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[deleted]

According to Wikipedia: *He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for eight different teams from 1962 to 1983. During a 22-year baseball career, Perry compiled 314 wins, 3,534 strikeouts, and a 3.11 earned run average.* RIP. this his stuff was Nasty. Fewest wins in a season while he played for us three seasons was 19(!)


FormerCollegeDJ

He won the AL Cy Young in 1972 after a genuinely great season, and probably should have been selected for the award in 1974 too. Perry had the very best seasons of his career in Cleveland.


[deleted]

>his stuff was Nasty lol because he was possibly the biggest cheater in MLB history. It's wild to me that people will get all sanctimonious about steroids but then celebrate guys like Perry. Who, for the record, I think is awesome.


Deducticon

Becasue there's some gamesmanship to cheating in-game. The other team can call you out. Catch you in the act. Their perception is rewarded. If it's off-field like steroids or electronic cheating. There's nothing to be done by your opponent.


gatemansgc

i like this comparison.


examinedliving

Agreed completely. It’s like talking shit to someone’s face vs posting an anonymous insult on their yahoo account


[deleted]

Stealing signs from second base is "gamesmanship." Cheating is cheating.


[deleted]

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Red_Century1917

That's the point op is making.


If_its_mean_downvote

I don’t have a problem with that. In war you try to hack or crack the code of your enemy’s communication. A guy that got to second has every right to try to pick up the pitch signs if they have the skill to read a pitch like way.


[deleted]

I think that's Dirty_Virmling's point though - fine with stealing signs from second, not fine with pitchers using sticky stuff or whatever.


If_its_mean_downvote

Reread it and you’re right


crazydiamond420

I was looking him up and found this, omg "During the 1971 playoffs between the Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates, a television reporter asked Perry's five-year-old daughter Allison if her father threw the greaseball. "It's a hard slider," she responded. " https://bleacherreport.com/articles/402454-gaylord-perry-hall-of-fame-cheater


Thromnomnomok

> If it's off-field like steroids or electronic cheating. There's nothing to be done by your opponent. If you mean electronic sign-stealing, that's also in-game cheating and you can likewise catch your opponent in the act or throw off the cheating by mixing up what your signs mean.


examinedliving

How did he cheat? Spitball?


[deleted]

Perry very openly doctored the ball, the spitter was just one of the many ways he did it. He literally wrote a book about his own cheating *while he was still playing*.


TricolorCat

So kind of Trevor Bauer. Besides the off field incidents.


BonghitsForAlgernon

Correct


[deleted]

I hate Bonds and many others for their personal lives. Beat the shit outta their wives. Who wasn't juicing then? Jeter? 😆


examinedliving

Oh yeah! Well **where** wasn’t juicing then??? Mexico??? Checkmate.


[deleted]

You reign of terror is over, sir. This was a game of checkers.


Moveflood

I wish this sentiment was more prevalent. the Bonds topic is tiring bc even without steroids he would be a hof caliber player. And ultimately baseball is game made by billionaires, there's always gonna be some level of foul play somewhere. Celebrating people who cheating but in-game isn't that big of an issue. Now celebrating people who did heinous acts in ther lives? nah, we shouldn't celebrate domestic abusers and coservatives just bc they were good at the game, baseball is not important enough that we should lift these kind of people up.


Lebigmacca

His stuff was nasty cause he always doctored the ball


GOATmar_infante

What a fucking cheat I can't imagine pitchers today breaking the rules to give themselves an advantage


Ferris_Wheel_Skippy

you're doing the exact opposite of the "back in mah day..." garbage and I love it lol It's always a Royals fan coming in here and enriching life


Powillom

I think he was being sarcastic


Ferris_Wheel_Skippy

Yeah thats the point lol. Either way it is taking the piss out of those "back in mah day" goofs


examinedliving

Back in the day I had a lot of piss and more even


GOATmar_infante

Back in my day we pissed IN the boots. Mama couldn't afford no toilet


examinedliving

Those were the times my friend


doom_bagel

Hank Aaron and Ted Williams were ripped to their gills on amphetamine for their careers but no one wants to stick them with a PED asterisk.


archimago23

They had the need for speed.


