Gomez, "Lefty" (Vernon L.)
Baseball
b. Nov. 26, 1908, Rodeo, CA
d. Feb. 17, 1989
At 6-foot-2, Gomez weighed only 173 pounds, but his long arms gave him the leverage to throw a very good fastball, and early in his major league career he developed an excellent slow curve that drove hitters crazy.
He had a 2-5 record in a brief stint with the New York Yankees in 1930, but became a regular starter the following season and had a 21-9 record with a 2.67 ERA. Gomez went 24-7 in 1932 and won the second game of the World Series 7-2 as the Yankees swept the Cubs in four games.
After leading the league with 163 strikeouts in 1933, Gomez won the first of two pitching triple crowns. He was tops in the AL in victories and winning percentage with a 26-5 record, in strikeouts with 158, and in ERA with a 2.33 mark. He also led the league with 6 shutouts, despite the fact that he started only 33 games because of an arm injury late in the season.
The arm continued to bother him for the next two years, when he had a combined 25-22 record, but he won two games in the 1936 World Series. In 1937 he bounced back to win his second triple crown, leading in victories with a 21-11 record, in strikeouts with 194, and in ERA at 2.33, along with a league-leading 6 shutouts. Gomez won two more games against the New York Giants in the World Series, giving up just 3 runs in 18 innings.
He had an 18-12 record in 1938 and won his sixth straight World Series game. Gomez's 6 victories without a loss in World Series play is a record. After 12-8 mark in 1939, Gomez's recurring arm problem limited him to just a 3-3 mark in 1940. He was used sparingly in 1941, yet led the league in winning percentage with a 15-5 record.
Gomez was only 6-4 in 1942 and retired after losing his only start with the Washington Senators the following year. He served as a minor league manager for two seasons, then began a second career as a speaker and frequent guest on radio shows. Known for his sense of humor, Gomez coined the phrase, "I'd rather be lucky than good."
In 368 games, Gomez completed 173 of 320 starts and had a 189-102 record with 28 shutouts and a 3.34 ERA. He struck out 1,468 hitters and walked 1,095 in 2,503 innings.