Larry Gura

An All-American at Arizona State, in 1968 Gura pitched two no-hitters in the National Baseball Congress tournament. Drafted by the Cubs, he saw limited ML duty from 1970 to 1973 and was then dealt to Texas and sold to the Yankees. In New York, Gura posted a 12-9 record over two seasons, but new manager Billy Martin didn’t like him and sent him to the Royals for catcher Fran Healy. Healy played only 74 games for the Yankees, while Gura blossomed as a crafty starter with the Royals, going 88-49 from 1976 through 1982. He was the Royals’ Pitcher of the Year in 1978 (16-4, 2.72), won 18 in both 1980 and 1982, and was on four Royals division winners. The fine-fielding Gura went through both 1980 and 1981 without an error. He was known as a fitness fanatic who pursued a strict diet and conditioning regimen. In 1983 he slumped to a league-leading 18 losses. Gura finished where he had started, pitching briefly with the Cubs in 1985.