Dead Billy Pierce, American baseball player (Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants), gallbladder cancer, Dies at 88
Walter William Pierce (April 2, 1927 – July 31, 2015) was a American Major League Baseball (MLB) starting pitcher who played 18 years for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and San Francisco Giants, from 1945 through 1964. He was selected to the Chicago White Sox All-Century Team in 2000.
Pierce was an All-Star for seven seasons. He was considered to be one of the best pitchers in the 1950s, and was the American League (AL) ERA leader in 1955. On June 27, 1958, Pierce came within one batter of becoming the first left-handed pitcher in 78 years to throw a perfect game.
In 1962, Pierce played a pivotal role in helping the Giants win the National League pennant championship, going 12–0 in home games and getting a three-hit shutout and a save in a three-game tie-breaker against the Los Angeles Dodgers to clinch the title.
He received the The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award (AL) for 1956 and 1957.Pierce was one of the major participants in the rivalry between the New York Yankees and White Sox, especially his left-handed pitching matchups with Yankee left handed starting pitcher Whitey Ford.
The two pitchers opposed one another 14 times, from 1955 to 1960.
Pierce’s record suffered from pitching so much against New York – who he faced more often than any other team – when the Yankees dynasty was at its peak; although his career record against New York was only 25–37, that was still slightly better than the 27–41 mark compiled by National League (NL) championship teams over 11 World Series against the Yankees during the same period.