One addition to what I wrote above about Ellwanger. This anecdote speaks to his character and makeup, which I believe are a not-so-unimportant element of a pitcher’s success.
It so happens that I am also a high school baseball coach, and because of the connection with Ellwanger, I brought a bunch of my guys to one of his starts and we agreed to meet after the game so that he could address my team and they could ask him some questions.
I would have to look it up, but his start—granted against a Western Kentucky team that was among the hottest in college baseball at the time—was probably his worst outing of the year. Something like 3.2 innings and 6 ER.
One can imagine that the last thing he wanted to do after a disappointing outing was come out and talk to a bunch of 15- and 16-year-olds.
And yet, he came out, and talked with my team. Not only that, he devoted at least 15-20 minutes to my players, answered some of their questions, and gave them some advice. Was extremely gracious and generous with his time and knowledge.