Gaylord Perry has passed away

[Honus Wagner Rules]

A baseball legend has passed away at age 84.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35155515/hall-fame-pitcher-gaylord-perry-spitball-master-dies-88

[That_guy]

RIP Gaylord Perry

As the years passed from childhood to young adulthood, while watching a game in those college days, a college friend and I complained about seeing too many relievers. The story is familiar now, "Why don't starters try gutting it out?" The conversation that day was enough for me to research my Big Mac encyclopedia for starters who completed the highest percentages of their starts. I worked from the obvious names on a Hall Of Fame list, but at the time, a lot of Gaylord Perry's generation had yet to earn a place in the Hall.

By the end of that research project that evening, I had renewed respect for Gaylord Perry. Whether due to the spitball or not, Perry had completed more starts than any of his peers. Only prior generations had completed a higher share of starts. Of course, he ended up with 303 CGs, and that is currently 39th on the alltime list. It is likely he'll always be 39th on that list, as things have developed. That total is more than Bob Gibson (48 over). Only Fergie Jenkins is closer than that (by 36) from the post- Warren Spahn era. FWTW, I mention Warren Spahn, because Spahn's 382 CGs are the most of any pitcher who took the mound after Pete Alexander, who is 13th at 436.

We can lament the changing times of baseball, lament the gutless managers in dugouts who don't give their best pitchers a chance to show why they earn big money, or lament why we have a second guessing culture which creates gutless managers. The bottom line, whether Perry did this with a spitball or not, is that he was a rubber-armed wonder. Gaylord Perry reminded this fan that it is worth buying a ticket based upon who is starting that night on the mound. When he took the hill, fans got their moneys' worth.

RIP Gaylord Perry

[Seattle1]

It's a little-known fact that he actually won his 300th game as a Seattle Mariner!

[SHOELESSJOE3]

RIP Gaylord Perry

As the years passed from childhood to young adulthood, while watching a game in those college days, a college friend and I complained about seeing too many relievers. The story is familiar now, "Why don't starters try gutting it out?" The conversation that day was enough for me to research my Big Mac encyclopedia for starters who completed the highest percentages of their starts. I worked from the obvious names on a Hall Of Fame list, but at the time, a lot of Gaylord Perry's generation had yet to earn a place in the Hall.

By the end of that research project that evening, I had renewed respect for Gaylord Perry. Whether due to the spitball or not, Perry had completed more starts than any of his peers. Only prior generations had completed a higher share of starts. Of course, he ended up with 303 CGs, and that is currently 39th on the alltime list. It is likely he'll always be 39th on that list, as things have developed. That total is more than Bob Gibson (48 over). Only Fergie Jenkins is closer than that (by 36) from the post- Warren Spahn era. FWTW, I mention Warren Spahn, because Spahn's 382 CGs are the most of any pitcher who took the mound after Pete Alexander, who is 13th at 436.

We can lament the changing times of baseball, lament the gutless managers in dugouts who don't give their best pitchers a chance to show why they earn big money, or lament why we have a second guessing culture which creates gutless managers. The bottom line, whether Perry did this with a spitball or not, is that he was a rubber-armed wonder. Gaylord Perry reminded this fan that it is worth buying a ticket based upon who is starting that night on the mound. When he took the hill, fans got their moneys' worth.

RIP Gaylord Perry

Exactly and certainly not the only pitcher wetting a pitch..................and look at his numbers.
I wonder how many times he threw the spitter, he had to be the best.
The opposing bench, the first base and third base coaches on the opposing teams, the umps and TV cameras...............and it took 20 years to catch him.

[beisbolfiebre]

That_Guy


Perry had completed more starts than any of his peers. Only prior generations had completed a higher share of starts.

True. But they also had the advantage of a full strike zone with fewer pitches per game and much shorter games (generally, no more than 2 hours compared to today's 3+ hours games). Yes they did have more starts but only played 154 games and there were no playoffs. No real surprise as to why they had more CGs.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

It's a little-known fact that he actually won his 300th game as a Seattle Mariner!

As a Gen Xer I knew that!

[SHOELESSJOE3]

True. But they also had the advantage of a full strike zone with fewer pitches per game and much shorter games (generally, no more than 2 hours compared to today's 3+ hours games). Yes they did have more starts but only played 154 games and there were no playoffs. No real surprise as to why they had more CGs.

In Perry's time 162 game schedule, not that it would matter that much to a pitcher, maybe only one or two more starts than the 154 game schedule

This is both leagues.
Also might not matter much how many more complete games during 1962 to 1983..................................but it is hugh Perry had 36 more complete games than second place Jenkins...........Perry 303 Jenkins.

Games started Perry 690--------Carlton 606
Innings pitched Perry 5350-----Phil Niekro 4619
Also his 3.11 the lowest 1961-1983 and he pitched many more innings.
Your not giving him his due, regardless of the era played in he shows great separation from others in his time.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

In 1972 Perry had a stretch of 22 starts where his IP were these.

9.0
9.0
10.0
9.0
9.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
9.0
10.2
6.0
9.0
8.1
8.2
9.0
9.0
13.0
9.0
8.2
10.0
9.0
11.0


That is completely ridiculous!

[SHOELESSJOE3]

In 1972 Perry had a stretch of 22 starts where his IP were these.

9.0
9.0
10.0
9.0
9.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
9.0
10.2
6.0
9.0
8.1
8.2
9.0
9.0
13.0
9.0
8.2
10.0
9.0
11.0


That is completely ridiculous!

That it is,...................

[GiambiJuice]

It's a little-known fact that he actually won his 300th game as a Seattle Mariner!

And it's a well-known fact that he was a dirty cheater. Yet Bonds and Clemens still aren't in the Hall Of Fame. Strange, isn't it...

[SHOELESSJOE3]

And it's a well-known fact that he was a dirty cheater. Yet Bonds and Clemens still aren't in the Hall Of Fame. Strange, isn't it...

Not strange at all

I know you and some others will say...............cheating is cheating.
But come on, no way to ever know how many pitchers were wetting pitches and that does not let Perry off the hook.
But how do you compare wetting a pitch and it was never every pitch to PED use. Some of Perry's catchers in retirement said at times he would go a few games and not throw the spitter.

How do you compare that to a player on PEDs, building body strength that is with him in every at bat.
A player taking a drug or PED on scheduled days not just occasionally. It's a clinical situation, a program to attempt to boost strength, performance.

Willie Mays and some others speaking of Perry, they were laughing, joking about him, it was funny to them. They knew there were others, on their own teams.
I really doubt any clean player would think it was funny, that they have to compete with players using PEDs to boost performance.

Night and day, the sometimes spitter compared to a muscle building PED, with the hitter in every at bat.
And how many could he have thrown, with all those eyes on him, it took 20 years to catch him

[beisbolfiebre]

In Perry's time 162 game schedule, not that it would matter that much to a pitcher, maybe only one or two more starts than the 154 game schedule

This is both leagues.
Also might not matter much how many more complete games during 1962 to 1983..................................but it is hugh Perry had 36 more complete games than second place Jenkins...........Perry 303 Jenkins.

Games started Perry 690--------Carlton 606
Innings pitched Perry 5350-----Phil Niekro 4619
Also his 3.11 the lowest 1961-1983 and he pitched many more innings.
Your not giving him his due, regardless of the era played in he shows great separation from others in his time.

Actually I was referring to the "they" That_Guy mentioned of previous generations of baseball pitchers. I would never try to diminish what Gaylord Perry accomplished. On the contrary, I thoroughly enjoyed watching him throughout his long and highly successful career.