Iron Mike Marshall: Baseball Rebel

In the winter of 1973, the Dodgers sent longtime center fielder Willie Davis to the Montreal Expos for Mike Marshall, the Expos’ closer who led the league with 31 saves. The Dodgers’ closer at the time was Jim Brewer, a 36-year-old left-hander who had joined the team in a trade with the Cubs in 1964. He had been their primary closer since 1968.

Marshall was born in Adrian, Michigan, in 1943. His father, William, was a draftsman, and his mother, June, a homemaker. When he was 11, he was riding in a car with his uncle when the car was hit by a train. His uncle was killed, and Mike had a back injury that would bother him for years and shape his baseball career.

After he graduated from high…