Former Cleveland pitcher Gaylord Perry dies at 84 years old

On Dec 1, 2022

FILE - In this Sept. 3, 1973, file photo, home plate umpire John Flaherty checks Cleveland Indians pitcher Gaylord Perry's cap for an illegal substance, at the request of Milwaukee Brewers manager Del Crandall, during the first baseball game of a doubleheader in Milwaukee. Major league pitchers have been tinkering with the ball for years in search of an advantage, occasionally breaking major league rules in the process. But they might have to work a little harder on their deception this summer. (AP Photo/File)

Former Cleveland pitcher and National Baseball Hall of Fame member Gaylord Perry died Thursday morning in Gaffney, S.C., the team announced. He was 84 years old.

Perry’s MLB career spanned 22 seasons, with parts of four coming with Cleveland. In his first year with Cleveland, in 1972, Perry won the American League Cy Young Award, posting a record of 24-16 with a 1.92 ERA in 342⅔ innings, 234 strikeouts and a league-high 29 complete games. There were only 35 complete games in all of Major League Baseball this past season.

Over parts of four seasons with Cleveland, Perry went 70-57 with a 2.88 ERA and twice was named an AL All-Star.

“The Cleveland Guardians family is deeply saddened by the loss of one of the great pitchers in baseball history, Gaylord Perry,” said Bob Dibiasio, Guardians senior vice president of public affairs, in a statement. “We are honored that during Gaylord’s 22 years as a big-league pitcher, four of those were in a Cleveland uniform. He was a cherished member of our Alumni Ambassador program, and loved telling stories when visiting with our fans at Progressive Field. We send our condolences to the entire Perry family, as well as to his many teammates and other organizations impacted by his Hall of Fame career.”