Inserting a lift into one of his shoes to correct a tilted pelvis, he returned in 1954, winning the game which clinched the NL pennant for the Giants as the team won the 1954 World Series.

Seldom used with Cleveland, Maglie joined the Dodgers in May 1956 and went on to finish second in NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and MLB Cy Young Award voting.

[2] Maglie began his professional career with Buffalo in 1938, appearing in five games and posting a 3.75 earned run average (ERA) while losing his only decision.

He credited team owner and former major league pitcher Jack Ogden with teaching him one of the most important lessons he learned in his whole baseball career.

It was from Luque that Maglie learned the art of throwing high, inside pitches that just missed the batters' heads, diminishing their confidence.

[10] Several other major leaguers, such as Max Lanier, Danny Gardella, and Mickey Owen, had also made the jump to the Mexican League, but the presence of these players failed to generate enough revenue to justify expenses.

[2] On June 5 of that year, Chandler lifted the ban on the players who had jumped to the Mexican League,[12] but Maglie chose to spend the entire season with Drummondville.

[27][21] Against the Boston Braves on September 29, Maglie outpitched future Hall of Famer Warren Spahn, allowing five hits and no runs in a 3–0 shutout victory.

[45] However, he suffered from back problems that year and never pitched more than 4+2⁄3 innings in a game after July 16, posting an 8.88 ERA and losing all five of his decisions after that date.

[1][46] That season, Maglie, Johnny Antonelli, and Ruben Gomez combined to win 52 games, complete 37 starts, and help the Giants pitchers post an ERA of 3.09, the lowest in the National League.

After the first two batters of the eighth reached, Maglie was replaced with Don Liddle, who gave up the fly ball to Vic Wertz that Willie Mays caught in one of baseball's most storied plays.

In the fourth inning, Jackie Robinson dropped down a bunt, intending to retaliate for the knockdown pitch by crashing into Maglie as he fielded the ball.

[73] Maglie was expected to be the Dodgers' Game 1 starter in the 1956 World Series on October 3, but an upset stomach and a stiff shoulder experienced a couple days before left his status in doubt.

[74] Ultimately, Maglie did make the start, allowing three runs in a complete game and outpitching future Hall of Famer Whitey Ford as the Dodgers beat the Yankees 6–3.

[2][78] In recognition of Maglie's performance in 1956, the Chicago Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association honored him with the William Wrigley Jr. Award for "'comeback' of the year.

"[70] In an article released during 1957 spring training, Dodger manager Walter Alston previewed his team: "Sal Maglie showed me he makes up for his years with a wise head and strong arm.

However, since the trade was not finalized until September 1, Maglie was not eligible to pitch in the World Series for New York that year, as players acquired after the August 31 deadline were ineligible.

[13] He only made three starts for the Yankees but won two of them, including a game against the Indians on September 11 when he held Cleveland to three hits and outpitched future Hall of Famer Early Wynn in a 5–0 shutout victory.

[85] Though he was playing for the Yankees at the time, Maglie attended the final Giants game at the Polo Grounds, honored in pregame festivities on September 29, 1957.

[1] Though he was ineligible for the 1957 World Series, Maglie attended the contests, sharing his observations with Creamer as the Braves defeated the Yankees in seven games.

[92] His .657 career winning percentage ranked 22nd among major leaguers as of August 2020,[93] and he had a 23–11 record against the Dodgers, archrival of the Giants, including a streak at Ebbets Field where he won 11 of 12 decisions.

[14] Hall of Fame pitcher Don Drysdale credited Maglie with teaching him the art of brushing back batters while the two were teammates in Brooklyn.

"He taught me how to use the lower part of my body," Dick Radatz said, crediting the advice with adding four or five miles an hour to his pitches' velocity.

He invested in local businesses around Niagara Falls, engaged in public speaking, and joined the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) in 1965.

The NYSAC post forced him to turn down an offer to return to the Red Sox in 1965, but he signed a two-year contract to become their pitching coach again in 1966.

Jim Lonborg, the AL Cy Young Award winner that season, credited his effectiveness that year to Maglie's lessons on pitching inside.

[105] Bouton commented that Maglie rarely gave useful advice to the pitchers, and frequently second-guessed their choice of pitches, often contradicting his previous second guessing.

"[110] Despite the intimidating appearance, the New York Times wrote that in person, he "had a gentle, polite manner with a voice as soft as that of a priest in a confessional.

"[112] Willie Mays summarized his reason for throwing inside: "He always liked to be in complete control of a game, and the way he did this, or thought he had to do it, was by pitching batters close.

Sal Sr. had recovered from a near-fatal brain aneurysm suffered in 1982, but following a 1987 stroke, he moved into the Niagara Falls Memorial Nursing Home.