"Guidry disproved accusations by club owner George Steinbrenner that he was a seven-inning pitcher- he finished third in the AL in wins and led the league with 21 complete games, including nine in a row. He didn't overpower hitters as he once did, but still had his out pitch when he needed it.
Ron has won more games (106) and struck out more batters (1,037) than any other AL pitcher during the last six years. He has played center field twice in the majors, against Toronto in September 1979 and in resumption of the pine tar game against Kansas City last August.
Guidry won the AL Cy Young Award in 1978, when he set a Yankee record with 13 consecutive wins. He became the second unanimous Cy Young selection in history, following in the 1968 footsteps of Denny McLain. Guidry also had nine shutouts, tying the AL record for a left-hander that Babe Ruth set in 1916, and set a Yankee single-game strikeout record by fanning 18 California Angels. He led the AL in ERA in 1978 and 1979.
Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, Guidry ran track in high school because his school had no baseball program."
-Tracy Ringolsby, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1984 Edition
"Today's quiz should be fairly easy. If your favorite team must play- and win- the seventh game of the World Series, who do you want on the mound for your side?
If you said anybody but Steve Carlton or Ron Guidry, you may be following the wrong sport. Guidry, always a favorite wherever he goes, has never failed the Yankees in postseason play, and as a matter of fact, has put the Yankees in postseason play four times in the past seven years. But Guidry, who recently was rewarded with the Roberto Clemente Award for outstanding achievement and dedication on and off the field, is quick to point out one factor that seems to continually escape us- consistency.
'I don't think we'll ever see a pitcher who can go 25-3 like I did in 1978, and have the kind of year I had,' he says with total frankness. 'But for some time, people have labeled me a kind of flash in the pan. To that I say I have tried exceedingly hard to become a complete pitcher. I won the Cy Young Award that year, but since then I have won more games than any pitcher in baseball except Carlton.
'You can even take away 1978 and check the records.' He's right- as usual. His 81 wins are the best. And he is the only AL Cy Young winner since that time who has not gone down with injury. Year in and year out, he has given 100 percent, maintaining his quiet dignity and total professionalism.
'Ronnie is such a pleasure to coach that I leave him on his own to do his conditioning,' says coach Jeff Torborg. 'All he tells me is that he'll be ready to pitch- and he always is. He has never let me down.'
In truth, he has never let any of us down, has he? That is why Ron Guidry, on and off the field, is a true 'seventh-game pitcher' ... and total gentleman."
-The New York Yankees Official 1984 Yearbook
"In 1983, Guidry had his best season and most wins since 1978. He led the AL with 21 complete games, was third with 21 wins, tied for fourth with three shutouts, tied for fifth with a .700 won-lost percentage, sixth with 156 strikeouts, seventh with 250.1 innings pitched and 12th with a 3.42 ERA.
Guidry won six straight starts from August 19 to September 14 and went 71.1 innings without allowing a homer from May 27 to July 23. He was named to his fourth AL All-Star team, but did not play due to a lower back strain, yet had nine complete games from July 18 to August 30.
He continued to move up several notches on Yankees all-time pitching lists. He won his second consecutive Gold Glove award for AL pitchers with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and was also named to the Sporting News AL All-Star team. Guidry played center field for a third of an inning on August 18 during the conclusion of the 'Pine Tar' game.
Guidry has the second best all-time won-lost percentage (.705, 122-51) among pitchers with 100 or more wins; Spud Chandler had a .727 won-lost percentage (109-43). In the last six years (since the start of '78), he is the winningest pitcher in the AL with 106 wins He's 114-44 (.722) since August 24, 1977. 1977 was his first full year with the Yankees; he was used in relief in six of his first seven appearances, then ended the year with 24 straight starts.
In 1978 Guidry had a 'once in a lifetime' season, winning the Cy Young Award, finishing second in the MVP voting to Jim Rice and setting numerous records. He set the Yankee record for most consecutive wins to start a season, winning his first 13 and breaking the record of Atley Donald, the scout who signed Guidry. His nine shutouts tied Babe Ruth's AL record for most by a lefty, set in 1916. The Yankees won 30 of the 35 games he started, scoring only seven runs in the five losses, and opposing hitters batted only .193.
Ron struck out 10 or more in a game eight times, including a club record 18 against California on June 17, breaking Bob Shawkey's record of 15 set in 1919. His 248 strikeouts for the season was a club record and his 1.74 ERA was the lowest by a major league lefty since Sandy Koufax's 1.73 in 1966. 15 of his 25 wins followed a Yankee loss.
Guidry was a unanimous Cy Young winner (the only other unanimous winner was Denny McLain in 1968). He was also named Sporting News Player of the Year, Sporting News Man of the Year, Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year and Baseball Quarterly Performer of the Year. He was named to the Associated Press, Sporting News and United Press International All-Star teams.
In 1979, Ron won his second straight ERA championship and was named to the UPI All-Star team. He played an inning in center field against Toronto on September 29 of that year. He reached his 100th career decision in 1980 (72-28), matching Sal Maglie, Vic Raschi, Spud Chandler and Ed Reulbach behind Whitey Ford's 74-26 for the second best record ever through a pitcher's first 100 career decisions. In 1981, Ron was AL Pitcher of the Month of August (4-0 and an 0.37 ERA); he broke the little finger on his right hand on a come-backer on August 23, but played with a splint, not missing any starts. He jumped off to a fast start in 1982, posting an 8-1 record by June 14, and notched his 100th major league win on August 31 at Minnesota.
Guidry was born and still resides in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was named Outstanding Track Man for two years at Northside High where they had no baseball team. He hurled a no-hitter and was named to the Gulf States All-Stars at Southwestern Louisiana where he majored in architecture. On February 13, 1984 Guidry was named the 1984 Roberto Clemente Award winner as the player who 'best exemplifies the game of baseball both on and off the field.' He points to his service to humanity as being the best work of his life.
Ron is Executive Vice-President of Munro Oil Tool, Inc. in Lafayette. His biggest thrill was his 18-strikeout game. He grew up as a Yankee and Whitey Ford fan."
-1984 New York Yankees Information Guide
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