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Montana’s Dave McNally: the star pitcher who revolutionized baseball

The headline above represents the current working title of my upcoming biography of Dave McNally. What do you think? Drop me a line with comments.

Here’s where things stand. Last Friday, I emailed my polished draft of the book to a topflight editor in Washington state. Jim is now at work on some 73,000 words. They tell the story of McNally from his youth in Billings through his year as the top junior pitcher in the country and continuing to his years as one of the top pitchers in the major leagues as a member of the Baltimore Orioles staff.

Then comes his trade to the Montreal Expos late in 1974, the disappointment of 1975 when he pitched in the National League and his decision to retire and return to Billings. That summer, he became the key participant in what turned out to be the most significant labor decision in professional sports history.

And while the national press focused on the ramifications of the Seitz arbitration ruling, Dave had begun a new phase in his life. He and his brother Jim became owners of the Archie Cochrane Ford dealership in Billings. He also played golf and helped raise his young family in hometown. Dave continued his involvement in operating the dealership until his death at age 60 in 2002.

McNally’s legacy remains strong, both in Billings and Baltimore, today, twenty-two years after his death.

Look for the book to be available in print and as an e-book in 2025, no later than the summer, perhaps earlier.

Meanwhile, you can read (post on Wednesday) material that will likely be included in the introduction to the book. I hope you enjoy this and come away with a better understanding of how McNally championed the cause of workplace fairness for baseball players and all pro athletes.

  1. The Baltimore Sun, July 17, 1986 ↩︎

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Jamie Larson
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