058	4.3
Ellis	1964	14	2	0.875	1	2.57	125	9.2	1.054	3.1
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Miller	1965	24	1	0.960	1	1.89	104	7.8	0.997	4.3
Regan	1966	21	7	0.750	1	1.62	88	6.8	0.934	5.0
Hoerner	1966	13	3	0.813	4	1.54	63	7.5	1.026	3.0
Drabowsky	1967	12	5	0.706	3	1.60	96	9.1	0.955	3.2
Abernathy	1967	28	6	0.824	1	1.27	88	7.4	0.978	6.2
Wyatt	1967	20	4	0.833	2	2.60	68	6.6	1.179	2.2
Wood	1968	16	5	0.762	7	1.87	74	4.2	1.006	5.4
V. Romo	1968	12	3	0.800	1	1.60	54	5.8	0.901	2.8
Tatum	1969	22	1	0.957	2	1.36	65	6.8	1.042	4.3
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Williams	1970	15	4	0.789	7	1.99	76	6.0	1.032	2.8
McMahon	1970	19	5	0.792	0	2.96	74	7.1	1.219	3.0
Sanders	1971	31	4	0.886	0	1.91	80	5.3	1.064	4.1
Giusti	1972	22	5	0.815	0	1.93	54	6.5	1.058	2.3
Knowles	1972	11	3	0.786	5	1.37	36	4.9	1.310	2.5
Brewer	1972	17	7	0.708	0	1.26	69	7.9	0.843	3.5
Hiller	1973	38	4	0.905	0	1.44	124	8.9	1.021	8.1
Borbon	1973	14	5	0.737	6	2.16	60	4.5	1.421	2.5
Beene	1973	1	0	1.000	0	1.68	49	4.8	1.033	3.0
Marshall	1974	21	12	0.636	9	2.42	143	6.2	1.186	3.1
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Gossage	1975	26	5	0.839	1	1.84	130	8.3	1.193	8.2
Eastwick	1976	26	9	0.743	1	2.09	70	5.9	1.115	2.8
Lyle	1977	26	8	0.765	1	2.17	68	4.5	1.197	3.7
Sutter	1977	31	9	0.775	0	1.34	129	10.8	0.857	6.5
Johnson	1977	15	7	0.682	1	3.13	87	5.3	1.806	2.5
Stanley	1978	10	5	0.667	1	2.60	38	2.2	1.242	4.1
Blair	1978	28	5	0.848	2	1.97	91	8.2	1.246	4.1
Tekulve	1979	31	6	0.838	8	2.79	75	5.0	1.176	3.2
Lopez	1979	21	5	0.808	1	2.41	106	7.5	1.150	5.3
Davis	1979	9	10	0.474	2	2.85	43	4.5	1.313	2.2
E.Romo	1979	5	8	0.385	12	2.99	106	7.4	1.276	1.8
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
McGraw	1980	20	5	0.800	0	1.46	75	7.3	0.921	4.7
Garvin	1980	8	5	0.615	5	2.29	52	5.7	1.173	3.4
Fingers	1981	28	6	0.824	0	1.04	61	7.0	0.872	4.2
Caudill	1982	26	6	0.813	0	2.35	111	10.4	1.045	4.4
Reardon	1982	26	8	0.765	2	2.06	86	7.1	1.128	3.5
L.Smith	1983	29	4	0.879	1	1.65	91	7.9	1.074	4.8
Stewart	1983	8	5	0.615	5	2.60	78	5.2	1.237	3.1
Quisenberry	1983	45	8	0.849	0	1.94	48	3.1	0.928	5.5
Orosco	1983	17	5	0.773	1	1.47	84	6.9	1.036	3.8
Hernandez	1984	32	1	0.970	0	1.92	112	7.2	0.941	4.8
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Lamp	1985	2	5	0.286	8	3.32	68	5.8	1.164	1.3
B.Smith	1985	27	6	0.818	1	2.27	40	4.5	1.084	1.6
Lahti	1985	19	1	0.950	6	1.84	41	5,4	1.302	2.3
D. Moore	1985	31	8	0.795	0	1.92	72	6.3	1.087	3.6
Eichhorn	1986	10	4	0.714	7	1.72	166	9.5	0.955	7.4
Righetti	1986	46	10	0.821	0	2.45	83	7.0	1.153	3.8
Todd Worrell	1986	36	10	0.783	0	2.08	73	6.3	1.225	2.5
Henke	1987	34	8	0.810	1	2.49	128	12.3	0.926	3.3
Burke	1987	18	4	0.818	5	1.19	58	5.7	0.890	4.3
Dayley	1987	4	6	0.400	6	2.66	63	9.3	1.393	1.5
Henneman	1988	22	7	0.759	2	1.87	58	5.7	1.051	3.3
Parrett	1988	6	4	0.600	2	2.65	62	6.1	1.211	1.6
Lancaster	1989	8	3	0.727	7	1.36	56	6.9	1.032	3.9
Russell	1989	38	6	0.864	0	1.98	77	9.5	0.950	2.5
