"Enjoyed a successful comeback season after altering his pitching style to include more off-speed pitches. Guidry still has a good fastball at times, but it's not the consistently hard one that helped him to a unanimous selection as the AL Cy Young winner in 1978, when he was 25-3.
Guidry had the first losing season of his career in 1984, but rebounded with a 22-6 record last season. He led the AL in wins and winning percentage (.786), was fifth in innings pitched (259) and seventh in ERA (3.27) and reeled off 12 straight victories between May 4 and July 31.
He was 10-0 with a 2.42 ERA during the day and 12-6 with a 3.63 ERA at night. He went 13-2 with a 2.82 ERA at home and 12-6 with a 3.77 ERA on the road. Guidry flourished under Billy Martin, just as he has done his entire career; he has gone 84-25 under Martin and 70-43 under other Yankee managers.
Guidry became the first Yankee to win 20 games three times since Mel Stottlemyre in 1965, '68 and '69. Recognized as an outstanding athlete, he has won two Gold Gloves and plays a mean center field during batting practice.
'Louisiana Lightning' was born in Lafayette, La. and was the Yankees' third round pick in the June 1971 draft. He has a 5-2 record in postseason play and an extraordinary 154-68 career mark."
-Tom Verducci, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1986 Edition
"Never say never. That was the message sent out by Ron Guidry in 1985, as he left no doubt that he is still the ace of the Yankees' pitching staff. After an injury-plagued 1984 season left Guidry with his first sub-.500 major league season and left reporters asking if he was finished, Gator answered all questions by posting the second winningest season of his career.
'That's why the pitching staff centers around me every year, because I've always done my job,' the left-hander asserted. 'Louisiana Lightning' did his job in 1985, with his 22-6 record topping all A.L. pitchers and earning him the runner-up vote in the Cy Young balloting.
'Whenever we needed a big win,' said pitching coach Jeff Torborg, 'Guidry was the one we counted on.' They say Guidry will never win 25 games again, as he did in 1978. His 1985 season proves that you should never say never. Lightning does strike twice in the same place!"
-The New York Yankees Official 1986 Yearbook
"In 1985 Guidry answered questions raised by his 10-11 season of '84 and re-established himself as the staff ace. He began the season with a 6-3 win at Cleveland on April 13, the first of '85 for the Yankees who had dropped a three-game series at Boston. Guidry lost his next three starts, but on May 4 against Kansas City pitched a complete game 5-2 win, starting him on a 12-game win streak that upped his record to 13-3 on July 20; over the win streak he pitched 123.2 innings with 94 hits, 16 walks, 58 strikeouts and a 2.18 ERA. The streak ended with a 6-5 loss at Cleveland on July 31. Ron would have been selected to the All-Star team but declined because he would have been unavailable to pitch in a game.
Ron won his 20th game on September 22 at Baltimore, the first in the AL in '85 [to reach 20], and became only the seventh Yankee to win 20 games three times. He won nine of his last 11 decisions and six of his last seven, including the last three straight. Guidry struck out a season high 10 on October 3 against Milwaukee- he struck out 100+ batters for the ninth straight year.
He made one relief appearance on May 17 at California, retiring Reggie Jackson, and was part of a combo shutout with Phil Niekro and Don Cooper. Ron pitched three 4-hitters: May 4 against Kansas City, June 22 at Detroit and July 14 against Texas.
On June 17 at Baltimore, Ron pitched his 25th career shutout, and in his next appearance on June 22 at Detroit threw another shutout. He pitched his 2,000th career inning on September 17 at Detroit and notched his 1,500th career strikeout on September 28 against Baltimore (Lee Lacy). On the Yankees all-time lists, Guidry moved into 12th with 304 games; eighth with 2,027 innings pitched; eighth with 154 wins; third with a .694 won-lost percentage; third with 1,510 strikeouts; tied for sixth with 26 shutouts; 18th with 88 games and 15th with a 3.17 ERA.
His best 1984 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 was career win #132 for Gator, moving him up to eighth on the all-time Yankee list, and career shutout #24, which tied for seventh on the Yankee list. He ended this game of personal milestones by striking 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 in '84, with an inflamed rib cartilage, and activated on September 3. He made his first relief appearance since July 1982 on September 17 against Baltimore.
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 is 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 Man of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year, Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year and Baseball Quarterly Performer of the Year. He was named to the United Press International, Associated Press and Sporting News and 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.
In 1983, Guidry 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 All-Star team. He played center field for a third of an inning on August 18 during the conclusion of the 'Pine Tar' game.
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."
-1986 New York Yankees Information Guide
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