"Most pitchers in today's age of specialization can be described very easily. Short reliever, long reliever, starter. Not Dick Tidrow. The big right-hander wears all of these hats and wears them all well.
Start with short relief; in 1975, Dick tied Sparky Lyle for relief points. He started 1977 as the right-hander out of the pen in the late innings, and he did his job well. Next, we'll try long relief; in 1976, Tidrow went 10 2/3 innings in relief against the Twins allowing no runs and four hits. All right, let's make him a starter; after all, that's the way he broke in with Cleveland in 1972 when he was the Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year. Well, in 1977, after 68 consecutive relief appearances, Dick was forced into the starting rotation due to injuries and calmly posted a 5-0 record in seven starts - all in August and September.
That's the kind of pitcher he is. Nothing fazes the man his teammates playfully call 'Dirt.' He's been vital to the Yankee staff ever since he appeared in Yankee pinstripes following his trade from Cleveland in 1974. Dick has the distinction of being the winning pitcher in the first game played in the 'new' Yankee Stadium, and since that time all that's happened is two pennants and one World Championship, while Dick Tidrow remains the valuable man of many hats."
-The New York Yankees Official 1978 Yearbook
"Dick proved to be one of the most valuable men on the Yankee pitching staff last year. He began the season as a reliever, both short and long, and became a starter towards the end of the year with injuries to Gullett and Hunter. He responded superbly as a starter, winning five straight decisions. Dick made his first start on August 15 after 68 straight relief appearances. His longest stint of the year was 7.1 innings against the Indians on September 27, getting no decision in the Yanks' 2-1 win. In his seven starts, Dick was 5-0 with a 2.34 ERA, and he had the best winning percentage of his career in 1977. He made two relief appearances in both the playoffs and World Series.
Tidrow has 112 lifetime starts in 251 appearances. His last season as primarily a starter was 1974 when he started all four of his Cleveland appearances and 25 of his 33 Yankee appearances. He's 44-41 lifetime as a starter.
Dick was the winning pitcher in relief in the first game ever played at the 'new' Yankee Stadium in 1976. He pitched 10.2 innings in a relief stint later that year against the Twins, allowing no runs on four hits.
The Indians drafted him in January of 1967, but military duty limited his progress for two years. He was the Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year with Cleveland in 1972 and won 28 games for the Indians in his first two years. The Yankees obtained him in April of 1974 in a big trade which was considered very controversial at the time, but which looks quite one-sided today.
Dick is nicknamed 'Mr. Dirt.'"
-New York Yankees 1978 Media Guide
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