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Eckersley	1990	48	2	0.960	0	0.61	73	9.0	0.614	3.3
Thigpen	1990	57	8	0.877	0	1.83	70	7.1	1.038	3.4
Nelson	1990	5	3	0.625	18	1.57	38	4.6	0.964	2.3
Henry	1991	15	1	0.938	3	1.00	28	7.0	0.833	2.2
Aguilera	1991	42	9	0.824	0	2.35	61	8.0	1.072	2.4
Ward	1992	12	4	0.750	24	1.95	103	9.1	1.135	3.1
Rojas	1992	10	1	0.909	13	1.43	70	6.3	1.043	3.9
Olin	1992	29	7	0.806	0	2.34	47	4.8	1.211	2.7
Wetteland	1993	43	1	0.977	0	1.37	113	12.0	1.008	4.2
Harvey	1993	45	4	0.918	0	1.70	73	9.5	0.841	4.0
Beck	1993	48	4	0.923	0	2.16	86	9.8	0.882	2.4
Martinez	1993	2	1	0.667	14	2.61	119	10.0	1.243	3.0
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Hoffman	1998	53	1	0.981	0	1.48	86	10.6	0.849	4.1
Urbina	1998	34	4	0.895	0	1.30	94	12.2	1.010	3.2
Williamson	1999	19	7	0.731	5	2.41	107	10.3	1.039	2.8
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Rhodes	2001	3	4	0.429	31	1.72	83	11.0	0.853	2.5
Smoltz	2003	45	4	0.918	0	1.12	73	10.2	0.870	3.3
Tim Worrell	2003	38	7	0.844	1	2.87	65	7.5	1.302	0.8
Timlin	2005	13	7	0.650	24	2.24	59	6.6	1.320	2.9
Nathan	2006	36	2	0.947	0	1.58	95	12.5	0.790	3.3
Ryan	2006	38	4	0.905	1	1.37	86	10.7	0.857	3.6
Putz	2007	40	2	0.952	0	1.38	82	10.3	0.698	4.0
Rivera	2008	39	1	0.975	0	1.40	77	9.8	0.665	4.3
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Bell	2010	47	3	0.940	0	1.93	86	11.1	1.200	1.9
Soriano	2010	45	3	0.938	0	1.73	57	8.2	0.802	2.1
Aceves	2011	2	3	0.400	11	2.61	80	6.3	1.105	2.7
Axford	2011	46	2	0.958	0	1.95	86	10.5	1.140	2.3
Downs	2011	1	3	0.250	26	1.34	35	5.9	1.006	2.0
Cook	2012	14	7	0.667	21	2.09	80	9.8	0.941	2.6
Chapman	2012	38	5	0.884	6	1.51	122	15.3	0.809	3.6
Johnson	2012	51	3	0.944	0	2.49	41	5.4	1.019	2.4
Smyly	2013	2	4	0.333	21	2.37	81	9.6	1.039	2.6
Davis	2014	3	3	0.500	33	1.00	109	13.6	0.847	3.7
Clippard	2014	1	6	0.143	40	2.18	82	10.5	0.995	1.5
Rondon	2015	30	4	0.882	8	1.67	69	8.6	1.000	2.2
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Britton	2016	47	0	1.000	0	0.54	75	9.9	0.836	4.2
Osuna	2016	36	6	0.857	0	2.68	82	10.0	0.932	2.1
Brach	2016	2	5	0.286	24	2.05	92	10.5	1.038	2.5
Miller	2016	12	2	0.857	25	1.45	123	14.9	0.686	3.8
Robertson	2017	14	2	0.875	8	1.84	98	12.9	0.849	2.9
Jansen	2017	41	1	0.976	1	1.32	109	14.4	0.746	2.9
Albers	2017	2	4	0.333	14	1.62	63	9.3	0.852	2.5
Kimbrel	2017	35	4	0.897	1	1.43	126	16.4	0.681	3.6
Morrow	2018	18	1	0.947	0	1.46	25	9.1	1.135	1.1
Trivino	2018	4	1	0.800	12	1.22	50	10.2	0.947	2.2
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR
Treinen	2018	25	4	0.862	0	1.06	65	11.5	0.980	2.4
Jeffress	2018	4	4	0.500	17	1.29	63	10.2	1.006	2.4
Yarbrough	2018	0	0	0.000	1	3.88	123	7.9	1.280	0.8
Hader	2018	11	4	0.733	20	2.31	138	15.9	0.795	2.3
Strop	2018	13	4	0.765	9	2.26	57	8.6	0.989	2.1
Workman	2019	5	4	0.556	15	2.08	66	12.5	1.028	2.0
Robles	2019	19	3	0.864	2	2.60	62	9.0	1.091	2.1
Walden	2019	2	3	0.400	8	3.33	71	8.5	1.110	1.5
W.Smith	2019	34	4	0.895	0	2.76	96	13.2	1.026	0.4
Oberg	2019	5	3	0.625	8	2.25	58	9.3	1.107	2.4
Pitcher	Year	S	BS	S%	H	ERA	K	K/9	WHIP	WAR

