Gary Gentry

From BR Bullpen

Gary Edward Gentry

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 0", Weight 183 lb.
School Phoenix College, Arizona State University
Debut April 10, 1969
Final Game May 6, 1975
Born October 6, 1946 in Phoenix, AZ USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Gary Gentry was a rookie pitcher on the 1969 Miracle Mets. His career spanned seven years, but an arm injury kept him from having more than four relatively full seasons.

He attended Arizona State University in 1967 (Larry Gura was also there in 1967, and Reggie Jackson had been there the previous year). Gentry was drafted several times before being selected by the New York Mets in the 3rd round in 1967. In Williamsport in the Eastern League in 1967, he had an ERA of 1.59. In Jacksonville of the International League in 1968, he had a record of 12-4 with an ERA of 2.91. That set the stage for him to be in the majors all of 1969.

Other than Don Cardwell, the Mets starting staff was quite young: Gentry was 22, Tom Seaver was 24, Jerry Koosman was 26, Jim McAndrew was 25, and Nolan Ryan, who had 10 starts, was 22 (Ryan had been up twice before, though).

Gentry pitched Game 3 of the 1969 World Series at Shea Stadium, going 6 2/3 innings without giving up a run. In relief, Ryan pitched the remaining 2 1/3 innings, also scoreless. The two beat opposing pitcher Jim Palmer 5-0, with Gentry picking up the win and Ryan a save. The Baltimore Orioles heart of the order consisted of Frank Robinson, Boog Powell, and Brooks Robinson. The Orioles had won 109 games that year. The Series ended after 5 games, but if it had gone to a 6th game, it would have been Gentry's to pitch.

In each of his first three seasons, Gentry's ERA's were a bit better than the league ERA. He went 13-12 his first season, 9-9 his second, and then 12-11 in 1971.

His ERA was not so good in 1972, when he went 7-10, but the next year he was able to post a 3.43 ERA with the Atlanta Braves, even though his record was only 4-6. Bothered by arm problems, he was only able to appear in 10 more games, in 1974 and 1975.

One of the most similar players to Gentry, based on the similarity scores method, is Don Schwall, a player who also burst onto the scene as a rookie, had a few good years, and then came to a close with the Atlanta Braves.