Me and the Spitter: An Autobiographical Confession

by Gaylord Perry

Autobiography of the Hall of Fame Major League Baseball pitcher Gaylord Perry.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Biography, Nonfiction, Autobiography

222 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Gaylord Jackson Perry was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for eight teams from 1962 to 1983, becoming one of the most durable and successful pitchers in history. A five-time All-Star, Perry was the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues. He won the American League (AL) award in 1972 after leading the league with 24 wins with a 1.92 earned run average (ERA) for the fifth-place Cleveland Indians, and took the National League (NL) award in 1978 with the San Diego Padres after again leading the league with 21 wins; his Cy Young Award announcement just as he turned the age of 40 made him the oldest to win the award, which stood as a record for 26 years. He and his older brother Jim Perry, who were Cleveland teammates in 1974–1975, became the first brothers to both win 200 games in the major leagues, and remain the only brothers to both win Cy Young Awards.

Reviews

[Roger King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 1974. I loved Gaylord Perry and the books relates how he became possibly the best spitballer of his era and for a few years, the best pitcher in baseball.

[Rich Szabo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up a baseball nut this was one of my favorite books especially as Perry signed with my hometown Indians. Talks about all the deceptions he used to hide his illegal spitballs and his tough life as a child.

[Mark Wargo · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an Indians fan, Gaylord Perry was one of my favorites. Use to practice pitching in the backyard lacing the inside of my belt and ball cap with vaseline

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable. Informative with amuxing anecdotes.

[R J M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read. I enjoyed it more than "Ball Four."

As a Mariners fan (sympathies accepted) I still remember him finally getting caught with a doctored ball in 1982 when pitching for the Ms, long after this book came out. He was a classic.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love baseball books and this one was great! Rest in peace Gaylord Perry.

[Tim K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining quick read. I enjoyed getting to know Gaylord Perry, his spit/grease ball, and the baseball antics of the 70’s. Rest in Peace Mr. Perry.

[Marshall Merims · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting character that Gaylord Perry was while he pitched in the majors from 1962-1983. Five time winner of 20+ games. Won the Cy Young award in both the NL (Padres) and AL (Indians). Won 314 games and struck out 3534 batters and HoF member. He also allegedly threw thousands of spitball and grease ball pitches. Or did he throw just a few? This book was filled with great stories about his youth, his development as a pitcher, his tough times early in his MLB career and how his super-sinker or fork ball was so more effective because he psyched out batters into thinking he was loading up his pitches causing the ball to drop like a lead balloon. The book reads as though he was loading up the ball regularly, but he adds in enough statements about making it look like he loaded up the ball so you're really left up to coming to your own conclusion. Here are some funny gems from the book. "I once threw Willie Stargell a truly outstanding super-sinker, and he hit it a truly outstanding distance." About his pitches being hard to catch even in high school, "In one seven-inning game, I had a no-hitter and struck out 16 - six of them in one inning because the catcher had as much trouble with my pitches as the batters did." During the 1971 playoffs, his 5 year daughter Allison was watching in the stands and was briefly interviewed. When asked if she knew where her daddy kept the grease, she said "At home in the garage." When asked if her daddy threw a grease ball, she said "It’s a hard slider." That sounds just like my daughter also name Allison. This is one of the most entertaining baseball books that I've read so far. Go get yourself a copy, but where gloves while reading it to keep from touching the spit and grease. Check out the great ESPN SportsCenter commercial on YouTube with an older and greasy Gaylord.

[Ben Kindall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was difficult to get into, and initially I was unsure if I would even finish it. I think it was super interesting getting this perspective from Perry in 1974, since he was still an active player and went on to play 10+ more seasons. With that being said, it was weird to me that it was partially an autobiography, since his life and career was still unfolding, and those are the parts I didn’t get into. However, when he was talking about the different techniques used to pitch a “spitter” or the many different interactions opposing managers or umpires had with him, I was intrigued. This was a fine read and it really showed how baseball players are always looking for a competitive advantage and how Perry became one of the best pitchers of his generation.

[Charles M.]

An early expose by this HOF pitcher on the illegal spitter pitch (which made him famous). Perry unveils who taught him the pitch (you would be surprsied!); and what pitchers during 60s and 70s threw the illegal pitch (again, you would be surprised!!!).

[John Manfredi · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite sports books of all-time. Gaylord, unapologetic and quite proud of his ability both on the mound and under surveillance