with a 2.21 earned run average (ERA) in 42 games (22 as a starter), the best in Detroit since Hal Newhouser in 1946. Having pitched over 100 innings (216 in total) for the first time in his career, Aguirre led the Major Leagues in ERA (0.33 points lower than Sandy Koufax who was second best), won 16 games, and was selected to the American League All-Star team. He also led the American League in WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) with a 1.051 average. Aguirre also finished 17th in the 1962 American League Most Valuable Player voting. Aguirre lost his spot in the Tigers starting rotation in 1966, and returned to the bullpen. Before the start of the 1968 season, Aguirre was traded by the Tigers to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a player to be named later. In one season with the Dodgers, Aguirre allowed only three runs in 39 innings for a 0.69 ERA. Despite the good season, Aguirre was released by the Dodgers and spent the final two seasons of his big league career pitching for Leo Durocher's Chicago Cubs, where he was a combined 4–0 in 1969 and 1970. In 16 MLB seasons, Aguirre finished with a record of 75–72 in 1,375 innings pitched, with 856 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.24. Aguirre spent three years (1972–74) as a coach for the Cubs. He was initially hired as the team's bench coach, tasked with serving as an intermediary between irascible manager Leo Durocher, his players and the Chicago media. The post was created in the aftermath of a player revolt against Durocher in 1971. After Durocher's firing in July 1972, Aguirre continued on the Cubs' staff as bullpen coach (1973) and pitching coach (1974). He managed in the Oakland Athletics' organization in 1975–76. Batting Aguirre had a reputation as one of baseball's worst-hitting pitchers. He had an .085 lifetime average, going 33-for-388 at the plate, with no home runs, striking out 236 times while drawing 14 walks. Post-baseball career In 1979, with the encouragement and support of Jack Masterson, an executive with Volkswagen of America, and attorney John Noonan, Aguirre founded Mexican Industries, Inc. The company, based in Detroit, operated as a labor-intensive, minority-oriented enterprise that supplied specialized parts to American automobile manufacturers. After a difficult start, Mexican Industries thrived during the 1980s, becoming a multimillion-dollar business and creating hundreds of jobs (primarily for the