Ron Guidry, Ex-Yankees Ace, To Appear At Yogi Berra Museum

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Former New York Yankees star pitcher Ron Guidry will appear at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center to discuss and sign copies of his new book, “Gator: My Life in Pinstripes” on April 3.

The book, published March 20, is a lively account of Guidry’s years playing for one of the most storied and celebrated teams in sports history. Doors open at 5 p.m. There will be a Q&A for the first 75 guests starting at 6 p.m., followed by open signing until 7:30 p.m. The fee is $30 per signed book. To reserve a copy, call the museum at 973-655-2378.

Ron Guidry, known as “Gator” and “Louisiana Lightning” to his teammates, quickly rose in 1977 to become the ace of the Yankees' stellar pitching staff, helping the world champions during their heyday in the Bronx Zoo years, with manic manager Billy Martin, headline-loving owner George Steinbrenner, and an ego-driven all-star cast that included everyone from slugger Reggie Jackson and All Star catcher Thurman Munson, to Cy Young Award winners Sparky Lyle and Catfish Hunter. In 1978, Guidry went 25-3 with a 1.74 ERA and won the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in baseball, helping to bring home the Yankees' second straight World Series championship. A four-time All Star and five-time Golden Glove winner, he played from 1976 to 1988, served as the Yankees' captain in the 1980s, and remains one of the greatest pitchers in Yankee history. In Gator, Guidry takes us inside the clubhouse to describe what it was like to play amidst the almost daily confrontations between Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner, and Martin's altercations with star slugger Reggie "the straw that stirs the drink" Jackson. He writes poignantly about the death of Thurman Munson in 1979, and the impact that had on him personally, and on the club. He tells stories about players like Lou Pinella, Willie Randolph, Bucky Dent, Catfish Hunter, Mickey Rivers, Elston Howard and coach Yogi Berra -- who in 1984 became the Yankees' manager.

The relationship between Guidry and Yogi grew especially close; the two were virtually inseparable throughout years of Yankees’ spring training sessions later in Berra’s life. Since Yogi’s passing in 2015, Guidry has remained deeply involved in the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, serving as co-chair of the Museum’s annual Celebrity Golf Outing, and receiving the Yogi Berra Museum’s Inaugural Best Teammate Award in 2017.

For additional information about the museum, visit www.yogiberramuseum.org or call 973-655-2378.

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