BEFORE MARIANO, THERE WAS DUREN

"I would not admire hitting against Ryne Duren, because if he ever hit you in the head you might be in the past tense."‬ --Casey Stengel

(Photo: UPI)
For anyone that who loves watching an intimidating reliever come out of the bullpen to shut down the enemy, you would have to appreciate Ryne Duren.

Yup, way before Goose Gossage or Mariano Rivera's Enter Sandman run to the mound was even invented, there was Ryne Duren, a fastball pitcher that would scare damage the opposing batters hopes of a base hit... and it all started with his entrance.
Duren had an amazing fastball and he was the perfect fit for Casey Stengel and the New York Yankees. As intimidating as he was, Duren had a nerdy appearance to him. Coke bottle glasses and he just didn't look like a tough guy...but he was and opposing team knew that if they got alittle too comfortable in the batter's box, they'd probably get one under the chin.

Duren's time with the Yankees started in 1957. Duren, Pisoni, and Harry Simpson were traded to the Yanks for Billy Martin, Ralph Terry, Woodie Held, and Bob Martyn, who went to the Kansas City Athletics.

Duren was the true showman. Like a stated earlier, part of what made Duren so unique was his entrance from the bullpen. When Stengel needed Duren, he'd hop the fence and begin a very slow walk to the mound. Duren always had his warm up jacket covering his pitching arm. It didn't matter if it was 49 or 99 degrees, he'd be wearing it.

When he warmed up, the first pitch was always wild and high past the catcher's head but as the warm ups continued, the fastballs eventually settled consistantly in the catcher's mitt.

‪Duren was with the Yankees from 1957 to 1961. During that time he had an ERA of 2.75, has 43 saves and 243 strikeouts. During his career, Duren was a 3 time all-star. In 1959, his ERA was 1.88, the best of his career.‬In 1961, he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels. From there he bounced around going to the Phillies, then the Reds in 1964. His final team was the Washington Senators.

So, the next time you see Mariano do his intimidating Sandman entrance, remember, history repeats itself and while Ryne Duren didn't have all the bells and whistles Rivera has, he was probably one of the most intimidating pitchers during his tenure in the Bronx.

A trailblazer, a true showman, a Yankee pitcher that should never be forgotten. Ryne Duren may have passed away this past January, but his legend truly lives on.
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