Notes

Baumgartner and Bernhard appeared as a starter twelve times

Wolfgang and Baskette appeared as a starter eleven times.

Danforth, Malone and Stewart appeared as a starter nine times.

Phillipe and Walsh appeared as a starter eight times.

Morton and Griffith appeared as a starter seven times.

Paige, Mays, Chappelle, Rommell and Yarbrough appeared as a starter six times.

Marberry, Mossi, Lee, Ellis and Dubuc appeared as a starter five times.

Leever, Aceves and Beene appeared as a starter four times.

Russell, Stanley, Adams and Keefe appeared as a starter three times.

Brown, McDaniel, Wood, Crandall, Brosnan, Lindsey, Karl, Wilks, Martinez and Clark appeared as a starter two times.

Beggs, Quinn, Narleski, McGraw, Aloma, Robles, Ferguson, and Vincente Romo appeared once as a starter.

Maltzberger, Hyde, Konstanty, Duren, Brosnan, Tekulve and Henke all wore glasses.

Morrow's stats are through July 1, 2018.

Trivino's stats are through July 18, 2018.

Treinen's stats are through July 25, 2018.

Jeffress' stats are through August 13, 2018.

Yarbrough stats are through Sept 19, 2018.

Hader's stats are through September 24, 2018.

Workman's stats are through August 01, 2019.

Robles' stats are through September 05, 2019.

Walden's stats are through September 12, 2019


References

Blume, Andrew. “John Wyatt.” Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, sabr.org/bioproj/person/8f1096c5. 23 Mar. 2020. Web.

Fonseca, Lew, director. World Series of 1967. Major League Baseball, 1967. DVD.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. 23 Mar. 2020. Web.

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, www.wikipedia.org/. Web. 23 Mar. 2020. Web