Wednesday, July 13, 2022

#484 Ron Perranoski - Los Angeles Dodgers


Ronald Peter Perranoski
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  180
Born:  April 1, 1936, Paterson, NJ
Signed:  Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent, June 9, 1958
Major League Teams:  Los Angeles Dodgers 1961-1967; Minnesota Twins 1968-1971; Detroit Tigers 1971-1972; Los Angeles Dodgers 1972; California Angels 1973
Died:  October 2, 2020, Vero Beach, FL (age 84)

Ron Perranoski spent 13 seasons in the majors as a successful lefty reliever and another 17 seasons in the majors as a pitching coach for the Dodgers and Giants.  Perranoski led the league in appearances with 70 in his sophomore season of 1962, and repeated the feat with a league-leading 69 appearances in 1963.  He was a key member of the Dodgers bullpen during their World Series Champion years of 1963 and 1965.  Dealt to the Twins with Bob Miller (#98) and John Roseboro (#405) in November 1967 for Mudcat Grant (#432) and Zoilo Versalles (#157), Perranoski would enjoy his best season as the Twins' closer.  He led the league in saves with 31 in 1969 and 34 in 1970, earning MVP votes in both seasons.  Minnesota won the A.L. West pennant in 1969 and 1970, but fell to the Orioles both years in the ALCS.  Perranoski would retire following the 1973 season and 737 career appearances, which currently ranks 85th on the all-time list.  He was 79-74 with a 2.79 ERA and 178 saves, striking out 687 over 1,174 2/3 innings pitched.

Perranoski served as the Dodgers' minor league pitching coordinator between 1973 and 1980, and then as the team's pitching coach between 1981 and 1994.  The Dodgers would win two more World Series titles in 1981 and 1988, giving Perranoski four rings total with the club.  He'd conclude his on-field baseball career as a coach for the rival Giants, and manager Dusty Baker, between 1997 and 1999.  Perranoski moved to the Giants front office where he served as a special assistant to the general manager between 2000 and 2014.

Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Uncle Dick's Cards - Babylon, NY) - Card #516
This is the 32nd of 102 cards acquired for our set from the Baseball Card Sports Memorabilia Show, affectionately known as The Philly Show, held in the basement of the Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia in early March.  We went nuts and left the show needing only 12 more cards to complete our 1965 Topps set, and I wrote about the show in detail over at The Phillies Room.  Having wandered aimlessly among the dealer tables looking for binders with vintage commons, I decided to check to see if Uncle Dick's had refreshed their inventory following the December show, during which I had wiped out both their 1965 Topps binders.  Much to my pleasant surprise, they had.  This Perranoski card was $12 and was one of 49 commons, or in this case a semi-star, purchased in my triumphant return to Uncle Dick's and his replenished neon green binders.

Depending on my ability to compose five posts a week on the cards acquired at this show, I should be completely caught up on this blog by mid-October.  It's entirely feasible we complete our 1965 Topps set by the end of 2022, although nine of the remaining 12 cards needed are fairly expensive.

The Card / Dodgers Team Set
I wish I knew enough about baseball ballparks from the 1960s to be able to identify the ballpark where Perranoski is posing here.  I love the three younger blurry fans captured in the background and I'd like to think they're most likely seeking out an autograph or a baseball.  The cartoon on the back shows Perranoski waving goodbye to a cub.  Originally drafted by the Cubs, he was acquired by the Dodgers on April 8, 1960 with Lee Handley, Johnny Goryl and cash for Don Zimmer (#233).

1965 Season
Only Miller with 61 appearances topped Perranoski's 59 appearances out of the Dodgers bullpen in 1965, with Perranoski topping Miller's innings pitched total, 104 2/3 to 103.  As the team's closer, Perranoski recorded 18 saves, which was the sixth most in the league.  He was 6-6 overall with a 2.24 ERA during the regular season.  Perranoski pitched twice in the World Series, throwing two scoreless innings in Game 1, but getting hit around in Game 2, allowing three runs on three hits and a pair of walks.

1961 Topps #525
1967 Topps #197
1970 Topps #226
1972 Topps #367
1987 Topps #431

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1961 Topps #525
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (13):  1961-1972, 1987
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1987 Topps #431

88 - Perranoski non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/22/22.

 Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
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