Gary Peters

Gary Charles Peters (April 21, 1937-) is a retired Major League Baseball player and American League Rookie of the Year (1963) who is widely seen as one of the best-hitting pitchers of the 1960s. The Chicago White Sox drafted Peters as an amateur free agent in 1956, and Chicago’s Comiskey Park is where Peters would spend the majority of his career (1959-1969). After four brief call-ups, he was permanent added to the roster in 1963, going 19-8 and leading the American League in ERA (2.33). The following season, he led the AL in wins (20) as well as wild pitches (15). He continued to tally impressive numbers for the remainder of the decade, and once again led the AL in ERA (1.98) in 1966. A two-time All-Star (1964, 1967), he finished in the Top-10 in Most Valuable Player voting three separate years. For a pitcher, Gary also had an impressive lifetime batting average, going .222 with 19 home runs … including a pinch-hit home run and one grand slam. Following two seasons with the Boston Red Sox (1970-1972), Peters retired with a 124-103 win-loss record, a 3.25 ERA, and 1,420 strikeouts.