Walter William “Billy” Pierce (April 2, 1927 - July 31, 2015) faced New York Yankees Hall of Fame pitcher Whitey Ford 14 times during his career, pitting two of the best left handed pitchers against one another in a bitter rivalry from 1955 to 1960. He beat Ford eight times during that stretch and posted a career 25-37 record against the Yankees. The Detroit Tigers signed Billy prior to the 1945 season, debuting that same season, but didn’t find an everyday spot in a Major League lineup until he was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1949. Pierce pitched efficiently and effectively for 13 years in Chicago despite the White Sox anemic offense. Billy led the American League three times in complete games and once in strikeouts, wins, ERA and losses. The seven-time American League All-Star threw four one-hitters and seven two-hitter in his career. In 1953, Pierce threw seven shutouts in a season that included 51 consecutive innings pitched without allowing an earned run. He pitched 18 years in the big leagues with the Tigers (1945, 1948), the White Sox (1949-1961) and the San Francisco Giants (1962-1964). Billy won a World Series as a member of the 1945 Tigers team, though he didn’t pitch, and helped the White Sox reach the Fall Classic in 1959, and the Giants in 1962. In 1958, Pierce came within one batter away from pitching the first perfect game by a left-hander in 78 years when backup catcher Ed Fitz Gerald knocked a curveball down the right field line. Pierce was named the 1956 and 1957 AL <em>The Sporting News</em> Pitcher of the Year after back-to-back 20-win seasons. Billy Pierce finished his career with a 211-169 record, 193 complete games, 38 shutouts, 32 saves, 1,999 strikeouts and a 3.27 career ERA in 585 games.
