New Arrival: Bob Purkey, p, Cincinnati Reds
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Bob Purkey was an outstanding pitcher in the early 1960s for the Pirates and Reds. From 1957 to 1962, Purkey was one of the best pitchers in the league, winning 97 games with a 111 ERA+. In 1961, he was part of an effective Cincinnati rotation that included Jim O’Toole (19-0) and Joey Jay (21-10), who won the National League pennant, though they lost to the Yankees in the World Series. His best season came in 1962, when he went 23-5 with a 2.81 ERA/143 ERA+ and was selected to his last of five career All-Star teams.
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What made Purkey interesting is that he was a knuckleballer, but used it strictly as a complement to his other pitches, since his game was pinpoint control. Over his career, he allowed only a minuscule 2.2 walks per nine innings.