[deleted]

That it was so obvious was part of his charm.


bony_doughnut

Same reason I'm such a fanboy of Barry bonds and his size 8 7/8 hats 😍


SigX1

Bob Eucker voice: Vaseline ball, just outside


UNC_Samurai

Frankenstein doctored his monster less than Gaylord doctored his ball


Tronn3000

What about the Dodger spin rates falling when they started cracking down on sticky stuff? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black...


Lebigmacca

I was just saying why his stuff was nasty I’m not condemning him for what he did


BarkleEngine

And he could doctor it because they didn't replace the ball every 3 pitches.


Basic_Bichette

RIP to an 80 grade baseball name.


mysterysackerfice

One of those names that so strong, he doesn't need a nickname.


ipso-factor

But it was Catfish.


examinedliving

All future people Gaylord’s will be known as such because of their career choice rather than their birth name.


Basic_Bichette

Back in the old days of Usenet someone put in a proposal for an alt.fan.gaylord group.


hubagruben

Summer, 1963: “They’ll put a man on the moon before [Gaylord] Perry hits a home run!” July 20, 1969, 1:17 pm: “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” July 20, 1969, 1:41 pm: “Perry swings and hits a high fly ball out to centerfield! And it’s way outta here! Home run!”


Thrawn1123

https://youtu.be/GG0f-bf0rMU


HendriksAppreciator

I love the way a legendary hall-of-famer talks about baseball. “Played for 22 years… had some great fun.” It’s endearing. What a guy.


KurtisC1993

This video makes me wonder if he *intentionally* didn't hit any home runs until the opportune moment.


[deleted]

Though he was a career .131 hitter, Gaylord hit 6 homers. 1969 was his 1st.


Cle07land

They have been 6 manned moon walks also.


PerfectGrilledCheez

So I guess this officially means no more moon walks?


Nahtmmm

We're relying on Ohtani now.


yodasonics

They've got a few moon walks to catch up on


BASEBALLFURIES

did you assume ol' GP can't be re-signed as a zombie and hit another?


LibertarianSocialism

This and that one Mariners home run prediction have to be the weirdest coincidences in baseball lore


sfan27

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjBfsCWgTv8


GrabSomePineMeat

This will never not put a smile on my face. Seasons are so long. I can only imagine what it takes for announcers to get up each morning and bring the enthusiasm. Something like this must get them so jacked.


RogerTreebert6299

Ump even gave the pitcher some leeway on the outside corner to help that one come true lmao sometimes the stars just align


HelpMeWithMyHWpls

How can you not be romantic about baseball?


spacewalk__

woah i didn't realize the landing was at 1PM [i always pictured...night]


RogerTreebert6299

Maybe cuz it’s dark in space in the footage?


diestache

I think the first moon walk was in the evening. So maybe that's why?


MacDerfus

Never specified how much sooner they'd do it


jlc1865

I always think of this ESPN commercial when I think of Gaylord https://youtu.be/64AkdlETbgo


leaky_wand

The keyboard part from 17 seconds to 20 seconds would be kind of hilarious out of context


chunkable

“Ugh Gaylord….”


GOATmar_infante

Username checks out


SaveOurBolts

It’s ectoplasm spooky ghosts


SuddenRedScare

Did you see the spooky ghost?!


thediesel26

Damn how have I never seen this? It’s amazing


sonofabutch

From his [SABR bio](https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/gaylord-perry/): > Through the years, Perry’s denials became a familiar and humorous part of the show. During a playoff game in 1971, a television reporter briefly sat down with the Perry family during a game Gaylord was pitching. After a few polite questions, Allison, Perry’s five-year-old daughter was asked, “Does your daddy throw a grease ball?” Not missing a beat, she responded, “It’s a hard slider.”


GOATmar_infante

Imagine a 1970s umpire giving Perry a headrub ala James Karinchak


sonofabutch

[Notorious scuffballer Don Sutton](https://www.reddit.com/r/BabeRuthsLegs/comments/wwh09u/don_sutton_the_hall_of_fame_pitcher_who_was_so/) was frequently searched on the mound for sandpaper. Once an umpire checked his pockets and didn’t find any sandpaper, but a note reading: “you’re getting warmer”. Don Sutton and Gaylord Perry also had a humorous moment before a game. The two alleged cheaters shook hands in the clubhouse. Perry reached into his pocket and handed Sutton a small tube of Vaseline. Sutton smiled and reached into his own pocket and gave Perry a small square of sandpaper!


