On July 22, 1960, the pudgy Arroyo’s acquisition by the Yankees was little noticed; he’d had mixed results in previous trials with three NL clubs, but he mystified AL batters with his screwball. In 1961, he was recognized as the league’s top reliever, having taken a direct hand in 44 of the Yankees’ 109 victories with 15 relief wins and 29 saves, both AL highs. His reliability contributed to Yankee ace Whitey Ford‘s first 20-win season. Arroyo then added a WS win, but a sore arm the following spring ended his dominance.
