Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - 300 Wins Is Nothing to Spit At

Episode Date: May 2, 2020

While on location in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (since Washington is still closed and Idaho isn't), D.C. Lundberg talks about the career of Gaylord Perry, who collected his 300th Major League win as a member of the Seattle Mariners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Here's your host, D.C. Lundberg. Yes, indeed. Thank you very much, J.M. I am D.C. Lundberg, coming at you on location today from Cordillane, Idaho. Yes, indeed, I am in a free state right now. Washington is going to remain closed indefinitely, it seems, so I plan on spending a hell of a lot of time in the gem state for the foreseeable future. I say that like that's unusual. Anyways, please remember to download rate and subscribe to Locked-on Mariners on Google Podcast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, or whichever podcasting app that you personally care to use. Ask your smart device to play Locked-on Mariners or Locked-on-N-N-N-D-O-N-R-G or Locked-N-E-R-G, if you are scoring at home.

Today is Friday, ordinarily the final broadcast day of the week, but we will have one more show coming at you tomorrow. Looking at some of the greatest moments in franchise history this week. Yesterday, we looked back at the time Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. were both starters for the M's. Today, we will talk about an achievement a Hall of Fame pitcher accomplished while in a Mariners uniform, although he was not a mariner for very long. I speak about May 6, 1982, when Gay Lord Perry won his first. 300th game in the Kingdom against the New York Yankees. Prior to signing with the M's, Gaylord Perry was already a 20-year Major League veteran. The Ancient Mariner had a reputation for not only doctoring pitches,

but also for making batters think he was doctoring pitches, using a variety of motions to touch the side of his head, the bill of his ball cap, his eyebrow, etc., to trick batters into thinking he was loading up to throw a spitball. Earlier in his career, he used to throw a puff ball, ball as well, where he would load up his hand with a bunch of rosin, so there would be a white cloud that appeared when he would release the ball. This was made illegal, obviously, and since he couldn't hide it, he stopped throwing it. Despite complaints from opposing teams and being

inspected on the mound, he was only caught dock during a baseball once on August 23rd, 1982, against the Red Sox in the kingdom. A 10-day suspension followed. As a side note, this game was the major league debut for Mariners Outfielder and future coach John Moses. He replaced Dave Henderson in the outfield after Hendu was ejected for throwing his helmet after being called out at home plate. One time after striking out against Perry, Reggie Jackson was so mad that he popped off at the umpire, got himself ejected, then proceeded to take the Gatorade cooler out of his dugout, placed it behind the mound, and yelled at the umpires that they should let him pitch with a cooler behind him. The late Dave Henderson recalled the time when he had caught the final out of an inning

and he was jogging in from center field. The second base umpire wanted the ball, but Hendoo knew that it had grease on it, so he turned around and, quote, fired the ball into the stands, end quote. The Mariners trivia question for the day reads, thusly, what is Gaylord Perry's real name? Answer coming up shortly, but first, this. Today's Mariners trivia question was kind of a trick question. Gaylord Perry's real name is in fact Gaylord Perry. More Locked-on Mariners on location from Cordillane, Idaho in a bit. Welcome back to Locked-on Mariners. Once again, your host, D.C. Lundberg. Thank you very much, J.M., talking about Gaylord Perry and his 300th career victory on this edition of Locked-on Mariners. The ancient mariner had earned his 299th career victory

on April 30th, 1982 in Yankee Stadium. His next start came on May 6th in the kingdom against those same New York Yankees. It started off as something of a pitchers duel initially, but the M's exploded for five runs in the third inning against another veteran, Doyle Alexander, sending nine men to the plate. Alexander would be replaced by Rudy May to begin the next inning. The Yankees finally scored in the sixth on a solo home run by none other than Ken Griffey Sr., who we noted yesterday was not a big power. guy, but a very good contact hitter. The M's would pick up two more runs in the seventh to extend their lead to seven to one. The crankies answered right back, though, in the top of the eighth,

with Perry still on the mound. RBI singles by future Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, and the generously quaffed Oscar Gamble doing the damage. After going one, two, three in the bottom of the eighth, the M's sent Perry back out to the mound in the top of the ninth to attempt to complete his own 300th win. Yankee catcher Rick Serone lined out to Perry to start the inning. Shortstop, Larry Milbourne then flew out to shallow right field, caught by second baseman Julio Cruz. The next hitter was the venerable Yankee second baseman Willie Randolph. He hit a ground ball to second basement Cruz, who took a few crow hops towards first base before slinging the ball to first baseman Jim Mailer to retire Randolph, giving Gaylord Perry his 300th Major League win. His offense

really supported him this day as only two players failed to get on base. Center fielder Joe Simpson went 0 for 4, and Julio Cruz went 0 for 3, but did execute a sacrifice bunt. Perry pitched all nine innings, gave up three runs, all of them earned, only walked one, struck out four, and allowed that lone home run to Ken Griffey, a very good pitching line for the 43-year-old. After the game, in a makeshift press conference in the clubhouse, Perry held up a glass of champagne and made the toast, this is for everyone over 40. One reporter asked what it felt like, and Perry said that it felt great and felt like it was the seventh game of the World Series.

Another reporter then facetiously asked him, how about 400 wins? Years later, Julio Cruz described fielding the final out of the game. In one interview, he said that he was hoping for a line drive or a pop up right at him. Quote, what happens? A ground ball right to me, end quote. In another interview, he said the reason he took so many steps towards first base is because he was rotating the ball in his hand looking for the dry side. Perry pitched okay for the 1982 Mariners with a 4.40 ERA and a 12-10 record. At age 43, he pitched 216 and two-thirds innings.

Next year was not as kind to him. He had a 494 ERA with Seattle before being released on June 27th. He was picked up by the Royals on July 6th, and end up. his career with them at the conclusion of the season. He was also involved in another incident involving doctored equipment. He had a role in the infamous Pinetar game at Yankee Stadium. After George Brett had been called out, Perry somehow got his hands on the bat Brett had used during the kerfuffle at home plate and ran back into the clubhouse with it to try to hide it from

the umpires. When the game resumed a few weeks later, Perry was among those who had to be. been ejected from the game. If you have never heard of the Pintar game, look it up. This is not locked on royals, so I won't discuss it at length, but do look into it if you do not know what I'm talking about. It is hilarious. Back to Gaylord Perry.

He finished his career with a 314 and 265 record, a 311 ERA, five all-star appearances, and two Syung Awards. He is one of the few to win the award in both national and American leagues. His brother Jim was also a fine Major League. pitcher and is also a Syung Award winner. Jim and Gaylord Perry are the only pair of brothers who are both Syung Award winners. Jim Perry later went on to host Sale of the Century. Nah, just kidding. That's a different Jim Perry. Although I did very much enjoy Sale of the Century when it was on in reruns of the 90s, but I digress. Gay Lord Perry was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991

on his third ballot with just over 77% of the required 75% of the required 75% of the percent of the voters giving him the nod. Tomorrow we will talk about some more pitching accomplishments, six of them, to be precise, spanning several eras of Mariners baseball. Please remember to download, rate, and subscribe to this program on Apple

podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, whichever podcasting app that you can think of. Follow the show on Twitter. L.O. underscore Mariners is the Twitter handle, and my Twitter handle is at D.C. underscore Lundberg. That's it for today. Join us tomorrow for some more pitching greatness. In the meantime, have a great day.

Until my neighbors in Spokane County, go have some fun in Idaho. This is Joey Martin saying join us back here next time for another edition of Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network. Ask your smart device to play Locked-on Fantasy Baseball upon the conclusion of this program.