Larry Demery

Lawrence Calvin Demery (June 4, 1953 – February 20, 2024) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of four seasons in the majors, from 1974 until 1977, for the Pittsburgh Pirates.[1]

Larry Demery
Pitcher
Born: (1953-06-04)June 4, 1953
Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Died: February 20, 2024(2024-02-20) (aged 67)
Bakersfield
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 2, 1974, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Last MLB appearance
September 24, 1977, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Win–loss record29–23
Earned run average3.72
Strikeouts217
Teams

Early life and career

A native of Bakersfield, California, Demery was the son of fellow major leaguer Art Demery.[2] He played baseball at Wasco High School and later at Locke High School in Los Angeles, where he threw two no-hitters.[3] Demery attended Los Angeles City College, where he played college baseball.

Professional career

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Demery in the seventh round of the 1972 MLB draft.[4] He began his professional career that year with the Gastonia Pirates and walked more batters than any other pitcher in the Western Carolinas League.[5][6] He spent most of the following season in the Carolina League, which he led with fourteen complete games.[5][7]

Demery made his major league debut on June 2, 1974, against the Cincinnati Reds.[1] He entered in relief of Bruce Kison at Riverfront Stadium and struck out four of the six batters he faced without allowing a run.[8] He played for the Pirates until 1977.

Later life and death

As of December 2008, Demery lived in Bakersfield, California.[9] He died on February 20, 2024, at the age of 70.[10]

Demery appeared in the 2014 film No No: A Dockumentary.[11]

References
  1. "Larry Demery Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  2. Toni DeRosa (February 27, 2020). "Remembering a legend in Wasco baseball". wascotrib.com. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  3. "Larry Demery". kcsportshalloffame.org. The Bob Elias Kern County Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  4. "7th Round of the 1972 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  5. "Larry Demery Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  6. "1972 Western Carolinas League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  7. "1973 Carolina League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  8. "Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds Box Score, June 2, 1974". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  9. Elliott, Helene (December 21, 2008). "Dock Ellis, former major league pitcher who counseled drug addicts, dies at 63". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  10. Former Pirates Pitcher Larry Demery Dies at 70
  11. Gold, Daniel M. (September 4, 2014). "A Lightning Rod in a Game With Bats". The New York Times. Retrieved June 4, 2021.


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