Wood vs. Wood #246

Last time it was an 8-4 win for 1962. Who will win here?

Art Ditmar in the classic glove-over-the-head pose. I doubt he's got a ball in there. Ditmar came up to the majors in the A's last season in Philadelphia in 1954. He moved with the team to Kansas City in 1955, and in 1956 led the AL with 22 losses. After that season the A's and Yankees engineered a massive trade with 13 players changing teams, including Ditmar. The Yankees used Ditmar as a long reliever and spot starter in '57 and '58, and moved him to the rotation full-time in '59. He pitched well in '59 and '60, but was terrible in the 1960 World Series. He struggled to start the '61 season and was traded back to the A's, but he went 0-7 in his brief return to the A's, ending his career in 1962. After his playing career he was the Director of Parks and Recreation for Brook Park, OH. He died in 2021.

Jim Dwyer plays catch before a game in Baltimore. The pinch-hitting specialist played 18 seasons in the major leagues and never topped more than 260 at-bats in a season. His 103 pinch hits are 17th all time, and his 9 pinch home runs as an Oriole are a team record. His best season was 1983, when he helped the Orioles win a World Series, leading the team in BA, OBP and SLG in July, and hitting .375 with a home run in the World Series. After his playing career he was a coach in the Twins organization for 25 years. He is now retired.