Gaylord Perry was born in Williamston, North Carolina, and was given that name in honor of a close friend of his father who had passed away during the extraction of some teeth. Gaylord was the son of farmers Evan and Ruby Perry.
Evan Perry was a well-known sportsperson. Gaylord was raised in Williamston and the small community of Farmlife, a settlement situated within the Township of Griffins, a minor division of Martin County, along with his older brother Jim Perry and younger sister Carolyn.
Gaylord helped his father cultivate the land owned by their family in this region. When they were young, Jim and Gaylord both started playing baseball on the farm during their lunch break with their father. Later, all three of them would play on the same neighborhood semi-pro team.
Pitcher Bob Shaw allegedly taught Perry how to throw a spitball in 1964. Throughout his career, Perry was scrutinized on the mound by umpires and kept under close watch by rival teams due to his reputation for doctoring baseballs. He only ever doctored the ball once, on August 23, 1982, when he was ejected from a game against the Boston Red Sox and given a 10-day suspension. According to reports, Perry contacted Vaseline’s creators about endorsing the product but was rejected with a one-line postcard that read, “We soothe babies’ backsides, not baseballs.” He should be in the Hall of Fame with a tube of K-Y Jelly attached to his plaque, as former manager Gene Mauch famously remarked.
Who is Gaylord Perry’s daughter Allison Perry?
Allison Perry is the daughter of Gaylord Perry, but little is known about her.
