A reliever with a plan that ended the game faster than anyone expected.

Mitch Williams entered the April 30, 1989 game ready to close—and never had to throw a pitch. As Gary Templeton stepped in, Williams picked Carmelo Martinez off second base to seal a 3–1 Cubs win. The save was over in an instant, the result of a strategy Williams formed before he ever took the mound.

🕵️ Inside Today’s Original Newspaper Coverage:

  • Why Williams focused on getting the out without throwing pitch

  • Williams’ unorthodox conditioning routine involving a bowling ball

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