| Old Timer First Boricua Yankee Closer Luis “Tite” Arroyo Suffers Mild-Heart Attack |  |  |  |
| Written by William Gerena Rochet | |
| Sunday, 18 July 2010 | |
 This OT game celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Yankees 1950 World Championship team. Yogi would have been in the list of participants wearing replica 1950 uniforms (Photo Bill Menzel) El Bronx, New York: It was not only Yogi Berra missing in action at the 64th Old Timer’s Day of July 17th 2010 due to an injury, but also Luis Enrique “Tite” Arroyo, 83, the first Puerto Rican ball player for the New York Yankees, who the night before suffered a mild heart attack. It was later confirmed by a Yankees spokesperson that on Friday night Arroyo suffered a "mild heart attack" while on a Yankees-sponsored cruise, part of the Old Timers festivities. Yankees officials could not provide his condition nor which hospital he was in.  Arroyo pitched in four seasons for the Yankees, compiling a 22-10 record and 3.12 ERA, and in 1961 compiled a league-high 29 saves. He was the winning pitcher in Game 3 of the 1961 World Series, won in five games by the Yankees over the Cincinnati Reds. His bread and butter pitch was the screwball.  Old Timer Horace Clarke did not know the extent of Luis Arroyo’s situation (Photo WGR) On Saturday afternoon, not knowing of this unfortunate event the night before, Latino Sports and Raymond Avila of Latino Baseball.com approached Horace Clarke (St. Croix) to ask him if he had seen Arroyo. Horace Clarke was the second basemen for the Yankees during the 70s. “I saw him last night at the boat ride and he fell and taken to the hospital. He was walking with a cane, but I don’t know what happened.” Hector Lopez (Panama) Yankees reserve outfielder from 1960 to 1966 confirmed this information as well.  Hector Lopez has found memories of his playing days, but also did not know details on Arroyo’s medical situation (Photo Bill Menzel) Luis Arroyo was a Yankee reliever when the word “closer,” was not part of the baseball vernacular, and “saves” were not yet listed as an official game statistic. In fact, given the importance of the evolving role, the “save” statistic was finally recognized in 1969. David Hornestay writes in the Rise of the Relief Pitcher/The Evolution of Baseball closers: “It wasn't always this way. For most of the first half of the last century, successful pitchers generally threw twenty or more complete games each season. When they couldn't finish what they started, they were usually relieved by someone too young or too old to be entrusted with a whole game.” In juxtaposing the general (relievers/closers, but for the sake of this article only the American League) to that of the New York Yankees, it may be noteworthy to point out that in the American League Frederick “Firpo” Marberry started getting double digit “saves,” in the 1920s for the Washington Senators going as high as 22 saves in 1926. For the Yankees it was Johnny Murphy in the 1930s who may have been the first to be referred to as a "fireman" – in1939 he led with a career high of 19, but it was a Yankee relief pitcher of the late 1940's, Joe Page, who made the term popular: in 1947 he led with17 and 1949 with 27 “saves.” Hornestay writes: “Page turned in two brilliant seasons as the Yanks won pennants and World Series in 1947 and 1949 and stimulated the interest of other clubs in acquiring a specialist in picking up the pieces for shaky starters.” By the way, going back to Johnny Murphy, in eight World Series games and 16⅓ innings (spread over six different Series), he won two games, lost none, saved four, and posted an ERA of 1.10. In 1958 Ryne Duren had 20 saves for the Yankees, also the most in the League. Enter Luis Arroyo. In 1961 Luis “Tite”Arroyo was credited with 29 saves (15-5, 2.19 ERA) and the franchise record of 29 was good for 9 years until 1970 when Lindy McDaniel tied the mark (In the AL Ron Perranoski led with 34 that year). Luis Arroyo was born in Peñuelas, Puerto Rico and made his Major League debut on April 20, 1955 with the St. Luis Cardinals. Despite his 11-8 and 4.19 ERA, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates where he spent the next two seasons (‘56 and ’57) compiling a 6-14 record. He spent 1958 in an AAA Minor League team the Columbus Jets, International League, (IL) where he compiled a 10-3 record with a 4.01 ERA. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 1959 and pitched for their AAA Minor League team Havana and just got into 10 games with the Reds that year (1-0, 3.95 ERA). He spent part of 1960 with two AAA teams: the Havana Sugar Kings and the Jersey City Jerseys, IL (9-7, 2.27) and then the New York Yankees. Following the success he had with the Yankees, he suffered arm/shoulder troubles and in 1963, the last year with the Yankees (1-1 and 13.50), he ended his professional playing days with the Richmond Virginians, also with the International League. The succession of Yankee noteworthy closers who led the AL with saves after Luis Arroyo and taking into account the changes much having to do with pitching: from the pitcher’s mound, the strike zone and additional specialty pitches – and physical condition of the players themselves – in addition to the fastball and curve, led not only to the reliance and frequency of relievers, but also the increase in the number of saves. To this end we have Sparky Lyle surpassing both, Arroyo and McDaniel’s’ 29 saves with 35 in 1972. Lyle led the League with just 23 in 1976. He was followed by Hall of Famer Goose Goosage – starter for one side of the 2010 Old Timers’ game – who in 1978 led with 27 and in 1980 with 33; in 1986 Dave Righetti got into the 40s with 46; John Wetland in 1996 led with 43. And the rest is Mo time. In 1999 Mariano Rivera led the league with 45; again in 2001 with 50; in 2004 with 53. And so, the first significant Latino closer for the New York Yankees was Boricua Luis “Tite” Arroyo and the second and sure bet for the Hall of Fame, Mariano Rivera. Latino Sports wishes a speedy recovery for Luis “Tite” Arroyo and the best of health. Hopefully he can be seen in the 65th Annual Old Timer’s Game. References: http://www.baseball-reference.com http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5388875 |
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