Don Gullett
Encyclopedia
Donald Edward "Don" Gullett (born January 6, 1951 in Lynn, Kentucky) is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
who played for the Cincinnati Reds
and New York Yankees
from 1970 to 1978. He also served as pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds from 1993 to 2005.
where he was an outstanding three sports athlete in baseball
, football
, and basketball
. As a high school pitcher, he once tossed a perfect game
- including striking out 20 of the 21 hitters he faced. Gullett excelled as a high school football player as well once scoring 72 points in a single game. He ran for 11 touchdowns and kicked 6 extra points. Don was named all state in three sports his senior year (baseball, football, basketball). Gullett's legacy is remembered in a memorial on the courthouse lawn in Greenup County, Kentucky
that declares that "This is Don Gullett Country."
Gullett played for the Reds from through the season. In November of that year, as a free agent
, he signed with the New York Yankees
. He enjoyed a successful 14-4 season with the Yankees in , but shoulder problems in signalled the end of his career.
During a relatively brief nine year career, Gullett accumulated 109 wins and posted an impressive 3.11 Earned Run Average
(ERA). Playing for only nine seasons, Gullett was a member of six World Series teams (1970, 72, 75, 76, 77, 78), including four consecutive World Champions ('75 and '76 Reds, and '77 and '78 Yankees).
At the plate, Don Gullett posted a respectable (for a pitcher) career batting average of .194. For example, in a 1975 National League Championship Series
game against the Pittsburgh Pirates
, Gullett not only pitched a complete game victory, he also helped himself out by hitting a single, a home run, and collecting 3 RBI.
Gullett was also sometimes used as a pinch runner by the Reds.
After sitting out the and seasons due to extensive shoulder and rotator cuff problems, Gullett was released by the Yankees in late 1980.
In , he rejoined the Reds as pitching coach, a post he held until being ousted mid-season in .
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
from 1970 to 1978. He also served as pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds from 1993 to 2005.
High school
Gullett attended McKell High School in South Shore, KentuckySouth Shore, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,226 people, 539 households, and 335 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,916.9 people per square mile . There were 605 housing units at an average density of 945.9 per square mile...
where he was an outstanding three sports athlete in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. As a high school pitcher, he once tossed a perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
- including striking out 20 of the 21 hitters he faced. Gullett excelled as a high school football player as well once scoring 72 points in a single game. He ran for 11 touchdowns and kicked 6 extra points. Don was named all state in three sports his senior year (baseball, football, basketball). Gullett's legacy is remembered in a memorial on the courthouse lawn in Greenup County, Kentucky
Greenup County, Kentucky
Greenup County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1804. As of 2000, the population was 36,891. Its county seat is Greenup. The county is named in honor of Christopher Greenup....
that declares that "This is Don Gullett Country."
Pro career
The Reds selected Don Gullett in the first round of the amateur draft, and he made his big league debut on April 10, 1970.Gullett played for the Reds from through the season. In November of that year, as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, he signed with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. He enjoyed a successful 14-4 season with the Yankees in , but shoulder problems in signalled the end of his career.
During a relatively brief nine year career, Gullett accumulated 109 wins and posted an impressive 3.11 Earned Run Average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA). Playing for only nine seasons, Gullett was a member of six World Series teams (1970, 72, 75, 76, 77, 78), including four consecutive World Champions ('75 and '76 Reds, and '77 and '78 Yankees).
At the plate, Don Gullett posted a respectable (for a pitcher) career batting average of .194. For example, in a 1975 National League Championship Series
1975 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1975 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Reds cuffed four Pirate hurlers for 11 hits in the opener, breezing to an 8–3 triumph...
game against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, Gullett not only pitched a complete game victory, he also helped himself out by hitting a single, a home run, and collecting 3 RBI.
Gullett was also sometimes used as a pinch runner by the Reds.
After sitting out the and seasons due to extensive shoulder and rotator cuff problems, Gullett was released by the Yankees in late 1980.
In , he rejoined the Reds as pitching coach, a post he held until being ousted mid-season in .