Larry Dierker, Houston Astros pitcher and manager
Lawrence Edward Dierker was born September 22, 1946 in Hollywood, California. Larry was a four year letterman for his high school baseball team, and upon graduation from Taft High was drafted by the youngest team in the National League, the Houston Colt .45's. He made his major league debut on his 18th birthday in front of the hometown fans, a game he lost 3-1.
Over the next 12 years, Larry became the dominant ace of the redubbed Houston Astros staff. He won 10 games or more for the team every year from 1966 to 1976, except for 1967, when he was drafted and served in the military, and 1973, which he spent recovering from shoulder surgery. He was known for being a variety pitcher, as likely to throw a curveball as a fastball as a changeup on any pitch. In 1969 he had a breakout year, becoming the first Astros pitcher in franchise history to win 20 games while striking out 232 batters and accumulating a dazzling 2.33 ERA.
Although Dierker was a consisently excellent pitcher for the 'Stros, the team never could put together the right amount of talent and tools to win a pennant. It was no small consolation that Larry threw a no-hitter on July 9, 1976, after 3 one-hitters and a no-hitter blown in the 9th inning in his career. Larry declared it "indescribable" and stayed up celebrating until 5 A.M. the next day.
In 1977, Larry was shipped to the St. Louis Cardinals for some younger talent. He had a mixed season in a supporting role with the Cardinals, and was released in 1978. In 1980 he was picked up to provide color commentary for Astros radio, and the following year he joined the Astros' TV staff. He spent 19 years in the booth, announcing games and wearing his trademark Hawaiian shirts for postgame interviews.
In 1997, after the firing of Terry Collins, Astros owner Drayton McLane offered the managerial post to Dierker, who had never managed in professional baseball. Although there were a lot of question marks about Dierker's ability, they were laid to rest in his first season when he led the Astros to their first pennant in nearly 10 years.
The Astros would capture the National League Central pennant three more times, in 1998, 1999, and 2001. Dierker's success at the helm was never more clearer than on June 13, 1999 when, while sitting in the dugout, Dierker suffered a grand mal seizure. He was rushed to the hospital, where emergency surgery was performed to remove two knotted tumors from his brain. One month later he returned to the dugout - and was greeted by an Astrodome full of fans wearing Hawaiian shirts, in honor of their favorite pitcher and manager.
In 2001, Larry stepped down as manager of the Astros, citing personal reasons and his inability to win the World Series. In 2002, the Astros retired his number 49 jersey for all time, a fitting symbol to one of the most beloved figures in Houston sports history.
Career Statistics
Pitching:
YEAR TEAM W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1964 HOU NL 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 9.0 7 4 2 1 3 5 2.00
1965 HOU NL 7 8 26 19 1 0 0 146.7 135 69 57 16 37 109 3.50
1966 HOU NL 10 8 29 28 8 2 0 187.0 173 73 66 17 45 108 3.18
1967 HOU NL 6 5 15 15 4 0 0 99.0 95 44 37 4 25 68 3.36
1968 HOU NL 12 15 32 32 10 1 0 233.7 206 95 86 14 89 161 3.31
1969 HOU NL 20 13 39 37 20 4 0 305.3 240 97 79 18 72 232 2.33
1970 HOU NL 16 12 37 36 17 2 1 269.7 263 124 116 31 82 191 3.87
1971 HOU NL 12 6 24 23 6 2 0 159.0 150 50 48 8 33 91 2.72
1972 HOU NL 15 8 31 31 12 5 0 214.7 209 87 81 14 51 115 3.40
1973 HOU NL 1 1 14 3 0 0 0 27.0 27 14 13 3 13 18 4.33
1974 HOU NL 11 10 33 33 7 3 0 223.7 189 76 72 18 82 150 2.90
1975 HOU NL 14 16 34 34 14 2 0 232.0 225 109 103 24 91 127 4.00
1976 HOU NL 13 14 28 28 7 4 0 187.7 171 85 77 9 72 112 3.69
1977 STL NL 2 6 11 9 0 0 0 39.3 40 21 20 7 16 6 4.58
CAREER 139 123 356 329 106 25 1 2333.7 2130 948 857 184 711 1493 3.31
Managing:
YEAR TEAM G W L PCT FINISH
1997 HOU NL 162 84 78 .519 1
1998 HOU NL 162 102 60 .630 1
1999 HOU NL 162 97 65 .599 1
2000 HOU NL 162 72 90 .444 4
2001 HOU NL 162 93 69 .574 1
CAREER 810 448 362 .553