Ron Guidry

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Ron Guidry
Starting pitcher
Batted: Left	Threw: Left
MLB debut
July 27, 1975 for the New York Yankees
Final game
September 27, 1988 for the New York Yankees
Career statistics
Record	170-91
ERA	3.29
Strikeouts	1778
Teams
New York Yankees (1975-1988)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (AL): 1978-1979, 1982-1983 Cy Young Award (AL): 1978 The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year (AL): 1978 Major League Player of the Year (MLB): 1978 ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year: 1978 Gold Glove Award (AL P): 1982-1986 Roberto Clemente Award (MLB): 1984 Led the American League in ERA in 1978 and 1979 Led the American League in wins in 1978 and 1985 Led the American League in WHIP in 1978 and 1981 Led the American League in Hits Allowed/9IP in 1978 Led the American League in Walks/9IP in 1986 Led the American League in Complete Games in 1983 Led the American League in Shutouts in 1978 Led the American League in Strikeout to Walk in 1981 Holds Yankees single season record for Strikeouts (248 in 1978) Holds Yankees single season record for Shutouts (9 in 1978)

Ronald Ames Guidry (nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" and "Gator") (born August 28, 1950, in Lafayette, Louisiana) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played 14 seasons for the New York Yankees from 1975 through 1988. In 2006 Guidry was named pitching coach for the Yankees.

Guidry began his career pitching briefly in the 1975 and 1976 seasons. In 1977, he began as a relief pitcher but was moved into the starting rotation. He helped lead the New York Yankees to a World Series championship. In the 1977 ALCS and 1977 World Series combined, Guidry went 2-0, allowing only five earned runs in 20 innings pitched.

In 1978, Guidry posted a career year, one of the best in the modern era. Against the California Angels on June 17, he struck out a Yankee-record 18 batters. Guidry's 18-strikeout performance is usually cited as the launching pad of the Yankee Stadium tradition of fans standing and clapping for a strikeout with two strikes on the opposing batter. For the season, Guidry went 25-3, and .889 winning percentage that is among the top 10 in baseball history. Coincidentally, all three of his losses came against teams whose starting pitchers were left-handers named "Mike": Mike Caldwell of the Milwaukee Brewers, Mike Flanagan of the Baltimore Orioles and Mike Willis of the Toronto Blue Jays. With nine shutouts, 248 strikeouts and a sparkling 1.74 ERA, he claimed the American League Cy Young Award. Guidry also finished second in American League Most Valuable Player voting to Boston Red Sox slugger Jim Rice. Guidry's 25th win of the regular season was his most significant, as he was the winning pitcher in the Yankees' 5-4 win over the Boston Red Sox in a one-game playoff at Fenway Park in Boston to decide the American League East division winner. Later that month, the Yankees again won the World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers. No American League pitcher posted an ERA as low again until Boston's Pedro Martinez in 2000. His magical 1978 year, when isolated, is arguably the most dominant year ever by a pitcher.

Over the next seven seasons, Guidry amassed a 113-57 win-loss record. Guidry also won the Gold Glove Award five straight times (1982-86). However, arm problems that began in 1981 finally began dramatically affecting his performance. He retired from baseball on July 12, 1989, after shoulder surgery did not improve his performance.

As well as winning the 1978 Cy Young Award, Guidry was named The Sporting News AL Pitcher and Major League Player of the Year. Guidry was named Lefthanded Pitcher on The Sporting News AL All-Star Teams in 1978, 1981, 1983 and 1985. Guidry also finished in the top 10 in the American League Cy Young voting six times (1977-79, 1981, 1983 and 1985) over a nine-year span.

On August 7, 1984, Guidry struck out three batters on nine pitches in the ninth inning of a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Guidry became the eighth American League pitcher and the 20th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the nine-strike/three-strikeout half-inning.

Guidry served as co-captain of the Yankees along with Willie Randolph from March 4, 1986, until July 12, 1989.

His number 49 was retired on "Ron Guidry Day," August 23, 2003. The Yankees also dedicated a plaque to hang in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. The plaque calls Guidry "A dominating pitcher and a respected leader" and "A true Yankee." Each living Yankee previously so honored was on hand for the ceremony: Phil Rizzuto, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson and Don Mattingly.

Guidry became pitching coach for the Yankees in 2006, replacing Mel Stottlemyre.

[edit] Sources

• Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis

Preceded by Sparky Lyle	American League Cy Young Award 1978	Succeeded by Mike Flanagan
Preceded by Mike Norris	American League Gold Glove Award (P) 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986	Succeeded by Mark Langston
Preceded by Graig Nettles	New York Yankees Captain (with Willie Randolph) March 4, 1986 to July 12, 1989	Succeeded by Willie Randolph