The Hall of Famer died yesterday at the age of 84.
Perry pitched for eight teams during his 22-year career in which he pitched 5,350 innings, winning 314 wins while striking out 3,534. But, as The New York Times‘ Richard Goldstein writes in the obituary, “he’s remembered as much for his acknowledged spitball, with saliva just one substance in his arsenal.” Perry pitched one season for the Yankees, going 4-4.
He debuted and spent the majority of his career with the San Francisco Giants before being traded to the Cleveland Indians where he won is first Cy Young Award in 1972. He won again with the San Diego Padres in 1978 at the age of 39. Perry also pitched for the Texas Rangers (two stints), Atlanta Braves, and Seattle Mariners, before winding down with the Kansas City Royals in 1983.
Perry took advantage of the suspicions about his “arsenal” of pitches, publishing The Spitter and Me: An Autobiographical Confession with Bob Sudyk in 1974. Barely two weeks before his death, he was the subject of Spitter: Baseball’s Notorious Gaylord Perry, by David Vaught.
This AP obit appeared in the San Diego Union Tribune. Cleveland.com posted this.
Gaylord Perry’s brother, Jim, won 215 games for the Indians, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers and Oakland A’s over 17 years. He won the Cy Young in 1970, making them the only brothers to accomplish the feat. Their combined record of 519 wins was bested only by Phil and Joe Neikro’s 539.
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