Von McDaniel

Max Von McDaniel (April 18, 1939 – August 20, 1995) was an American professional baseball player. Initially a right-handed pitcher, he was a rookie sensation at age 18 when, just days out of high school, he pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout for the St. Louis Cardinals in his first Major League start against the defending National League champion Brooklyn Dodgers on June 21, 1957.

McDaniel went on to have a sparkling debut season in the Majors. He won his first four decisions, pitched 19 consecutive scoreless innings, bested his first start by recording a one-hitter, and posted a 7–5 win–loss record and a 3.22 earned run average in 17 games and 86⅔ innings pitched. But a breakdown in his pitching mechanics resulted in severe control problems that curtailed both his mound and MLB careers and caused him to eventually become a third baseman in minor league baseball.