59 Giants At Phillies, May 17, 1969, The Spitball And Me, Gaylord Perry

20 November 2023

Album art features Gaylord Perry's plaque at San Francisco Internatioanl airport

Gaylord Perry won the Cy Young in both the American and National Leagues, had five seasons with over 20 wins, was the third pitcher to rack up 3,000 strikeouts, joined the 300 win-club in 1982, and many more achievements. As the 2023 season ends, Perry is ranked 17th in the all time winners list.

Yet Gaylord Perry is remembered for one pitch in his arsenal, the spitball. A pitch with a wicked level of drop while offering a huge amount of control to break inside or out in the hands of a skilled pitcher. And the skill was not getting caught pitching this banned ball.

Did Gaylord throw a spitball, or did the opposition simply think he threw a spitball? And does that matter when you look at all of his numbers?

For today's classic game, we're heading back to a time when Perry was in his prime. It's 1969 and the 20-14 San Francisco Giants are still in the Phillies backyard. With Perry on the mound they are looking to get back on level terms in the series.

Taking us through the game are KSFO's Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons.

You can find the boxscore here.

This game was played on May 17, 1969.