Gaylord Perry: A look at the Spitball master's Hall of Fame Career

MLB Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry passed away at the age of 84. During his career, which spanned over 20 years, Perry won a plethora of awards and designations. Today, we remember one of the best,

"We mourn the loss of Gaylord Perry, a Hall of Famer and 2-time Cy Young Award winner. He was 84." - @ MLB

Perry was born in 1938 in Williamston, North Carolina, to a family of athletes. Originally an infielder, he made the switch to pitching in high school. He attended Campbell University in the 1950s, where he continued to pitch.

Perry signed with the San Francisco Giants out of college and spent the first decade of his career in the Bay Area. Although his early years were not remarkable, by the late 1960s, he began to make a name for himself as a pitcher.

In 1970, he led the league in wins with 23. That same season, he also started 41 games, the most in baseball. Out of those 41 starts, 23 of them were complete games, which would be unheard of today.

For his efforts during the 1970 season, Perry finished second in the Cy Young Award voting. Gaylord Perry was traded from the Giants to the Cleveland Indians in the 1972 offseason, and his career really began to take off from there.

In 1972, in his first season in Cleveland, Perry pitched 29 complete games out of his 40 starts and registered an ERA of 1.92, earning him the American League Cy Young Award that year. It was the first such award for Perry, but would not be his last.

Perry would become somewhat of a journeyman pitcher for the remainder of his career, but his skills were still evident wherever he went. In 1978, as a member of the San Diego Padres, he posted a league-best winning percentage after winning 21 of his 37 starts. He won a second Cy Young Award, making him the only pitcher in history to win the prestigious honor in both the American and National Leagues.

"Pitching legend Gaylord Perry talks about the spitball on a classic episode of "Late Night with David Letterman"! (1983)" - @ Baseball by BSmile

Perry eventually retired in 1983 after his final season with the Kansas City Royals. After his 22-year career, Perry amassed a record of 314-265, an ERA of 3.11, and well over 5,000 innings pitched.

Gaylord Perry was one of the first great modern pitchers

The 1970s was a time when pitching was coming into its own. Although obviously skilled, Gaylord Perry also had a reputation for smothering baseballs in vaseline to enhance his grip. Either way, he will be deeply missed by not only his friends and family, but the entire baseball world.