Don Gullett

Don Gullett
Pitcher
Born: January 6, 1951 (1951-01-06) (age 60) Lynn, Kentucky
Batted: Right	Threw: Left
MLB debut
April 10, 1970 for the Cincinnati Reds
Last MLB appearance
July 9, 1978 for the New York Yankees
Career statistics
Win-Loss	109-50
Earned Run Average	3.11
Strikeouts	921
Teams
Cincinnati Reds (1970-1976) New York Yankees (1977-1978)
Career highlights and awards
Led AL in Win-Loss% in 1977 with .778 4x World Series champion (1975, 1976, 1977, 1978)

Donald Edward "Don" Gullett (born January 6, 1951 in Lynn, Kentucky) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees from 1970 to 1978. He also served as pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds from 1993 to 2005.

High school

Gullett attended McKell High School in South Shore, Kentucky where he was an outstanding three sports athlete in baseball, football, and basketball. As a high school pitcher, he once tossed a perfect game - including striking out 20 of the 21 hitters he faced. Gullett excelled as a high school football player as well once scoring 72 points in a single game. He ran for 11 touchdowns and kicked 6 extra points. Don was named all state in three sports his senior year (baseball, football, basketball). Gullett's legacy is remembered in a memorial on the courthouse lawn in Greenup County, Kentucky that declares that "This is Don Gullett Country."

Pro career

The Reds selected Don Gullett in the first round of the 1969 amateur draft,^[1] and he made his big league debut on April 10, 1970.^[2]

Gullett played for the Reds from 1970 through the 1976 season. In November of that year, as a free agent, he signed with the New York Yankees.^[3] He enjoyed a successful 14-4 season with the Yankees in 1977, but shoulder problems in 1978 signalled the end of his career.^[4]

During a relatively brief nine year career, Gullett accumulated 109 wins and posted an impressive 3.11 Earned Run Average (ERA). Playing for only nine seasons, Gullett was a member of six World Series teams (1970, 72, 75, 76, 77, 78), including four consecutive World Champions ('75 and '76 Reds, and '77 and '78 Yankees).

At the plate, Don Gullett posted a respectable (for a pitcher) career batting average of .194. For example, in a 1975 National League Championship Series game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Gullett not only pitched a complete game victory, he also helped himself out by hitting a single, a home run, and collecting 3 RBI.

Gullett was also sometimes used as a pinch runner by the Reds.

After sitting out the 1979 and 1980 seasons due to extensive shoulder and rotator cuff problems,^[5] Gullett was released by the Yankees in late 1980.^[6]

In 1993, he rejoined the Reds as pitching coach, a post he held until being ousted mid-season in 2005.^[7]

See also

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins

References

1. ^ Reading Eagle (Jun 6, 1969) California Outfielder Picked First in Draft Accessed 2010, May 1.
2. ^ The Deseret News (Apr 17, 1970) Gullet Relieves, Wins Baseball Debut Accessed 2010 May 1.
3. ^ Beaver Country Times (Nov 18, 1976) Gullet Yankees' Latest Millionaire Accessed 2010, May 1.
4. ^ Tri City Herald (Dec 2, 1797) $ugar Ray on top Accessed 2010 May 1.
5. ^ Schenectady Gazette (Mar 14, 1979) Gullet 'Satisfied' With His Progress Accessed 2010 May 1.
6. ^ Palm Beach Post (Oct 25, 1980) Yankees Waive Gullett Accessed 2010 May 1.
7. ^ Pittsburgh Tribune (Jun 21, 2005) Reds fire Miley, Gullett Accessed 2010 May1.

Preceded by Buzz Capra

National League Player of the Month July, 1974

Succeeded by Lou Brock

Persondata
Name	Gullett, Don
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	January 6, 1951
Place of birth	Lynn, Kentucky
Date of death
Place of death