Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Jackson Perry ( born September 15, 1938 in Williamston, North Carolina ) is a former American professional baseball player in Major League Baseball.
Biography
Perry began his career as a professional baseball player in the minor league teams of the San Francisco Giants. In 1963 he was able to fight for a spot in the major league team the Giants. Here he was long in the shadow of Juan Marichal. Only in 1966 was the first time Perry in the spotlight. By August he had an incredible record of 20 wins with only 2 losses, however, deteriorated to 21-8 until season's end. On September 17, 1968, he threw a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals. Curiously, Ray Washburn of the Cardinals managed the same feat the next day. Overall, Perry won 134 games for the Giants before he moved to the Cleveland Indians in 1972. There, he won 24 games in his first season and the Cy Young Award of the American League. By winning the Cy Young Award in the National League in 1978 with the San Diego Padres Perry was the first to have won this award in both leagues.
On May 6, 1982 Perry won with the Seattle Mariners his 300th game, thus reaching as the 15th Major League pitcher this milestone, since Early Wynn in 1963 had exceeded more than 14 players this brand. Together with Steve Carlton and Nolan Ryan, he surpassed Walter Johnson, who for many years led the Major League with 3509 strikeouts.
Despite his alleged penchant for not allowing throws as the Spitball ( ironically, he titled his autobiography entitled Me and the Spitter ) he was never sent off before 1983. 1991 Perry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Since 23 July 2005, the San Francisco Giants awarded his jersey number 36 is no longer.