"A career high 21 complete games in 1983 took its toll on him. Nagging back pain and inflamed rib cartilage ruined the 1984 season for him. Guidry suffered his first losing season in the majors after entering last season with the second-best career winning percentage in history among pitchers with 100 or more victories. He did not pitch for most of September because of his rib problems. He also had his fewest strikeouts for a full season and posted his highest ERA.
Guidry won the AL Cy Young Award in 1978 as the second unanimous selection ever, finished second in the AL MVP voting to Boston's Jim Rice and tied Babe Ruth's AL record for shutouts by a left-hander with nine that season. His slider and fastball are his best pitches and he has lots of power in that smallish frame.
A third round choice in the 1971 draft, Guidry attended Southwestern Louisiana. He was born in Lafayette, Louisiana and studies Civil War history in his spare time.
Guidry once volunteered to go the bullpen in a pinch, but wanted to remain a starter when the shift was suggested to him at the start of last season. Will 'Louisiana Lightnin'' ever light up the sky again?"
-Tracy Ringolsby, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1985 Edition
"'This is not something that will prevent me from pitching again,' Ron Guidry said last year after being placed on the disabled list for the first time in his big league career. The Yankees hope 'Louisiana Lightning' can come back from a 1984 rib injury because Guidry has been their Mister Everything.
After his 25-3 season in 1978, Guidry was the second winningest pitcher from 1979-83. Ron won the Gold Glove the past three years and was the 1984 recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award.
A favorite among both Yankees fans and members of the media, a local newspaper story depicted him this way: 'Ron Guidry should have pitched with DiMaggio in center and Yogi behind the plate and Rizzuto gobbling up everything in sight at shortstop. Guidry should have been with Stengel. From the first moment he brought his remarkable left arm and his great heart to the Stadium, he has done honor to his uniform. He has brought the past to the present.'"
-The New York Yankees Official 1985 Yearbook
"Guidry was inconsistent most of 1984 as is evidenced by his first career sub-.500 record. He had his sixth Opening Day starting assignment, losing a 4-2 decision to Kansas City, and during a 4-1 complete game victory over Texas on April 20 Ron struck out his 1,258th batter, moving him into fourth place on the all-time Yankee list.
His best performance came on August 7 when he blanked the White Sox 7-0 on four hits, striking out a season high 13 (also the team high, later tied by Joe Cowley). This was his final win of '84 and career win #132, moving him up to eighth on the all-time Yankee list, and career shutout #24, tied for seventh on the Yankee list. In the ninth inning of this game, Ron struck out the side on nine pitches, tying a major league record.
Ron was placed on the disabled list, for the first time in his career, with an inflamed rib cartilage and activated on September 3. He made his first relief appearance since July 1982 on September 17 against Baltimore. Ron started two games after that, losing both.
He was 8-2 with a 2.93 ERA and 73 strikeouts at Yankee Stadium in '84, while 2-9 with a 6.20 ERA and 54 strikeouts on the road. He has the fifth best all-time won-lost percentage (.680, 132-62) among Yankee pitchers with 100 or more wins and he's 15th on the all-time Yankee game list at 270.
In 1983, Guidry had his best season and most wins since 1978. He led the AL with 21 complete games (most of his career), 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. He was named to his fourth AL All-Star team, but did not play due to a lower back strain, yet won six straight starts from August 19 to September 14. Guidry won his second consecutive Gold Glove award for AL pitchers with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and was also named to the 1983 Sporting News AL All-Star team. He played center field for a third of an inning on August 18 during the conclusion of the 'Pine Tar' game.
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. Guidry had a dream season for any pitcher in 1978. He won the Cy Young Award, finished second in the MVP voting to Jim Rice and set 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.
He was the unanimous choice for the Cy Young Award (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 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.
Ron 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 enjoys hunting, chess, and is quite proficient at playing the drums. His biggest thrill was his 18-strikeout game. He grew up as a Yankee and Whitey Ford fan."
-1985 New York Yankees Information Guide
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