Perry Has Line For Fish, Media
The way Gaylord Perry conserved his arm late in his major league career by throwing “loaded” pitches that danced toward the plate, he may just have what it takes when expansion hits the big leagues again next season.
Perry, in Seattle as part of the Mariners’ 20th anniversary of their inaugural season, said he’d still like to be playing at age 58.
“I’d be another rich ballplayer,” said Perry, who has added a few pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame and lost some silver locks since pitching with Seattle in 1982 and 1983.
If a February old-timers game is any indication, Perry still has some of the stuff that helped him win 314 games.
He set down the side in order in a game in Arizona before spring training and said, “you could hear them fussing all the way back to the dugout.”
Perry, of course, provided one of the most famous moments in Mariners’ history when he won his 300th game May 6, 1982, tossing a complete game to beat the New York Yankees in the Kingdome.
After finishing his 22-year career with Kansas City in 1983, Perry farmed peanuts and coached baseball at Limestone College in South Carolina. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991 and is the only pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues - 1972 with the Cleveland Indians and 1978 with the San Diego Padres. Perry spent parts of four seasons with the Tacoma Giants in the Pacific Coast League before he stuck in the majors. His record in 57 games between 1960 and 1963 was 27 wins, 17 losses.
He is now retired and living in Spruce Pines, N.C., with one eye on the game and the other on his fishing line.
Rotation in order
This brief three-game homestand against Milwaukee will feature the Mariners’ three left-handed starters pitching in order for the first time.
Jeff Fassero follows Randy Johnson tonight. Sunday afternoon, Jamie Moyer will make his first start.
Entering the season, the trio was set to be the one, two and three starters before Moyer had to spend four weeks on the disabled list with a strained tendon in his elbow.
The series should provide an indication of what the rest of the season will be like, barring further injuries.
The other D’Amico
Milwaukee’s starter Friday night, right-hander Jeff D’Amico, has caused a bit of confusion with baseball fans in the Puget Sound area. He was the first of two Jeff D’Amico’s taken in the 1993 draft within a round of each other.
He was the Brewers’ first-round selection. Redmond’s Jeff D’Amico, who led the Mustangs to the State AAA high school title that year, was taken in the second round by the Oakland Athletics. The Redmond D’Amico has been converted to a pitcher from a third baseman and is playing Class A ball in the Oakland organization.
Notes
Josias Manzanillo threw one inning at Class AA Memphis on Thursday on a rehabilitation assignment. He gave up a home run to the first batter he faced then struck out the side. … Promotion alert: Tonight is Niketown night. Items will be given away throughout the game.
Coming up
Fassero (4-0, 2.85) will try to become the fourth American League pitcher to win his fifth game. … Milwaukee is undecided on its starter for the 7:05 p.m. game. … Brewers righty Ben McDonald has been scratched because of a sore right shoulder. … The game will be televised on Fox Sports Northwest.