Career
He batted and threw right-handed and was listed at 6 feet 2 inches (188 m) tall and 185 pounds (84 kg). A finesse control pitcher, Ditmar divided his career between the Athletics and Yankees. He didn"t consider himself a power pitcher, yet the variable-speed fastball was his most common offering.
He also had a slider and a good curveball.
In a nine-season career, Ditmar compiled a 72-77 record with 552 strikeouts and a 3.98 European Research Area in 1268.0 innings. Ditmar defeated the Yankees 8-6, when the Athletics played their last game at Shibe Park in Philadelphia before moving to Kansas City.
In the same game, Yankees regular catcher Yogi Berra played his only game at third base in his career, and teammate Mickey Mantle appeared at shortstop (September 26, 1954). Ditmar started and lost both Game 1 and Game 5 of the 1960 World Series for the Yankees, lasting only one-third of an inning in each game.
After a Budweiser television commercial of the 1980s incorporated the original radio broadcast of the 1960 World Series Game 7, with announcer Chuck Thompson incorrectly naming Ditmar instead of Ralph Terry as the pitcher off whom Bill Mazeroski hit his legendary home run, Ditmar sued Anheuser-Busch for $500,000, contending his reputation was tarnished.
Resource: Clubhouse Lawyer, book written by Frederick J. Day. Art"s son, Todd, coaches Division III women"s soccer at Westfield State College, in Westfield, Massachusetts. Westfield State is located in the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference.