Ron Perranoski a big league relief pitcher for thirteen seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers and California Angels passed away at his Vero Beach, Florida home on Friday, October 2, 2020 of complications from a long illness, his sister Pat Zailo told the Associated Press on Saturday. “He was a ballplayer and he loved that life, he thrived on it,” Zailo said.
Ronald Peter Perranoski was born on April 1, 1936 in Paterson, New Jersey and attended Fair Lawn High School and then went on to play baseball at Michigan State University. At MSU from 1956-1958, Perranoski set the school record for career strikeouts, with 223 which stood until 2004.
Perranoski was signed to a bonus contract with the Chicago Cubs on June 9, 1958 and started his pro career as a starter with the class “B” Burlington Bees in 1958. In 1959 Perranoski pitched for the “AA” San Antonio Missions where he was 11-10 with a career high 26 starts and 199 innings pitched.
On April 8, 1960 the Chicago Cubs traded minor league players pitcher Ron Perranoski along with minor league outfielder Lee Handley, and Johnny Goryl and $25,000 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in return for Don Zimmer. Perranoski then split his 1960 season between two Dodgers “AAA” teams, the Montreal Royals and the St. Paul Saints.
Perranoski made the 1961 Los Angeles Dodgers team out of spring training and made his major league debut on April 14 in the eight inning of a loss to the defending World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Perranoski entered the game with two out and runners on the corners and struck Bob Skinner to get out of the inning. In the ninth he gave up a single to Dick Groat, retired Roberto Clemente on a ground ball double play. Dick Stuart then tripled and Gino Cimoli singled him home before Perranoski retired Don Hoak on a lineout to first. In his next appearance four games later Perranoski got his first big league save with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief. On July 16, 1961 Perranoski made his first big league start but got a ND for his efforts going 4 innings and leaving for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fourth. The Dodgers came back with five runs in the fourth and took a 7-3 lead over the Pirates and Perranoski was in line for the win but the Pirates regained the lead only to have the Dodgers come back to tie the game in the ninth. In the tenth the Dodgers walked-off ace closer Roy Face and the Pirates 12-11 when John Roseboro tripled scoring Tommy Davis who had singled to start the inning. Roseboro would appear in 711 more big league games over his thirteen big league seasons but he would never again start a big league game. Perranoski appeared in 53 games as a rookie and had a 2.65 ERA in 91.2 innings posting a 7-5 record to go along with 6 Saves. The following season he appeared in a league leading 70 games pitching 107.1 innings and in 1963 he again led the leagues in game pitched with 69 and an amazing 129 innings pitched with a 1.67 ERA and 21 Saves, not too mention an incredible 16-3 record which was a league-leading winning percentage The Dodgers swept the New York Yankees in the 1963 World Series. In 1967 the 31 year old Perranoski again led the National League in appearances with 70 throwing 110 innings but following the 67 season the Dodgers traded Perranoski, Bob Miller, and John Roseboro to the Minnesota Twins for 1965 World Series stars Mudcat Grant and Zoilo Versalles.
With Minnesota in 1968 Perranoski served as a set-up man for Al Worthington in the Twins ballpen as the Twins posted a 79-83 record during Cal Ermer’s final season as the Twins skipper. Billy Martin took over as the Twins manager in 1969 and made Perranoski his primary closer and Perranoski responded with a league-leading 31 Saves in 119.2 innings pitched and finished 13th in MVP voting playing for a Twins team that was so good it had seven players getting MVP votes. The Twins went on to lose to the Baltimore Orioles in the first American League ALCS and Martin was fired as the Twins manager. In 1970 Perranoski again led the league in Saves with 34 in 111 innings and finished seventh in Cy Young award voting and finished 12 in MVP voting. In the spring of 1971, Perranoski held out in a contract dispute before reporting late and out of shape. His numbers declined, and on July 31 the Tigers claimed him off waivers from the Minnesota Twins and it was the beginning of the end for Perranoski as an active player.
Perranoski finished the 1971 season with the Detroit Tigers and started the 1972 season in Detroit before they released him on July 31. Perranoski then signed with the Dodgers where he finished the 72 season but was released after the season ended. In the spring of 1973 he signed a free agent deal with the California Angels but pitched sparingly appearing in just eight games before making his final big league appearance against the Yankees on June 17, 1973.
Following his career, Perranoski served as the Dodgers’ minor league pitching coordinator from 1973 to 1980. He was their pitching coach from 1981 to 1994 and was instrumental in the success of Orel Hershiser and Fernando Valenzuela. Perranoski joined the San Francisco Giants as minor league pitching coordinator in 1995, was promoted to bench coach in 1997 and then to pitching coach from 1998 to 1999. The following year he became a special assistant to then-general manager Brian Sabean.
Twins teammate Jim Kaat recalled golfing with Perranoski 50 years ago, saying: “We played Pebble Beach one morning late in September in 1970. We had a night game in Oakland and Dave Boswell was scheduled to pitch, and Ron … he wouldn’t have to pitch until the late innings, so it wasn’t going to be a problem. “Then, we walk in the visitors clubhouse and there are two baseballs in my glove. That meant you were the starting pitcher. I said to our pitching coach, Marv Grissom, ‘What’s this?’ and he told me Boswell had a sore back and they moved me up a day. “I wound up going five innings, and Perranoski pitched three-plus to finish it, and we won the game 5-3. And that one clinched the division title for us. Little did they know where the guys who did most of the pitching had spent most of the day. “Pebble Beach. Win the division. That was a good day.”
Taken from a Star Tribune article dated October 4, 2020
I was sad to read tonight of the death of Dodger and Twins relief pitcher Ron Perranoski. He was one of my favorite players when I covered the Twins for The Minneapolis Tribune. My favorite memory is from a conversation that I agreed not to print at the time. We were in Boston and got to talking about Carl Yastrzemski who usually feasted on Twins pitching. “What kind of hitter is he,” he asked me. “Fantastic,” I replied. “No. What does he like and what does he hate?” I started guessing fast balls, curves etc. “No,” he said, “he’s all business. Can’t wait to get up the plate and hit. So, I’ll do anything to not throw him a pitch. I’ll adjust my belt and my hat, rub the ball extra hard. Stare in for the sign and shake off the catcher. All the time he’s starting to steam wondering if I’m ever going to throw the ball. I never throw him a first-pitch strike, but he’ll swing at anything close to the strike zone in order to not have to wait for another pitch.” That’s when i discovered that I had a lot to learn about professional baseball. RIP, Ron.
This quote was taken from a Facebook post by Dave Mona who served as a young Twins beat writer back in the 60’s
In 1983 Perranoski was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.
Perranoski is survived by his sister, Pat Zailo of Fairfield, N.J., and three sons — “Pope” Perranoski of Orange, CA. Brad Perranoski of Palos Verdes, CA. and Michael Perranoski of Thousand Oaks, CA.
Twinstrivia.com sends their condolences to the Ron Perranoski family, friends and fans.
Nice write up!