[Merkle923]

Highly regarded, largely underachieving, up-and-down starter and reliever in the '60s. He was Boston's second starter in 1964, opening 5-1 and ending 9-13. In the minors the next year, sold to the Astros, sold to the White Sox, and on April 25, 1967, sold conditionally to the Mets. Lamabe pitched passably for what amounted to his hometown team, but in four appearances against the Cardinals he struck out 11 men and allowed only 14 baserunners in 14 innings.

So in July, after Bob Gibson took a line drive that broke a bone in his leg, the first-place Cardinals got him from the last-place Mets. He went 3-4 with 4 saves for them plus a shutout - against the Mets. He made two decent appearances in the World Series and Red Schoendienst brought him in to Game 6, tied 4-4 in the 7th, with the Cardinals leading the Series 3 games to 2. He gave up the first two of Boston's six hits that inning and by the time it was over the Impossible Dream Red Sox would win the game 8-4 and set up their ultimate disappointment in losing game seven to Gibson the next day (proving the adage of my old Boston colleague Clark Booth: "If the Red Sox win today, it's only because losing tomorrow will hurt more."

In any event, Lamabe got a World Series ring and of course another trade, the next spring, for a final season with the Cubs. And Brace got him in each uni.

(Added: there's a second Lamabe image, a little blurry, needed a little AI help).