Len Barker
| Len Barker | |||
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| Pitcher | |||
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Born: July 7, 1955 Fort Knox, Kentucky |
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| MLB debut | |||
| September 14, 1976, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 26, 1987, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 74–76 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.34 | ||
| Strikeouts | 975 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Leonard Harold Barker III (born July 7, 1955) better known as Lenny Barker or Len Barker, is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He pitched the tenth perfect game in baseball history. Barker pitched for the Texas Rangers (1976–78), Cleveland Indians (1979–83), Atlanta Braves (1983–85) and Milwaukee Brewers (1987). During an 11-year baseball career, Barker compiled 74 wins, 975 strikeouts, and a 4.34 earned run average.
Barker was a hard thrower, who early in his career struggled with his control. On April 16, 1978, at Fenway Park, Barker (then with the Texas Rangers) threw a pitch that sailed upward onto the screen above and behind the backstop. Partly due to this, he didn't make the majors for good until 1979.
Barker's best season statistically was 1980, when he enjoyed career-highs in wins (19) and strikeouts (181, best in the American League).
Barker's most notable accomplishment occurred on May 15, 1981 as a member of the Cleveland Indians. On a cold, damp night in Cleveland, Barker pitched the tenth official perfect game in baseball history, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays, 3–0 (the game was originally reported as the ninth perfect game in major league baseball history until the league later changed the criteria for recognizing a perfect game). The final out of the game was a fly ball caught by Rick Manning in short center field. Barker's pitching was so consistent that he never once reached ball three against any Blue Jay hitter.
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