Mr. Tuffett watches the home runs fly away
Billy Muffett is on my list simply because of one of the great quotes I have heard in baseball. When asked about his poor pitching performances Muffett responded with: “My problem is I lose too many one-run games- 10-9, 8-7.” That about sums up the pitching competency of Muffett.
Muffett’s first season in Boston was 1960 and he showed some ability with a 6-4 record and 3.24 ERA. Then came 1961 and a team that was a wreck and so was Muffett. Muffett dragged on and posted a 3-11 tab, but his ERA ballooned to 5.67.
I remember the occasional song or rhyme of ridicule aimed at Muffet: “Little Mr. Muffin sat on the mound watching the home runs fly away.”
Muffett returned to the Red Sox in 1962 for just one start before being released. The next few season’s Muffett toiled in the minors never to resurface at the major league level. That quote deserves some place of honor for his insightful analysis of his pitching.