Yankees and the Hall of Fame: Ron Guidry
- James Vlietstra
- 17 minutes ago
- 2 min read
by James Vlietstra
***
Over the next many months, I am going to review the credentials of several former Yankees.
With all that being said, I am going to review the credentials of several former Yankees. Together, we can discuss if we believe that they are deserving of being included in the Hall Of Fame or not. I hope you read along and give me your opinions over the next several weeks.
Note - Some people currently in the Hall Of Fame are not specifically in for their merits as a player alone. For instance, Joe Torre didn't get in until after his success as a manager. Phil Rizzuto made it after a career as an announcer. Overall, their careers were definitely deserving. Similarly, Bill Mazeroski was generally considered a light hitting middle infielder, however, one iconic moment got him enshrined. I am including some of these type players too for us to discuss.
Today we are going to be discussing:
Ron Guidry...
"Louisiana Lightning" pitched for the Yankees his entire 14 year career.
He earned 47.9 WAR and had three seasons of 5.0+.
His 1978 season is generally considered the best ever by a Yankees pitcher. He went 25-3 with a 1.74 ERA and 248 strikeouts and 9.6 WAR en route to the Cy Young award.
He was a four time all star, five time Gold Glove winner, and two time World Series winner.
He was a Yankees Captain.
He struck out 18 batters in a game.
He threw an immaculate inning.
He went 170-91 good for a .651 winning percentage, 36th best all time.
His number 49 was retired by the Yankees.
Guidry was on the ballot for nine years, ranging between 5.3% and 8.8% before dipping to 4.9% and off the ballot.
