Ron Guidry (1950) - A Career Yankee Pitcher with a Hall of Fame-Caliber Year in 1978

[DaveO]

Quote

One of the things that really irked me about the Mattingly era was his second-place finish to Roger Clemens in the MVP race in 1986. Mattingly batted .352 with 238 hits, 53 doubles, and 31 HRs that year. Clemens had a good year, going 24-4 with a 2.48 ERA and 238 Ks, but he pitched in 33 games. Mattingly played all 162 games for the Yankees, or 5 times as many as Clemens played for the Red Sox. What bothered me about 1986 was 1978, when Ron Guidry went 25-3 with a 1.74 ERA and 248 Ks, but finished 2nd in the MVP to Jim Rice because of the argument that a position player is more valuable than a pitcher. In other words, the reason Guidry didn't win the MVP in 1978 was the same reason Clemens shouldn't have won the award in 1986.]

Thanks for the reference @Kibbee Nayee  Ron Guidry brings back memories, connecting all the way back to my youth.  My closest friend, going all the way back to kindergarten turned into a  high school baseball star; a pitcher who was Guidry sized--(very skinny) not tall,  but who also had tremendous velocity a good curve and great control.  He won all-conference, all county and all state honors along with a baseball scholarship to a division one college.  

But unfortunately his career peaked in college.  Didn't go any further.  Anyway we were sort of one another's "wing men" long before that phrase became popular, and practiced that starting in elementary school

When Guidry burst onto the scene in the mid 70's we both realized this pitching star was the same size and dimensions as my ole bud, Don.  They pitched alike albeit Guidry a bit, or more likely quantum levels  better--but alike, nonetheless.  Once Guidry became known we used to go to Memorial Stadium to see Guidry pitch, even springing for close up expensive seats.  Ole Don grudgingly admitted:  "Guidry's better".  We saw Guidry pitch in Baltimore probably 7 years.  Every year we'd schedule a visit:  "Lets go see Guidry ."  Guidry was a phenomena.  Probably shorter than virtually all ball players and way way skinnier, but he had excellent velocity and had a dominating career for  a number of years.

Its not the kind of thing I ever whine about, but I felt a strong connection to Guidry...and damn yes.  He should have won the MVP in '78.  That was an epic pitching performance, one of the best in history.

Damn that reference gave me a flood of memories.  From elementary school on till our late 30's at least, we might have competed in some sport, some game, even checkers and chess.  I estimate my record against that sucker might be an inglorious 20-480 or thereabouts. Ha ha.  Cripes, I recalled, being his wing man, racing out of first or second gradel right after class, racing toward his house and neighborhood and hiding in some bushes.  When some big galoot came by we both jumped out of the bushes and pounded him to a pulp.  I didn't even know why.  (guess he had previously punched out ole Don). That is a wing man for you.

I don't believe I've ever strongly felt "this guy deserves the MVP" in any sport in any year.  I still think that way for Guidry and 1978.  What a flood of memories.

[Kibbee Nayee]

A few more things to remember about the year Guidry had  in '78, which is one of the best years for any pitcher in the last 50 or more years.

First, he did it against 9-hitter lineups. That sets his performance apart.

Second, he led the Yankees on that famous 14.5-game comeback against the Red Sox. He was the ace who won 14 games after a Yankee loss, preventing losing streaks. He even won the 163rd game in Fenway Park, the one-game playoff for the 1978 Eastern Division pennant.

Third, he held hitters to a .193 batting average, .249 on base average, and .279 slugging percentage. That was an OPS of .528, against the entire league -- a .528 OPS would get any major leaguer sent down to the minors or released.

Although they had no idea what WAR was in 1978, Rice had a WAR of 7.5 and Guidry had a WAR of 9.6 in 1978. He might have lost the MVP to Jim Rice, but the Sporting News named him the Major League Player of the Year in 1978.

[MC Horoscope]

Guidry played American Legion ball for a Lafayette, LA team that my brother-in-law competed against, and they were on the then-named USL college team together. I saw him often. The thing I remember most was his curve ball. Far better than anyone he was competing against. Way too much for players at that level. He stayed in the minors for such a long while we thought he might never make it to the bigs. But he kept at it.  It was Sparky Lyle who taught him how to throw a slider, which became his greatest pitch along with his fastball. He was a different pitcher by then, stronger and faster. You better believe he made Yankee fans out of a lot of Cajuns! Still to this day. Now that I am up here though I have the Nationals to root for!

