Baseball Hall of Famer and two-time Cy Young award winner Gaylord Perry has died at age 84.
Cherokee County Coroner Dennis G. Fowler confirmed Perry died of natural causes at around 5 a.m. on Thursday at his home in Gaffney, South Carolina.
“Gaylord Perry was a consistent workhorse and a memorable figure in his Hall of Fame career, highlighted by his 314 wins and 3,534 strikeouts in 22 years,” Major League Baseball commissioner Robert D. Manfred said in a statement on Thursday.
“He will be remembered among the most accomplished San Francisco Giants ever, and through his time in Cleveland and San Diego, he became the first pitcher ever to win the Cy Young Award in both the American and National Leagues.
“The five-time 20-game winner pitched for eight different Clubs overall and remained a popular teammate and friend throughout his life. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Gaylord’s family, friends and fans across our great game.”
A five-time All-Star, Perry tallied 314 career victories in his 22-year career with eight teams and ranks sixth in MLB history with 5,350 innings pitched.
Perry made his MLB debut in 1962 with the San Francisco Giants, where he played for 10 seasons. The famed spitball throwing right-hander was traded to the Cleveland Indians, now known as the Guardians, prior to the 1972 season.
With the Indians, Perry won his first Cy Young award after leading the American League in wins (24) and complete games (29).
After being traded to the Texas Rangers in 1975, where he pitched for three seasons, Perry was dealt again in 1978 to the San Diego Padres.
With the Padres, Perry won his second-career Cy Young to become the first player in MLB history to win the award in both leagues.
In 1991, Perry was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
“We have lost another member of our Hall of Fame family thoughts and prayers go out to Gaylord Perry’s family and friends RIP my friend you’ll be dearly missed,” Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs wrote in a statement on Twitter.
