Lefty Gomez
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Left • Throws: Left
6-2, 173lb (188cm, 78kg)
Born: November 26, 1908 in Rodeo, CA
Died: February 17, 1989 in Greenbrae, CA
Buried: Mount Tamalpais Cemetery, San Rafael, CA
High School: Richmond HS (San Francisco, CA)
Debut: April 29, 1930 (6,068th in MLB history)
vs. WSH 4.0 IP, 4 H, 0 SO, 2 BB, 2 ER, L
Last Game: May 30, 1943
vs. CHW 4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 SO, 5 BB, 3 ER, L
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1972. (Voted by Veteran’s Committee)
View Lefty Gomez’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Lefty Gomez Baseball Reference
Full Name: Vernon Louis Gomez
Nicknames: Goofy
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1930
Luke Appling
Joe Kuhel
Pinky Higgins
Ben Chapman
Hank Greenberg
Lon Warneke
Tommy Bridges
Lefty Gomez
Dizzy Dean
All-Time Teammate Team
Coming Soon
Notable Events and Chronology for Lefty Gomez Career
Intro
Years before Joe DiMaggio was signed by the Yankees out of San Francisco, the Bay Area produced Vernon Louis Gomez, a talented and colorful left-handed hurler. “Lefty” starred for the Yankees during the 1930s and early 1940s, teaming with Red Ruffing to form one of the best pitching duos in baseball history. Gomez posted a 6-0 record in the Fall Classic, winning five rings with the Yankees. Originally a hard thrower, Gomez suffered arm injuries in 1933, 1936 and 1939, eventually re-tooling himself as a finesse pitcher. He enjoyed a 165-89 record for the Yankees for the decade of the 1930s, finishing in the top ten in MVP voting three times.
“No one hit home runs the way Babe did. They were something special. They were like homing pigeons. The ball would leave the bat, pause briefly, suddenly gain its bearings, then take off for the stands.” – Lefty Gomez
Biography:
Remembered mainly for his colorful personality, Lefty Gomez was also one of baseball’s greatest winners, ranking third in Yankee history in regular-season wins with 189. His 6-0 World Series record gave him the most wins without a loss in World Series history. His three victories in All-Star Game competition (against one loss) also are a record.
Gomez’s zaniness set him apart from the decorous Yankees of the 1930s. He once held up a World Series game, exasperating manager Joe McCarthy (as he did with some frequency), to watch an airplane pass by. Gomez got away with needling his buddy, Joe DiMaggio, because DiMaggio, like everyone else, enjoyed the Gomez wit, which produced such statements as: “I’ve got a new invention. It’s a revolving bowl for tired goldfish.”
The Yankees purchased Gomez from his hometown San Francisco Seals in 1929 for $35,000. Two years later he won 21 games for them. His smoking fastball belied his slender frame. He was a nail, with a whiplash arm and a high leg kick.
Gomez and righthander Red Ruffing formed the lefty-righty pitching core for the great New York teams of the 1930s. In 1934 he led the league in seven major categories, including wins (26), ERA (2.33), and strikeouts (158), the pitching equivalent of the Triple Crown. He led the league again in the top three pitching categories in 1937.
Arm miseries hounded him throughout his career. As his fastball lost its effectiveness, Gomez moved from power pitcher to finesse pitcher. “I’m throwing as hard as I ever did,” he quipped, “the ball’s just not getting there as fast.” Gomez fooled hitters and made a beautiful, slow curve work for him. He had a great comeback in 1941 (15-5) after a 3-3 mark in 1940, leading the league in winning percentage (.750).
Gomez threw a shutout in 1941 while issuing 11 walks, the most walks ever allowed in a shutout. And though a notoriously poor hitter, he produced the first RBI in All-Star history and singled home the winning run in the 1937 World Series clincher.
After pitching one game for Washington (he lost) in 1943, Gomez retired, later to hook up with the Wilson sporting goods company as a goodwill ambassador. He was asked on joining Wilson why he had left his last position. Gomez, who never took himself seriously, responded that he left because he couldn’t “get the side out.”
“No one hit home runs the way Babe (Ruth) did. They were something special. They were like homing pigeons. The ball would leave the bat, pause briefly, suddenly gain its bearings, then take off for the stands.”
Gomez Quotes:
I was the worst hitter ever. I never even broke a bat until last year when I was backing out of the garage.
I’d rather be lucky than good.
I’m the guy that made Joe DiMaggio famous.
I’ve got a new invention. It’s a revolving bowl for tired goldfish.
If you don’t throw it, they can’t hit it.
No one hit home runs the way Babe did. They were something special. They were like homing pigeons. The ball would leave the bat, pause briefly, suddenly gain its bearings, then take off for the stands.
The secret of my success was clean living and a fast outfield.
Quotes About Gomez:
“4-time 20-game winner with NY Yankees; holds World Series record for most wins (6) without a defeat; pitched on 5 world championship clubs in 1930s.” – InfoPlease
“Gomez’s zaniness set him apart from the decorous Yankees of the 1930s. He once held up a World Series game, exasperating manager Joe McCarthy (as he did with some frequency), to watch an airplane pass by.” – Writer Mark Gomez
“It is hard to judge whether Vernon Gomez is better known as the fire-throwing left-hander of the successful Yankees teams of the 1930s, or as the man that made clowning around the diamond famous. ‘El Goofo’ as he was called in his native tongue, pitched his way into five World Series. He set a record in World Series competition by recording six consecutive victories without a loss. Over his 14-year career, he won 20 games four times, led the league in wins twice, and won the American League strikeout title three times. In 1972, Lefty joined many of his teammates from the Yankees in baseball’s Hall of Fame.” – Estate of Lefty Gomez (2003)
Factoids, Quotes, Milestones and Odd Facts
Coming soon
Other Resources & Links
Coming Soon
If you would like to add a link or add information for player pages, please contact us here.