ETA He was also quite a good fielder, quick and athletic. Doesn't surprise me that he won 5 consecutive Gold Glove awards, 82-86.

[DaveO]

4 hours ago, Kibbee Nayee said:

A few more things to remember about the year Guidry had  in '78, which is one of the best years for any pitcher in the last 50 or more years.

First, he did it against 9-hitter lineups. That sets his performance apart.

Second, he led the Yankees on that famous 14.5-game comeback against the Red Sox. He was the ace who won 14 games after a Yankee loss, preventing losing streaks. He even won the 163rd game in Fenway Park, the one-game playoff for the 1978 Eastern Division pennant.

Third, he held hitters to a .193 batting average, .249 on base average, and .279 slugging percentage. That was an OPS of .528, against the entire league -- a .528 OPS would get any major leaguer sent down to the minors or released.

Although they had no idea what WAR was in 1978, Rice had a WAR of 7.5 and Guidry had a WAR of 9.6 in 1978. He might have lost the MVP to Jim Rice, but the Sporting News named him the Major League Player of the Year in 1978.

4 hours ago, MC Horoscope said:

Guidry played American Legion ball for a Lafayette, LA team that my brother-in-law competed against, and they were on the then-named USL college team together. I saw him often. The thing I remember most was his curve ball. Far better than anyone he was competing against. Way too much for players at that level. He stayed in the minors for such a long while we thought he might never make it to the bigs. But he kept at it.  It was Sparky Lyle who taught him how to throw a slider, which became his greatest pitch along with his fastball. He was a different pitcher by then, stronger and faster. You better believe he made Yankee fans out of a lot of Cajuns! Still to this day. Now that I am up here though I have the Nationals to root for!

hah.  We old timers remember Guidry.  As per KN: He had one incredible season that stands out in the pantheon of career years, among the handful of absolutely most amazing.  And he had other quality seasons.  A great pitcher, with one historically exceptional season...KN describes it above.

@MC Horoscope  Well I was a little like those Cajun fans, if only by substituting my ole bud with the self same physique as Guidry blowing pitches by big lumbering batters and then transferring that awe to Guidry.  Got a kick out of watching him pitch.

Meanwhile that 78 season was amazing.  The Yanks came back from 14 games down, Billy Martin resigned from managing the Yanks, Guidry pitched a season for the ages; then they won the AL playoffs and the WS and Guidry was the man of the year...all for a measly  $47 K.  Check out his otherworldly stats.

[DonRocks]

2 hours ago, DaveO said:

Guidry was the man of the year...all for a measly  $47 K.  Check out his otherworldly stats.

It's unbelievable that Guidry made only $47K in 1978.

The figurative definition of "standing in someone's shadow" - I suspect that many people have never heard of Ed Figueroa (click on the quoted link above and look at his stats that year).

Talk about a well-known pitching staff: Catfish Hunter, Goose Gossage, Sparky Lyle, Don Gullett, Andy Messersmith, and Ken Holtzman!

[Kibbee Nayee]

2 hours ago, DonRocks said:

It's unbelievable that Guidry made only $47K in 1978.

The figurative definition of "standing in someone's shadow" - I suspect that many people have never heard of Ed Figueroa (click on the quoted link above and look at his stats that year).

Talk about a well-known pitching staff: Catfish Hunter, Goose Gossage, Sparky Lyle, Don Gullett, Andy Messersmith, and Ken Holtzman!

And they overcame George Steinbrenner's dysfunction, a 14.5 game deficit to the Red Sox, and Billy Martin's firing, to go on to win the World Series.

Credit some of that pitching to my hero, Thurman Munson. One day, when Guidry gave up four hard hit base hits on the first four pitches of the game, and he was walking around the mound kicking dirt and cursing himself, Munson showed up over his shoulder and calmly said "You want me to stop telling them what pitch you're going to throw them?"

[DaveO]

Well he never had a season quite as spectacular as Guidry’s Best but Tim Lincecum is signed to play ball this year

Lincecum was fun to watch.  He was/is Guidry like—smallish for a major league pitcher roughly the same size as Guidry.

He had 3 great seasons for the SF Giants when they were winning the WS, won the Cy Young twice, put his all into overpowering pitches that came from a “little man” relatively speaking, had that long stringy hair—-and I repeat he was fun to watch—-positively Guidrish.  Those guys are the masters of human torque to throw a blistering fast ball from a smallish physique.

Then I guess he blew out his arm.

I hope this comeback works out for him.  I hope he mows down batters.