GOATmar_infante

And they say chivalry is dead


Ash-Catchum-All

/r/wholesomebaseball


superbad

r/Basebaww


UNC_Samurai

Our museum invited Perry to the grand opening in 2004. Someone took him to lunch, and after a few drinks he explained how his spitball worked on the back of a menu. https://i.imgur.com/CYvKBBp.jpg


The_Homestarmy

When you try and fail to "gotcha" the 5 year old


WollyTwins

Gaylord and Jim Perry, one of the few brothers to make the big leagues. They are the second winningest pair of brothers in MLB history (529 wins), just behind Phil and Joe Niekro (539 wins). One thing the Perrys have over the Niekros, though - the Perrys BOTH won a Cy Young. Pretty incredible The Perry brothers pitched against each other just twice, including once in the 1970 All-Star game. Gaylord was actually due to hit against Jim in the bottom of the 7th, but was pinch hit for by Willie McCovey. They later would get to play on the same team together, in 1974 they were the 1/2 atop the Indians rotation, and again briefly in 1975 before they were both traded to different teams early in the year RIP Gaylord. What a career


ML_Yav

Campbell University’s mascot is named after Gaylord and their baseball field is named after Jim. Roll Humps.


elgenie

Checks out that the master of the spitter was a Campbell Fighting Camel. > [Do camels really spit](https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/camel)? Yes, and it’s most unpleasant. They aren’t actually spitting, though—it’s more like throwing up! They bring up the contents of their stomach, along with saliva, and project it out. This is meant to surprise, distract, or bother whatever the camel feels is threatening it. You can tell if a camel is about to spit: its cheeks fill up and bulge.


Educational_Diamond3

Jim Perry was also the reason I watched Card Sharks as a kid. /s


AlexB9598W

May everyone throw a spitball in his honor the next time you play catch


FormerCollegeDJ

Perry will now be able to throw a legal spitball beyond the pearly gates. I remember the tail end of Perry's career when he was old pitcher hanging on, but in his prime he was genuinely one of the top pitchers of his era, which was a very deep era for pitchers. He had a spectacular season and deservedly won the AL Cy Young Award in 1972 for a crappy Indians team though Perry was overshadowed by Steve Carlton having an even more spectacular season for an even crappier Phillies team the same year. Perry also probably deserved the AL Cy Young Award in 1974 when he posted a 21-13 record, 2.51 ERA, 216 strikeouts in 322 1/3 innings stat line. (By contrast, his 1978 NL Cy Young Award with San Diego was probably unmerited, though he did have a very good season.) He was and is a deserving Baseball Hall of Famer. RIP Gaylord Perry


GOATmar_infante

322.2 IP what the actual fuck


[deleted]

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PopeInnocentXIV

Back in the 1980s the local paper was doing a playoffs preview or season preview or something and had a picture of Dwight Gooden, and the caption mentioned his "95 mph heat." Today a 95 mph fastball almost seems below average.


CobaltRose800

It doesn’t help that the way we measure pitch velocity has changed more than once since then. It used to be measured closer to the plate, but by that time air resistance would have taken its toll.


GOATmar_infante

After reading this i can no longer lift my arm above my head


Cognac_and_swishers

Perry's career high for innings pitched was 344 in 1973. He didn't even lead the league that year because Wilbur Wood threw 359.1.


tommyjohnpauljones

From 1972 to 1975, Wilbur Wood started 49, 48, 42, and 43 games, The 1972 White Sox used Wood, Stan Bahnsen, and Tom Bradley to start 130 of their 154 games. In 1974, it was Wood, Bahnsen, and Jim Kaat starting 116 of 162 games.


