Gaylord Perry
⭐ Hall of Fame 1991
Born: 9/15/1938 in Williamston, NC, USA
Died: 12/1/2022 in Gaffney, SC, USA
MLB Debut: 1962-04-14 | Final Game: 1983-09-21
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 205 lbs
Full name: Gaylord Jackson Perry
Biography
Gaylord Perry was a prominent American professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1962 to 1983. Born in 1938, Perry became known for his exceptional skill on the mound and his ability to confound hitters with an array of pitches, including his famed spitball, which contributed to his reputation as one of the game's most enigmatic figures. Over his illustrious career, he amassed a record of 314-265, with an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 3.11. Perry recorded a remarkable 3,534 strikeouts and notched 11 saves, solidifying his status as a dominant force in Major League Baseball.
Perry’s contributions to the sport were recognized with numerous accolades, including two Cy Young Awards and five All-Star selections, highlighting his excellence during a competitive era in baseball. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, a testament to his lasting impact on the game. Throughout his career, Perry exhibited a distinctive style that combined finesse and strategy, making him not only a successful pitcher but also a revered figure in baseball history. His legacy endures as a reflection of the talent and tenacity that characterized the game during the late 20th century.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 314 | 265 | 777 | 690 | 303 | 53 | 11 | 5350.3 | 4938 | 1846 | 399 | 1379 | 3534 | 3.11 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | SFG | NL | 3 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 43.0 | 54 | 25 | 14 | 20 | 5.23 | - |
| 1963 | SFG | NL | 1 | 6 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 76.0 | 84 | 34 | 29 | 52 | 4.03 | - |
| 1964 | SFG | NL | 12 | 11 | 44 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 206.3 | 179 | 63 | 43 | 155 | 2.75 | - |
| 1965 | SFG | NL | 8 | 12 | 47 | 26 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 195.7 | 194 | 91 | 70 | 170 | 4.19 | - |
| 1966 | SFG | NL | 21 | 8 | 36 | 35 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 255.7 | 242 | 85 | 40 | 201 | 2.99 | - |
| 1967 | SFG | NL | 15 | 17 | 39 | 37 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 293.0 | 231 | 85 | 84 | 230 | 2.61 | - |
| 1968 | SFG | NL | 16 | 15 | 39 | 38 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 291.0 | 240 | 79 | 59 | 173 | 2.44 | - |
| 1969 | SFG | NL | 19 | 14 | 40 | 39 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 325.3 | 290 | 90 | 91 | 233 | 2.49 | - |
| 1970 | SFG | NL | 23 | 13 | 41 | 41 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 328.7 | 292 | 117 | 84 | 214 | 3.20 | - |
| 1971 | SFG | NL | 16 | 12 | 37 | 37 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 280.0 | 255 | 86 | 67 | 158 | 2.76 | - |
| 1972 | CLE | AL | 24 | 16 | 41 | 40 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 342.7 | 253 | 73 | 82 | 234 | 1.92 | 6995.8 |
| 1973 | CLE | AL | 19 | 19 | 41 | 41 | 29 | 7 | 0 | 344.0 | 315 | 129 | 115 | 238 | 3.38 | 2142.6 |
| 1974 | CLE | AL | 21 | 13 | 37 | 37 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 322.3 | 230 | 90 | 99 | 216 | 2.51 | 3469.8 |
| 1975 | CLE | AL | 6 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 121.7 | 120 | 48 | 34 | 85 | 3.55 | -161.3 |
| 1975 | TEX | AL | 12 | 8 | 22 | 22 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 184.0 | 157 | 62 | 36 | 148 | 3.03 | 5961.0 |
| 1976 | TEX | AL | 15 | 14 | 32 | 32 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 250.3 | 232 | 90 | 52 | 143 | 3.24 | 4434.5 |
| 1977 | TEX | AL | 15 | 12 | 34 | 34 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 238.0 | 239 | 89 | 56 | 177 | 3.37 | 5192.2 |
| 1978 | SDP | NL | 21 | 6 | 37 | 37 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 260.7 | 241 | 79 | 66 | 154 | 2.73 | - |
| 1979 | SDP | NL | 12 | 11 | 32 | 32 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 232.7 | 225 | 79 | 67 | 140 | 3.06 | - |
| 1980 | NYY | AL | 4 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50.7 | 65 | 25 | 18 | 28 | 4.44 | - |
| 1980 | TEX | AL | 6 | 9 | 24 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 155.0 | 159 | 59 | 46 | 107 | 3.43 | 1750.7 |
| 1981 | ATL | NL | 8 | 9 | 23 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 150.7 | 182 | 66 | 24 | 60 | 3.94 | 1730.7 |
| 1982 | SEA | AL | 10 | 12 | 32 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 216.7 | 245 | 106 | 54 | 116 | 4.40 | -1165.3 |
| 1983 | KCR | AL | 4 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 84.3 | 98 | 40 | 26 | 40 | 4.27 | - |
| 1983 | SEA | AL | 3 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 102.0 | 116 | 56 | 23 | 42 | 4.94 | -2910.7 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 787 | 1076 | 48 | 141 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 47 | 0 | 22 | 369 | 0.131 | 0.153 | 0.164 | 0.316 | -9266.2 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | SFG | NL | 13 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.231 | 0.0 |
| 1963 | SFG | NL | 32 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.222 | 0.0 |
