Rod Scurry

Former MLB player (Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners)

What is Rod Scurry known for?

Rodney Grant Scurry, born on March 17, 1956 in Sacramento, California, was a prominent American professional baseball pitcher. Following a distinguished high school career at Hug High School in Reno, Nevada, Scurry was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the eleventh overall pick in the 1974 Major League Baseball Draft. He spent six seasons in the Pirates' farm system before his major league debut on April 17, 1980.

Primarily known as a relief pitcher, Scurry played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1980 to 1985, after which he had short stints with the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners. Throughout his career, he showcased remarkable skill on the field, culminating in a win-loss record of 19-32, an earned run average of 3.24, and a total of 431 strikeouts.

Scurry's career took a turn when he was notably linked to the Pittsburgh drug trials that rocked baseball in the mid-1980s. Struggling with personal issues, he admitted to purchasing cocaine on numerous occasions during the 1982 and 1983 seasons. His life after baseball was cut tragically short when he passed away on November 5, 1992, from a cocaine-induced heart attack in Reno, Nevada.

Scurry's legacy in the sporting world survived him. His son, Rod, Jr., followed in his footsteps, forging a career in baseball as a pitcher in the Colorado Rockies organization.

Despite facing personal challenges, Rod Scurry's contributions to Major League Baseball and his memorable performances for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, and Seattle Mariners will always be remembered by baseball enthusiasts.

For more details, check out his full career statistics at Baseball-Reference and learn more about his life and career on his Biography page.