Every time he pitched, I thought we'd win': Remembering Gaylord Perry

In 1974, successful Cleveland 2nd baseman Duane Kuiper's archetypal period successful the large leagues, helium started for the archetypal clip down seasoned prima pitcher Gaylord Perry. Seconds earlier Kuiper ran to his presumption to statesman the game, Perry looked astatine him and said, "If you marque an mistake down maine today, you'll ne'er play different time successful the large leagues. Do you understand?!''

That was Gaylord Perry, who did truthful overmuch much than propulsion a spitball. He had large stuff, helium was a big, strong, rough, gruff husbandman from North Carolina, helium was irascible, wildly competitory and, similar astir large pitchers, truly mean, fearless and hated to lose. He spoke freely adjacent if it meant angering an hostile oregon teammate. He played for 8 teams, during which clip helium asked to beryllium traded, threatened to retire, astir fought with teammate Frank Robinson and, successful the celebrated Pine Tar Game successful 1983, confiscated George Brett's bat, was apprehended by umpires, and thrown retired of the game. There was ne'er immoderate backing down by Perry, not from his debut astatine property 22 with the San Francisco Giants successful 1962 or, 22 seasons later, astatine property 44, with the Seattle Mariners -- helium was the Ancient Mariner -- and Kansas City Royals successful 1983.

Which is wherefore it seems unfair that Perry, who died Thursday astatine the property of 84, is often champion remembered for throwing a spitball (even if his 1974 autobiography is titled "Me and The Spitter"). To some, that made him an overrated pitcher. More likely, much accurately, helium was underrated.

Perry won 314 games with a 3.11 ERA and 3,534 strikeouts. The lone pitchers successful past who tin lucifer each 3 of those numbers are Walter Johnson and Tom Seaver. Perry was the archetypal pitcher to triumph the Cy Young Award successful each league -- successful 1972 for Cleveland and successful 1978 astatine property 39 for the San Diego Padres. He and his brother, Jim, are the lone brace of brothers to each triumph a Cy Young. Gaylord Perry won much games than immoderate pitcher successful the 1960s and '70s combined. It took 3 attempts, but Perry was voted into the Hall of Fame successful 1991.

"He was tough,'' Hall of Fame outfielder Willie Stargell erstwhile said. "He was great. And helium pitched angry.''

Of course, Perry did so propulsion a spitball, a transportation helium allegedly learned successful 1964 from teammate Bob Shaw. Opponents occasionally complained astir him loading up. In 1973, New York Yankees manager Ralph Houk charged the mound and pulled Perry's headdress disconnected his head. But astatine slightest 1 of his catchers successful the 1970s said that Perry threw lone 2 oregon 3 spitters per game, erstwhile helium truly needed a large out. Perry went done the aforesaid gyrations connected the mound, appearing to interaction his cap, his hair, his jersey. In retirement, Perry told me, "I wanted the hitters to deliberation I mightiness propulsion a spitter. If I could messiness with their heads and their approach, I'd person a amended accidental of getting them out. And I loved getting them out."

Perry was besides remarkably durable. He threw 5,350⅓ innings, sixth astir of each time, lone 36 less than Nolan Ryan. For a nine-year stretch, Perry threw astatine slightest 300 innings successful a play 7 times successful an eight-year span. For a 10-year period, helium averaged implicit 300 innings pitched per season. He threw 53 shutouts, tied for 16th astir with Jim Palmer, 2 less than Steve Carlton. Perry's 1.181 WHIP besides is successful the apical 20 each time, conscionable up of the large Bob Gibson.

"There were truthful galore large pitchers successful the National League successful the '60s and '70s,'' erstwhile teammate Willie McCovey erstwhile said. "We had 1 of the precise champion connected our squad successful Juan Marichal. Not everyone appreciated Gaylord. Every clip helium pitched, I thought we'd win.''

About the lone happening Perry -- besides a hoops and shot prima successful precocious schoolhouse successful North Carolina -- didn't bash good was hit: helium finished with a vocation .131 mean with six location runs. But successful 1964, a writer told Giants manager Alvin Dark that Perry, past 24, was a bully hitting pitcher, and mightiness deed a location tally someday. Dark responded, saying, "Mark my words, a antheral volition onshore connected the satellite earlier Gaylord Perry hits a location run.''

Five years later, astatine 1:17 p.m. Pacific clip connected July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the archetypal men to acceptable ft connected the moon. Thirty minutes later, astir 238,900 miles away, successful the 3rd inning astatine Candlestick Park, Perry deed his archetypal large league homer, a blast disconnected the Dodgers' Claude Osteen.

Three years later, Perry was traded by the Giants to Cleveland successful a woody for ace Sam McDowell, who would triumph 19 games the remainder of his career. Perry would triumph 180. Perry is inactive beloved successful San Francisco, wherever a statue of Perry was unveiled astatine Oracle Park successful 2016, successful grant of the 10 years helium spent determination to commencement his career.

Kuiper, ever playful, present calls games for the Giants and erstwhile had idiosyncratic instrumentality a representation of him saluting Perry's statue. The archetypal salute, arsenic helium recalled the seasoned pitcher threatening him earlier that commencement successful 1974, was the mediate digit variety. The 2nd was a salute of a respect to a great, large pitcher.