"Vernon "Lefty" Gomez, stylish lefthander of the New York Yankees during the 30's and early 40's, was asked by a sportswriter at one spring training camp how many games he expected to win during the coming season. "I don't know," the mound ace grinned. "It all depends on how Johnny Murphy's arm holds up." Anyone who has followed baseball for a number of years will have no trouble remembering "Fireman" Johnny Murphy. He was among the first of the great relief pitchers in the Major Leagues, and the forerunner of such late-inning stars as Hugh Casey, Jim Konstanty, Joe Page, Clem Labine, Elroy Face, Don McMahon, Ray Narleski, Don Mossi, Dick Hyde and Ryne Duren. These are the special breed of baseball men who earn a living by their ability to enter a game in a tight situation, choke off a rival's uprising, and preserve the win for their team."
A Help-Your-Self Booklet, 1959
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