Gaylord Perry, the Hall of Fame right-hander who won 314 games and struck out more than 3,500 batters, but was remembered as well for his spitballs that enraged opposing batters and managers over his 22 major league seasons, died early Thursday at his home in Gaffney, South Carolina. He was 84.
www.bostonglobe.com
Gaylord Perry, the Hall of Fame right-hander who won 314 games and struck out more than 3,500 batters, but was remembered as well for his spitballs that enraged opposing batters and managers over his 22 major league seasons, died early Thursday at his home in Gaffney, South Carolina. He was 84.
His daughter Allison Perry said in confirming the death that Perry contracted the coronavirus last year and never fully recovered.
A strapping 6 feet 4 inches and 205 pounds or so, Perry was exceedingly durable and never had a sore arm. For all the furor over his doctoring the baseball, he had a wide assortment of deliveries: curves, sliders, sinkers, changeups, forkballs and an outstanding fastball, including a split-fingered one.