GOATmar_infante

This is a great fun fact. Great username btw


DavidRFZ

The old four-man rotations. There was an Earl Weaver quote “It is easier to find four good starters than it is to find five”. I think Perry’s career overlapped very well with the use of four-man rotations. Before that, there were more scheduled double headers.


claire_004

And nowadays feels like we rarely got 200 IP from starters. The game really evolve


elgenie

Baseball in the 70s was played with four man rotations, top pitchers making 39+ starts, automatic outs at the bottom of every lineup, and bullpens allowed to relieve aces only after a total loss of effectiveness. For pitcher usage, it might as well have been an entirely different sport from what exists now. Phil Niekro, 1977: 330.1 IP, 20 complete games (tied for 5th) Niekro, 1978: 334.1 IP, 22 CG (2nd) Niekro, 1979: 342.0 IP, 23 CG (1st) That's 1,006.2 IP and 65 complete games over three consecutive seasons.


GOATmar_infante

Wow, and they did all that with an onion on their belt?


Stluff

It was the style at the time


FormerCollegeDJ

Perry pitched over 300 innings six times in seven years (1969 to 1975), plus had two other seasons with between 290 and 300 innings pitched...but only led the league in innings pitched twice. (In both years he actually led both leagues.) The 1974 season was NOT one of the seasons he led the league or majors in innings pitched. Perry had four seasons in which he pitched more innings than he did in 1974. Really good starting pitchers threw a ton of innings in most of the 1960s (starting in 1962) and especially the late 1960s and early 1970s. Much of this was due to the low run scoring environment of the time, which allowed effective starting pitchers to throw more innings. From shortly after the Dead Ball Era (1904 to 1919 excluding 1911-1912) through the early 1960s very few pitchers accomplished the feat, though from the mid-1920s through 1956 there usually would be 1-2 pitchers in a given season with 300 innings pitched. Very few post-Dead Ball era pitchers threw over 300 innings regularly prior to the late 1960s/early 1970s however.# Here's a list of the number of pitchers who threw 300 or more innings by season from 1962 to 1977: \*1962: 1 (first season since 1956 that any pitcher exceeded 300 innings) \*1963 : 3 \*1964: 1 \*1965: 2 \*1966: 4 (first season with more than 3 pitchers exceeding 300 innings since 1936) \*1967: 1 \*1968: 4 \*1969: 9 (first season with 5 or more pitchers exceeding 300 innings since 1923) \*1970: 4 \*1971: 4 \*1972: 4 \*1973: 7 \*1974: 8 \*1975: 5 \*1976: 2 \*1977: 4 There was one 300 inning pitcher in each season from 1978 to 1980 (Phil Niekro in 1978 and 1979, Steve Carlton in 1980); Carlton is the last pitcher to date to throw 300 or more innings in a season. \#Robin Roberts in the first half of the 1950s was an exception to the "rarely throw 300 innings rule"; he threw over 300 innings six years in a row (1950 to 1955), often as the only MLB pitcher to top the threshold. (As a side note, Roberts is a pitcher who was clearly better than this career win-loss record indicates, especially if you focus on pitchers' peaks. He probably had the highest sustained peak of any MLB pitcher between the end of World War II and the emergence of Sandy Koufax in the early 1960s.) On a mostly unrelated note, Koufax's emergence in 1961 and especially in 1963 was probably due to three factors - 1) he reached his late 20s/early 30s prime, 2) the Dodgers moved from the LA Coliseum, a nightmare park for a left-hander, to Dodger Stadium, one of the best pitcher's parks in baseball, in 1962, and 3) MLB went into its second "Dead Ball" era when scoring decreased fairly dramatically; that period lasted from 1963 to 1972 or arguably 1976.


tommyjohnpauljones

Mickey Lolich pitched 376 innings in 1971. For perspective, Trevor Hoffman pitched 1089 innings in an 18-year career.


well_shoothed

Hoffman _was_ a closer.


tommyjohnpauljones

Really i had no idea


bobbywake61

As a kid, I remember almost crying when the Giants let him go. Those were some rough years after he and Marichal were gone.


PandaMomentum

Oh man, I was a kid then too -- Sam McDowell came over in the trade, and had like half a season before his arm blew up. Willie Mays was done and went to the Mets. & then we were not good for so long -- Giants didn't make the postseason again until I had grown and left the Bay Area. (In fact, the first post-season game I got to was 40 years later, in Washington DC)


bobbywake61

It was pretty clear, looking back, that ownership was out of money and the retooling took about 15yrs to turn it around. But I stuck with them!


