Three-time World Series winning pitcher Don Gullett died Wednesday at the age of 73, the Reds announced.
The former Yankees and Cincinnati hurler’s cause of death was not disclosed.
Following the left-hander’s death, Cincinnati released a statement remembering his contributions to the club.
“Don dedicated 24 years to this franchise as a player, coach and minor league instructor,” Reds CEO Bob Castellini said in a statement. “He was the anchor of the pitching staff of one of the greatest baseball teams in history, and his contributions to our rich tradition, our city and its community will never be forgotten.”
A first-round pick of the Reds in 1969 out of McKell High School (Kentucky), Garrett made his major league debut a year later, posting a 2.43 ERA in his first 77 2/3 innings as a 19-year-old.
The southpaw followed that up with an impressive sophomore season, going 16-6 with a 2.65 ERA and leading the National League with a winning percentage of .727.
He earned Cy Young Award voting twice and finished as high as fifth in 1975, when the Reds won the first of two consecutive World Series titles.
Garrett signed with the Yankees as a free agent before the 1977 season and led the American League in winning percentage (.778) that year with a 14-4 record as the Yankees won their third straight World Series. It was part of.
The next season, he pitched for the Yankees, but a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder kept him out of the World Series squad as the Bronx Bombers won their second consecutive trophy.
A shoulder injury ended his major league career at age 27.
Following his playing career, Garrett served as a coach in the Reds organization from 1990 to 2005.
He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2002.
