Baseball: Nobody Knocks the Rock

One of baseball’s oldest maxims holds that hitters can’t pitch and pitchers can’t hit. The New York Yankees’ Babe Ruth was a magnificent exception, a star pitcher (lifetime record: 94-46) long before he became the greatest home-run hitter in history. One afternoon last week, the Yanks produced another rule breaker: Outfielder Rocky Colavito, 35, the former Cleveland Indian slugger (TIME cover, Aug. 24, 1959) recently signed by New York.

The Yanks were trailing the league-leading Detroit Tigers 5-0 in the fourth inning. There was only one Tiger out and two on base. At bat was Al Kaline, one of the league’s most dangerous hitters. The situation clearly called for a relief pitcher. But the New York bullpen was exhausted after a 19-inning marathon against Detroit two nights before. Then Manager Ralph Houk remembered Colavito. In his years with the Indians, Rocky had nailed scores of base runners with his authoritative throwing arm. On Aug. 13, 1958, Colavito had even pitched three innings of scoreless ball against Detroit.

Rocky was called to the rescue. Firing overarm fastballs and slithery, if occasionally errant, sliders, the reliever quickly retired the Tigers on an easy grounder and a fly to left. In the fifth inning he walked two men but left them stranded. He gave up only one hit, a harmless double in the sixth, and was taken out of the game in the seventh with 2⅔ scoreless innings to his credit. By then the Yanks had six runs of their own. They went on to win, giving Colavito, who ranks 15th among the all-time home-run hitters (372), his first major-league pitching victory. Rocky the Reliever is more than likely to appear again. Says Manager Houk: “He did a real fine job for us. I’d like to use him some more.” Why not? The unknockable Rock still sports a career ERA of 0.00.