Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry, a two-time Cy Young winner, dies at 84 : NPR
Sweet Barry / AP
GAFFNEY, SC – Celebrity Baseball Hall of Fame and two-time Cy Young Award winner, Gaylord Perry, a master of pitching and telling turf stories, passed away Thursday. He was 84 years old.
Perry died at his home in Gaffney around 5 a.m. Thursday, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said. He did not provide further details. A statement from Perry’s family said he “passed away peacefully at his home after a brief illness”.
The Williamston, North Carolina native made history as the first player to win Cy Young in both tournaments, with Cleveland in 1972 after the 24-16 season and with San Diego in 1978 – winning 21-6 for the fifth and final 20-win the season right after turning 40.
“Before winning my second Cy Young, I thought I was too old – I didn’t think the writers would vote for me,” Perry said in an article on the National Baseball Hall of Fame website. “But they voted for my performance, so I won it.”
“Gaylord Perry was a steadfast worker and a memorable figure in his Hall of Fame career,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement, adding, “he is. will be remembered among the most successful San Francisco Giants ever… and remained a fellow celebrity and friend throughout his life.”
Perry was drafted by the San Francisco Giants and spent 10 seasons with legendary teammates like Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who said Thursday that Perry “was a good man, a ballplayer. excellent and my good friend. My longtime best friend.”
Juan Marichal remembers Perry as “smart, funny, and kind to everyone in the club. When he talks, you listen.”
“In our 10 seasons together on the San Francisco Giants rotation, we combined to score 369 complete games, more than any other major League teammate,” said Marichal. “I will always remember Gaylord for his love and devotion to the game of baseball, his family, and his ranch.”
Perry, who played for eight major league teams from 1962 to 1983, was a five-time All-Star elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991. He had a career record of 314-255, ending finished with 3,554 shots and used a pitching style in which he tested baseballs or made batters believe he was testing them.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame said in a statement that Perry is “one of the greatest pitchers of his generation.” Texas Rangers, where Perry has played twice, said in a statement that the pitcher was “a fierce competitor every time he held the ball and frequently failed to give Rangers a chance to win the game.” .”
“Rangers express their sincere condolences to Gaylord’s family at this difficult time,” the team’s statement said. “This great baseball game will be missed.”
How Perry learned the saliva ball
Perry’s 1974 autobiography was titled “Me and the Spitter”, and he wrote it in that when, starting in 1962, he was “the 11th on the 11-man pitcher” for the Giants. He needed an edge and learned to pitch from San Francisco teammate Bob Shaw.
Perry said he first threw it in May 1964 during a game against the New York Mets, threw 10 innings without giving up and immediately entered the Giants’ starting rotation.
He also wrote in the book that he chewed on slippery elm bark to produce saliva, and eventually stopped pitching in 1968 after the MLB mandated pitchers not to put their fingers in their mouths before touching the ball. baseball.
According to his book, he sought other substances, such as kerosene, to cure baseball. He used various movements and habits to touch different parts of his jersey and body to make the big boys think he was smearing a foreign substance.
Giants teammate Orlando Cepeda said Perry has “a great sense of humour… a great personality and is my baseball brother.”
Cepeda added: “In all my baseball years, I have never seen a right-handed hurdler appear like that on the field and in the clubhouse.
Seattle Mariners President John Stanton said in a statement that he spoke with Perry during his last visit to Seattle, saying that Perry was “very enjoyable and remains passionate about his opinions on the game.” , and especially about pitching.
Perry was kicked out of a game just once for doing his doctorate in baseball — while he was in Seattle in August 1982. During his final season with Kansas City, Perry and teammate Leon Roberts tried tried to hide George Brett’s infamous pine stick in the clubhouse but was disqualified. blocked by security. Perry was also disqualified for his role in that game.
Following his career, Perry founded the baseball program at Limestone College in Gaffney and coached there for the first three years.
Perry is survived by his wife Deborah and three of his four children, Allison, Amy and Beth. Perry’s son Jack had previously died.
Deborah Perry said in a statement to the AP that Gaylord Perry is “a respected public figure who has inspired millions of fans and is a husband, father, friend and mentor. devoted, who changed the lives of countless people with his grace, patience, and spirit.”
The Hall of Fame statement notes that Perry often returns on showcase weekends “to meet his friends and fans.”
“We send our deepest sympathies to his wife, Deborah, and the entire Perry family,” said Baseball Hall of Fame President Jane Forbes Clark.