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As
a pitcher for the New York Yankees in the 1930s, Baseball Hall of Famer Vernon
"Lefty" Gómez (#11) was a major force in helping the Yankees win five
American League Pennants and five World Series Championships.
The Yankees purchased Lefty Gomez from his hometown San Francisco Seals in 1929 for $35,000. Two years later the slender 6'2" Gomez with his high leg kick and smoking fastball won 21 games for the Yankees with the support of teammates like co-members of the Hall of Fame Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. After a winning game the outspoken Gomez was quoted saying: "I want to thank all my teammates who scored so many runs and Joe DiMaggio, who ran down so many of my mistakes."
Along with right-hander Red Ruffing this lefty-righty combination was the core of the pitching staff in the 1930's.
Despite born in Rodeo, California, Gomez is of Mexican descent and is considered one of baseball's greatest winners, ranking third in Yankee history in regular season wins with 189. His 6-0 world series record gave him the most wins without a lost in Major League history. His five starts and three wins (1933,35,37) in All-Star game competition is also a record that has gone untouched for decades. He also won the pitching version of the triple crown twice (1934,37), leading the American League in victories, ERA & Strikeouts.
Besides being one of baseball's most dominant pitchers in the 1930's, Gomez was also known as a joker who always tried to keep the team loose. Earning the nicknames "Gay Caballero" and "El Goofy", Gomez wackiness set him apart from the decorous Yankees of the 1930's. He once held up a world series game, exasperating manager Joe McCarthy to watch an airplane go by. Gomez also got away with needling his buddy, Joe DiMaggio, because DiMaggio like everyone else enjoyed the Gomez wit which produced statements like, "I've got a new invention, a revolving bowl for a tired goldfish" and "I don't wanna throw him nothing, maybe he'll get tired of waiting and leave".
Later on throughout the years, Gomez began to encounter arm problems. His fastball lost its effectiveness, so Gomez switched from being a power pitcher to a finesse pitcher. Even though the transition wasn't smooth, the zany Gomez still added humor to the whole ordeal, "I'm throwing as hard as I ever did, but the ball is just not getting there as fast." Gomez fooled hitters with a newly acquired slow curve and had a great comeback in 1941 (15-5) after a 3-3 mark in 1940, leading the league in winning percentage (750).
After pitching one game for the Washington Senators in 1943, Gomez retired and was surprisingly drafted into the U.S. Military in 1944 at the age of 36. Later on, Gomez hooked up with Wilson Sporting Goods company as a goodwill ambassador.
Lefty Gomez pitched in the Major Leagues for 14 years (1930-1943) and finished with a 189-102 record with an ERA of 3.34.
On February 2, 1972, the Veterans Committee inducted Lefty Gomez into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Wearing a Yankee cap, Gomez became the 2nd Hispanic player (of Hispanic decent) to be inducted.
The
Legends: Roberto Clemente | Lefty
Gomez | Martin Dihigo | Wilfred
Benitez | Sammy Sosa
Chi-Chi Rodriguez | Orlando
Cepeda | Tony
Perez | Eusebio Pedroza | Anthony
Muñoz | Adrian Fernandez
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