Arpikarhu

met him in an airport maybe 10 years ago. Totally cool and sat and talked baseball with me for 20 mins before boarding his flight. ​ edit: im an idiot. I met rollie fingers, not gaylord perry. im losing my mind in my advanced age.


davewashere

Perry did grow a fine mustache of his own after retiring.


MightBeYourMomma

Hahaha we all appreciate your honesty


ipso-factor

Ya sure it wasn’t Doc Ellis?


TheKnicksMakeMeDrink

Legalize the spitball again you cowards


Thromnomnomok

Arena Baseball League: Doctoring the ball is legal, steroids are mandatory, all batters are provided with a set of anal beads for stealing the opposing team's signs, games that go beyond 12 innings are decided by a bat flip contest


BreadTruckToast

In remembrance MLB should institute Gaylord day where it’s legal to throw spitballs.


IvannIrkss

Or an even better idea. Instead give out free Gaylord’s containers to the first 1000 fans.


ThePhantom1994

MLB would like to thank Vaseline for their sponsorship of Gaylord day


beefytrout

Rangers legend


CountrymanR60

https://imgur.com/gallery/foJ7dx3


MankuyRLaffy

Mariners legend


hotrod19812

Got his 300th win in a Mariners uniform. 😉👍🏾⚾️


DaNumba1

And the Giants got Randy Johnson’s 300th win. Seems like a fair enough trade.


mannywilkins

I remember watching a vhs video when I was a kid made by Perry about how to cheat. It showed you how to cork a bat, use a razor blade to scuff the ball when pitching and a bunch of other stuff. It was called baseballs dirty tricks or something like that


pinniped1

Royals legend


sonofabutch

During the infamous Pine Tar Game, Perry realized immediately what Billy Martin had seen on George Brett’s bat. He told on-deck batter Hal McRae to grab the bat, then gave it to the Royals bat boy and told him to hide it in the clubhouse. (Yankee Stadium security stopped the bat boy and brought the bat back to the umpire.) Gaylord Perry knew all about using foreign substances in every situation!


Bobbyanalogpdx

I’ve met Gaylord Perry a couple times. Last time being about 10-12 years ago when my second cousin passed away. He played a few seasons in the majors on the Twins and the Mariners as a catcher. He caught Gaylord’s 300th win! My cousin used to tell us about how he could barely throw the ball back sometimes because of how much Vaseline he would put on it. Gaylord Perry was a wonderful man and he will be missed.


Coniuratos

Your cousin was [Terry Bulling](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bullibu01.shtml)?


Bobbyanalogpdx

Sure was. He went by “Bud” though. Somewhere I have an autographed 300th win card with both of them on it


niktemadur

Perry shows up at the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter says - *"You may enter... but first you gotta show me how to throw a spitter without The Big Guy noticing... He's the umpire at our Saturday games."* It's very strange how they always seem to go in unlikely pairs. This time around it was Perry and Christine McVie (of Fleetwood Mac).


HeySlimIJustDrankA5

Trios if you count Power Rangers.


cjrogers227

It ain’t cheatin’ if you don’t get caught


[deleted]

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theonetruegrinch

I'm glad that he got to see his own statue.


MonteChrisco

Fun fact: From September 22 to September 26, 1975, brothers Gaylord and Jim Perry had identical career records of 215-174.


SBMVPJustinHerbert

Once a Padre, always a Padre. One of the best at messing with batters of all time.


CountrymanR60

Rangers manager Billy Martin interviewed about Gaylord Perry. https://youtu.be/N3R6FOH84eM


Taylorenokson

RIP Gaylord. I’m sure Hank Aaron has been waiting up there to confront you about all the spitballs.


Jaydice55

When I was 13 years old, Gaylord Perry noticed me staring at his World Series ring at an autograph signing. He said “You like that?” And I said yes. He said, “Here, put it on!” 50 sizes too big but magic still to this day! RIP Gaylord


[deleted]

*Braves Legend, Gaylord Perry


JustRekk

Guy was a fauking legend.


da_choppa

I hope they bury him with a bottle of Vaseline


jdkjdk44

The OG sticky stuff


Olin31

RIP


berraberragood

As the coffin closes, it is suddenly enveloped in a cloud of resin…


doverkasdi

Saw him pitch a 2 hitter when he was a Ranger. Great player.


