HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 02: A general view of the Opening Day logo at Minute Maid Park before the game between the Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles on April 2, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
The baseball world lost one of its all-time greats today as Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry passed away. He was 84 years old.
Perry was a five-time All-Star who played for nine different teams between 1962 and 1983. He rose to prominence with the San Francisco Giants, making his first All-Star Game in 1966 and pitching a no-hitter for them in 1968.
But Perry really started to become a national sensation in the 1970s. He led Major League Baseball in wins three times and won two Cy Young awards during that decade.
With Cy Young wins as a member of the Cleveland Indians and later the San Diego Padres, Perry became the first player to win the award in both the American League and the National League.
Perry retired with 314 wins, 3,534 strikeouts, a 3.11 ERA and 53 shutouts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991 on the third ballot.
MLB fans are offering their condolences to the MLB legend:
Darren Rovell might have had the best Gaylord Perry story to tell though.
Apparently, Perry wasn’t much of a batter and hadn’t hit a home run in his first seven seasons. So in 1969 his manager declared that man would step foot on the moon before Perry hit a home run in the majors.
But on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. That same day, Perry hit a home run in a 7-3 win over the Dodgers.
Our hearts go out to Perry’s family and loved ones.
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