| 1964 | SFG | NL | 46 | 56 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 0.054 | -731.6 |
| 1965 | SFG | NL | 49 | 64 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 0.156 | -503.4 |
| 1966 | SFG | NL | 36 | 86 | 4 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 0.186 | -590.4 |
| 1967 | SFG | NL | 42 | 91 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0.143 | -800.9 |
| 1968 | SFG | NL | 39 | 97 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 0.113 | -909.0 |
| 1969 | SFG | NL | 40 | 117 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 47 | 0.120 | -1063.7 |
| 1970 | SFG | NL | 41 | 120 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 0.117 | -1230.1 |
| 1971 | SFG | NL | 38 | 98 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 32 | 0.102 | -963.0 |
| 1972 | CLE | AL | 41 | 110 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 43 | 0.155 | -718.5 |
| 1973 | CLE | AL | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1974 | CLE | AL | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1975 | CLE | AL | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1975 | TEX | AL | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1976 | TEX | AL | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1977 | TEX | AL | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1978 | SDP | NL | 37 | 87 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 0.092 | -979.2 |
| 1979 | SDP | NL | 32 | 71 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 0.085 | -776.3 |
| 1980 | NYY | AL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1980 | TEX | AL | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1981 | ATL | NL | 24 | 48 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1982 | SEA | AL | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1983 | KCR | AL | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1983 | SEA | AL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.250 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | NLCS | SFN | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.250 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 14.7 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 6.14 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | NLCS | SFN | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 14.7 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 6.14 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 777 | 690 | 349 | 877 | 38 | 58 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | SFN | P | 13 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 1963 | SFN | P | 31 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964 | SFN | P | 44 | 19 | 12 | 26 | 0 | 3 |
| 1965 | SFN | P | 47 | 26 | 18 | 40 | 1 | 4 |
| 1966 | SFN | P | 36 | 35 | 16 | 40 | 1 | 2 |
| 1967 | SFN | P | 39 | 37 | 20 | 64 | 3 | 2 |
| 1968 | SFN | P | 39 | 38 | 31 | 62 | 2 | 3 |
| 1969 | SFN | P | 40 | 39 | 18 | 67 | 0 | 2 |
| 1970 | SFN | P | 41 | 41 | 30 | 67 | 4 | 5 |
| 1971 | SFN | P | 37 | 37 | 21 | 41 | 5 | 5 |
| 1972 | CLE | P | 41 | 40 | 18 | 61 | 2 | 7 |
| 1973 | CLE | P | 41 | 41 | 19 | 55 | 0 | 1 |
| 1974 | CLE | P | 37 | 37 | 26 | 45 | 3 | 4 |
| 1975 | CLE | P | 15 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 1 | 2 |
| 1975 | TEX | P | 22 | 22 | 9 | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| 1976 | TEX | P | 32 | 32 | 11 | 24 | 2 | 1 |
| 1977 | TEX | P | 34 | 34 | 14 | 28 | 1 | 2 |
| 1978 | SDN | P | 37 | 37 | 13 | 40 | 2 | 6 |
| 1979 | SDN | P | 32 | 32 | 11 | 41 | 2 | 2 |
| 1980 | NYA | P | 10 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 1980 | TEX | P | 24 | 24 | 11 | 25 | 1 | 2 |
| 1981 | ATL | P | 23 | 23 | 11 | 19 | 3 | 0 |
| 1982 | SEA | P | 32 | 32 | 11 | 35 | 3 | 1 |
| 1983 | KCA | P | 14 | 14 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 1983 | SEA | P | 16 | 16 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 777 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Player of the Week | Week of 1982-05-07 |
| 1979 | Player of the Week | Week of 1979-07-27 |
| 1978 | Cy Young Award | |
| 1978 | Pitcher of the Month | September |
| 1978 | Player of the Week | Week of 1978-09-23 |
| 1978 | TSN All-Star | RHP |
| 1974 | Player of the Month | June |
| 1972 | Cy Young Award | |
| 1972 | TSN All-Star | RHP |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Cy Young Award | NL | 1st | 116.0 | 120 | 22 |
| 1978 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 8th | 45.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1974 | Cy Young Award | AL | 4th | 8.0 | 120 | 1 |
| 1974 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 17th | 18.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1973 | Cy Young Award | AL | 7th | 1.0 | 120 | 0 |
| 1973 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 26th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1972 | Cy Young Award | AL | 1st | 64.0 | 120 | 9 |
| 1972 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 6th | 88.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1970 | Cy Young Award | NL | 2nd | 51.0 | 120 | 1 |
| 1970 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 14th | 24.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1966 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 18th | 8.0 | 280 | 0 |