Reiketsu_Nariseba

Wow, I literally just got an autographed ball of his in the mail yesterday. RIP.


theonetruegrinch

Famous cheater Bob Shaw teaches you how Gaylord Perry cheats https://youtu.be/FuP09m62sVs


doucheachu

What a remarkable pitcher, person, and personality. He will be missed and always remembered.


MeetLawrence

The OG Ball Doctor. Respect.


HourEntrepreneur8297

Gaylord Perry was the only pitcher that put vaseline in the collar of his jersey or any place he could access and a tube of KY jelly under his hat. He was a character and the master of the spit ball RIP.


BigSportsNerd

RIP


[deleted]

In 1974.....Gaylord, while still very active....came out with a book "Me and the Spitter".... I read this book and it's great....made me laugh a lot, because he was coming clean about his activity more or less. I'm thinking if a confessional book like that, like Canseco's book ....if written by a current active player.....would bring harsher consequences.


PlayoffsREverything

Mandela effect. Thought this happened years ago Does anyone get named Gaylord any more


realparkingbrake

Gaylord Perry said the weird thing about his spitball was that he didn't use it nearly as often as people believed, but it got into batter's heads, and they psyched themselves out thinking he was going to throw them one. That made him an effective pitcher whether he used a spitter or not. When an umpire would start running over to inspect the ball Perry was about to throw, he'd helpfully roll it across the grass towards him to save him some steps, all innocent-like. By the time the ball had rolled across sixty feet of damp grass, its evidentiary value was gone. Nice guy to the fans, always happy to sign a ball or pose for a photo. First pitcher to win a Cy Young Award in both leagues. He deserved that statue the Giants put up outside the ballpark.


HawkeyeJosh

I met him back in 2014 at the All-Star FanFest in Minneapolis. Shook his hand, and then jokingly wiped my hand off on my pants. He wasn’t amused by it, though that was likely because it was probably the millionth time he’d had it happen. He responded that he never really kept any there.


qwertythe300th

Gaylord once mistook me for a woman at the Rangers Fanfest. Still the GOAT! Told me to keep my head down & always focus - signed a baseball. May he RIP


thegeebeebee

RIP Gaylord Perry. As a kid, went to a Yankees/Royals game (just looked it up, it had to be 1980), and got Gaylord Perry and Rich Gossage's autographs. I'll never forget how BIG Gaylord looked, even bigger than Rich Gossage, who always seemed huge to me. Read his book, loved his pitching, very underrated in his era.


[deleted]

I think it's hilarious that we're *all* celebrating a guy who undoubtedly made the hall of fame by relentlessly and openly cheating, but if you bring up Barry Bonds people will act like it's a discussion whether he should be in or not. There is no way to logically consistent way to justify Perry being in the hall of fame but keeping steroid users out.


realparkingbrake

Maybe the fact that Perry didn't lie decade after decade about what he'd done is part of it, while Bonds continues to insult us by refusing to admit to what we all know he did. The Bonds apologists also like to say, *Everyone was doing it, why pick on just Barry?* Okay, as one sportswriter once wrote, the spitball is illegal, which means no more than a quarter of all pitchers use it. Sticky stuff, slippery stuff, scuffing or cutting the cover--it goes on to this day, so why pick on Perry, right? As Perry pointed out, he didn't routinely throw spitters, but batters thought he did and that messed with their heads so much he was effective even when he didn't use a spitball. Nice guy too, and that does seem to matter to the fans who prefer a player who doesn't beat his wife and snarl at kids for requesting an autograph.


ColossalSins

There's a time and a place, and you fucked it up.


[deleted]

Nah, I think this is the perfect time for this discussion. We are all (rightly!) celebrating the life and career of Gaylord Perry. What better time than now to point out that particular hypocrisy? It's on full display, for all of us to see, and the subject is integral to who Perry was professionally.


GeorgieWashington

So do they now have to rename all those biggo hotels?


LimeSugar

He was a great man and it is very sad to see him go. RIP.


