The dead have entered new york yankees, which is terrible…
Don Gullett, 73, died Wednesday after earning four consecutive World Series wins, two of which were with the Yankees.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame confirmed his death, and the Yankees, with whom Gullett spent his final two seasons (1977-78), grieved him. The cause of death was not revealed.
The left-handed Gullett pitched nine MLB seasons, mostly with Cincinnati during the “Big Red Machine” period, finishing with a 109-50 record, a 3.11 period, 11 saves, and 921 strikeouts in 1,390 innings.
Gullett made his Reds debut in 1970 at the age of 19, largely pitching out of the bullpen before establishing himself as a starter. In seven seasons with Cincinnati, Gullett finished in the top seven of the NL Cy Young voting twice and won at least 15 games four times. Gullett threw in four World Series games for the Reds, winning titles in 1975 and 1976.
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That 1976 triumph came against the Yankees, and Gullett won his sole World Series start by allowing only one run in 7.1 innings.
Following Gullett’s death, Reds Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench described him as the “best athlete and competitor I ever saw or played with.”
“He will be missed,” Bench wrote on social media.
Gullett signed with the Yankees as a free agent prior to the 1977 season, coming during the same offseason as Reggie Jackson.
Gullett went 14-4 with a 3.58 ERA in 158.1 innings in his first season with the Yankees. His.778 winning percentage led the American League.
He struggled during the postseason, going 0-2 in three starts, two of which were in the World Series against the Dodgers. The Yankees won the title, however, thanks to a pitching staff led by Ron Guidry and a powerful lineup that included Jackson, Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles, and a young Willie Randolph.
The Yankees repeated in 1978, but Gullett’s shoulder woes limited him to only eight regular-season appearances and prevented him from pitching in the playoffs. Gullett never pitched again in Major League Baseball after being officially released by the Yankees in 1980.
“The Yankees mourn the passing of Don Gullett and extend our deepest condolences to Don’s family, friends, and loved ones,” the Yankees stated in a statement.
