43 Facts About Billy Pierce

Walter William Pierce was an American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball between 1945 and 1964 who played most of his career for the Chicago White Sox.

Billy Pierce was the team's star pitcher in the decade from 1952 to 1961, when they posted the third best record in the major leagues, and received the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award for the American League in 1956 and 1957 after being runner-up in both 1953 and 1955.

Billy Pierce pitched four one-hitters and seven two-hitters in his career, and on June 27,1958 came within one batter of becoming the first left-hander in 78 years to throw a perfect game.

Billy Pierce was one of the principal figures in Chicago's fierce rivalry with the New York Yankees; particularly notable were his matchups with Whitey Ford, with the two left-handers opposing one another as starters 14 times from 1955 to 1960.

Billy Pierce holds the White Sox franchise record for career strikeouts, and his club marks of 186 wins, 2,931 innings and 390 starts are team records for a left-hander.

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Son of pharmacist Walter Pierce and his wife Julia, Billy Pierce grew up in Highland Park, Michigan, and showed his first interest in baseball at age ten.

Billy Pierce attended Highland Park Community High School where his teammates included future major league pitcher Ted Gray, and pitched six shutouts as a junior in 1944, earning the nickname "Mr Zero".

Billy Pierce was voted the game's outstanding player, winning a four-year scholarship to the college of his choice.

Billy Pierce made the Tigers team in spring training 1945 before finishing high school and without having played in the minor leagues, but sat on the bench before making his major league debut in June 1945, just a few weeks after his 18th birthday.

Billy Pierce made three relief appearances that month and two more in September after a two-month stint with the Buffalo Bisons of the International League under manager Bucky Harris, and was on the Detroit roster for the team's victory in the 1945 World Series although he did not appear in any games.

Billy Pierce had a remarkably unassuming presence; Paul Richards, then a catcher for the Tigers, later recalled occasionally going to his neighborhood drugstore.

Billy Pierce was sent back to Buffalo for the 1946 season, now with Gabby Hartnett as his manager, but missed most of the year with a back injury which was attributed to overwork.

On May 29,1949, in just his sixth start with Chicago, the 22-year-old Billy Pierce was matched against 42-year-old Negro league legend Satchel Paige in a road game against the defending World Series champion Cleveland Indians.

The pitchers' duel went into the 11th inning, when Billy Pierce walked leadoff hitter Ken Keltner, followed by two bunt singles.

Over 13 seasons with the White Sox, Billy Pierce was the ace of the pitching staff, leading the team in wins nine times and in strikeouts eight times.

Billy Pierce was Chicago's Opening Day starter seven times, and started the home opener in 1953 and 1961.

Billy Pierce had an outstanding fastball and an excellent curveball, and in 1951 added the slider as a third strong pitch, as well as a changeup.

Billy Pierce worked quickly with an over-the-top motion, dropping his back shoulder in a style similar to that later used by Sandy Koufax.

Billy Pierce flashed his curve-the Yankees always knew when he was throwing a curve.

Billy Pierce laughed at the change-of-pace and the slider, so most of the strong right-hand hitters were laying back for him, waiting for a fast ball down the middle.

Billy Pierce was chosen to start the All-Star Game for the AL – the first White Sox pitcher ever to do so – and allowed only one hit through three innings.

Billy Pierce probably threw harder than anybody for a guy his size, he had a real big delivery, nice to look at, and he had overcome a lot.

Billy Pierce was a nervous little guy, and here he was starting his first All-Star game in a bandbox park that's tough to pitch in, and against Robin Roberts to boot.

Pinch hitter Don Bollweg barely beat out a bunt single to first base, but Billy Pierce than recorded a putout on Gil McDougald's grounder to third base.

Billy Pierce then retook the mound, and after issuing a walk, gained the final two outs to finish the victory; the White Sox set an AL record by using five first basemen in the game.

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Billy Pierce ended the season with the league lead in ERA, with his mark of 1.

Billy Pierce became the first White Sox pitcher since 1941 to win 20 games, was second in the AL with a career-high 192 strikeouts, and was named AL Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News, outpolling Ford by a margin of 117 to 52; he finished fifth in voting for the AL Most Valuable Player Award.

In 1957 Billy Pierce became the first White Sox pitcher since Red Faber to earn 20 victories in consecutive seasons; he tied Jim Bunning for the league lead, and bested him in voting for AL Pitcher of the Year.

Billy Pierce then struck out Albie Pearson on three pitches to end the game; only twice did he go to a three-ball count.

Billy Pierce tied for the league lead in complete games each year from 1956 to 1958, and was again selected for the All-Star team each year from 1957 to 1959 and again in 1961, although he only appeared in the 1957 game in which he retired his first five batters before allowing three runs.

Billy Pierce was held back until Game 4, and relieved in each of the final three games of the Series, allowing only two hits and no runs in four innings of work.

Years later, Billy Pierce still recalled the game as being one of his most frustrating outings.

Indeed, Billy Pierce was seen to be the team's only consistently effective starter in 1960, picking up eight complete-game victories by mid-August.

On June 20,1961, Billy Pierce broke Ed Walsh's White Sox record of 1,732 career strikeouts.

Billy Pierce completed 193 of his 432 starts, including 38 shutouts, and had 32 saves among his 585 total games pitched.

Billy Pierce remains the last pitcher to lead the AL in complete games three years in a row.

Billy Pierce did not pursue a coaching career, even though a 1963 spring training poll of sportswriters had named him the top managerial prospect on the Giants.

Billy Pierce worked as a White Sox scout, discovering 1983 Rookie of the Year Ron Kittle.

Billy Pierce was named to the Sox Team of the Century in 2000, and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

On October 4,2005, Billy Pierce threw out the first pitch before Game 1 of the AL Division Series against the Red Sox, as the White Sox began the postseason which culminated in the 2005 World Series title – their first championship in 88 years.

Billy Pierce died in Palos Heights, Illinois on July 31,2015 at the age of 88 from gallbladder cancer.

Billy Pierce was a 33rd Degree Mason of Evergreen Park Lodge; his funeral was held at Evergreen Park Presbyterian Church, and he was entombed in Chapel Hill Gardens South Cemetery in Oak Lawn, Illinois.

Billy Pierce has been overlooked for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.