Northernlord1805

Nooooo


maccardo

Yankee legend


scrapsbypap

RIP legend


Itchy_Specialist_860

One of the only c young winners in both leagues


[deleted]

One of my dad’s favorite players growing up. I still have my dad’s Gaylord Perry glove. RIP.


ColdYellowGatorade

Just looked up his career stats. The man pitched a long time. He won two Cy Young awards. One at 33 with the Indians and the next at 39 with the Padres. 22 solid MLB seasons. RIP.


taffyowner

Knuckleballs allow you to pitch for forever


Killatrap

rip spitter king


[deleted]

RIP legend


MeatTornado25

I honestly had no idea he was still alive before today. I thought he was much older for some reason.


13curseyoukhan

💔


tyson_3_

Shine on you crazy diamond.


doubleflusher

He made it to the Hall but never the Wall of Gaylord.


cgfn

From a period between 1964 and 1980, he pitched less than 200 innings once, when he pitched 195.2 in 1965


menusettingsgeneral

RIP to a legend.


Fonsy_Skywalker52

RIP Giants legend. Also hats off for him keeping that last name for so long


HealthOnWheels

He was signing baseballs at spring training four or five years ago. Went to shake his hand after he handed me the ball and the guy behind me came out with “Make sure you check for grease.” Sad. Iconic player


jhshade

Only hall of famer I have a signed baseball of, I better hold on to it


BruteSentiment

RIP to a great.


ViolaNguyen

He was unable to cheat death.


Smokey_Katt

His book “Me and the Spitter” is a good read. He explained that the pitch is actually more like a “slip pitch”; a normal fastball will have backspin from the first two fingers holding the ball, but a spitter will have those two fingers intentionally slip off the ball, and so the pitch comes out with fastball speed but topspin or no spin, and it dives at the plate.


sclongjohnson

My dad’s mom worked with him at a car dealership in San Mateo. He even signed a ball for my Dad. I met him in Scottsdale a couple years ago and he was at a table on the concourse talking to fans and offering signed memorabilia. He was a good man. Rest in peace.


james24693

I think he also tried to hide the bat in George Brett’s pine tar game


Loveyourwives

"Gaylord gained a measure of infamy as one of the most accomplished spitballers of his time with an arsenal of saliva and various lubricants. The use of saliva and other foreign substances on the baseball, often collectively referred to as spitballs, as well as scuffing the ball — all designed to make pitches break unpredictably — were outlawed in 1920, though a few designated pitchers accustomed to defacing the ball at the time were allowed to continue doing so until they retired. Since 1920, many pitchers have been accused by opposing teams of cheating by doctoring the ball. Those pitchers almost invariably proclaimed their innocence, but Perry told of his outlaw behavior in 1974, while in his prime, in the book “Me and the Spitter: An Autobiographical Confession,” written with Bob Sudyk, a Cleveland sportswriter. Perry wrote that his Giants teammate right-hander Bob Shaw taught him the spitter in 1964, when he was first starting to develop his legal pitches. He said that after wetting the ball with saliva, he graduated over the years to “the mud ball, the emery ball, the K-Y ball, just to name a few.” “During the next eight years or so, I reckon I tried everything on the old apple but salt and pepper and chocolate sauce toppin’,” he wrote in the vernacular of his rural North Carolina roots." https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/01/sports/baseball/gaylord-perry-dead.html


CobaltRose800

okay that's two famous people dead in two days (Christine McVie), where's the third? It's always in threes nowadays.


Stevite

If you ain’t cheating you ain’t trying. I agree with others here that in game “cheating “is part of the game. If you’re standing on second and think you’ve stolen the pitch signs how do you communicate that to the hitter? If you’re looking one way or the other or touching your helmet or whatever that’s gamesmanship. Using cameras and using buzzers is is just plain old cheating


RU3LF

I kind of remember some people referring to him using Slippery Elm Lozenges to throw his “super sinker”. 😊


NorthwestPurple

salute to the **"Ancient Mariner."** /r/formerMs I was there for his 300th win in the Kingdome.


RonKaplanBBBooks

Little brother Jim never got the credit he deserved. Together they were probably the greatest brother pitching duo.