In May 1965, The Sporting News, breaking from their long-standing tradition of publishing text-based, multiple story covers, began to print one subject cover stories with a full length photo shot. This is the 13th in a continuing series of reviews of those issues with a Giant(s) on the cover.
October 3, 1970
Gaylord Perry
Cost: 50 Cents
Picture: Gaylord and his brother Jim.
Caption: Can’t read it.
Photo Byline: Russ Reed?
Article by Pat Frizzell entitled 20 is the name of Perry’s Game.
Perry talks about his humble beginnings as the son of a sharecropper in eastern North Carolina. Article makes note of Perry’s shutout of the Padres on September 19, his fourth consecutive, 22nd victory, 38 scoreless innings.
Perry owned two farms in NC but lived in San Carlos. He was a team leader and player rep. He mentioned he worked on a forkball after baseball cracked down on his “super-slider” (spit ball). He also continued to use the spitter.
Several clubs wanted to sign him but he had made contact with Giants scout Tim Murchison. Tom Sheehan had traveled cross-country before that to see Perry pitch in high school.
Getting good run support and pitching well in a league leading 328 innings, Perry won 23 games in 1970. That figure tied with Bob Gibson who won the Cy Young. Perry came in second.
On a personal note, this article reminded me of my father. Dad wasn’t a big baseball fan but would have been interested in someone like Gaylord Perry who was born and raised on a farm in eastern North Carolina. My Dad was born and raised in Supply, North Carolina. Before he passed away, I remember him telling me about picking tobacco. He said his hands got real dirty and he got paid 50 cents for a day's work.
Dad served on the U.S.S Beatty in World War II. I remember him telling me some of his war stories. His ship, a Destroyer, was on escort patrol in 1943 along the Mediterranean. They came under attack from a German aircraft. The torpedo hit the ship and she sank. Dad remembered the brave sailors who saw the torpedo coming but did not abandon their post. Several of his shipmates were killed but Dad and the crew were rescued.
Just came across this. My Dad was on the Beatty as well. He never said much about that attack, though.
Posted by: M. R. Laws | March 22, 2012 at 11:10 AM