Ralph Terry

Ralph Terry was raised in Oklahoma and studied at Missouri State University and the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

In 1953, he signed a professional contract with the New York Yankees and began his career in Independence (KS) in the Ban Johnson League.

In 1956, Terry made his debut with the Yankees and was traded to the Kansas City Athletics the following season.  He returned to the Yankees in 1959.  

In 1960 he was 10-8 with a 3.39 earned run average and pitched in the first of his five World Series, allowing one of the most famous home runs in MLB history.  Pittsburgh’s Bill Mazeroski hit Terry’s pitch to end Game 7 and give the Pirates the series win.

In 1961, Terry was 16-3, then he led the American League in wins in 1962, going 23-12.  In the 1962 World Series, he won two games as the Yankees defeated San Francisco.  Terry was named World Series MVP. 

The next year, Terry was 17–15 with a 3.22 ERA in 37 games.  In 1964, he won seven games and was traded to Cleveland where he won 11 games in 1965.  Just prior to the 1966 season, Terry was traded to Kansas City.  Later that year, went to the New York Mets.  He pitched briefly for the Mets in 1967 before choosing to retire.

For his career, Terry won 107 games in twelve seasons.

Following retirement, Terry lived in Larned, where he owned an insurance business.  He also became a professional golfer and served as pro at the Larned Country Club.  In 1986, he played on the Senior PGA Tour, finishing as high as tenth.

Terry died in 2022 at the age of 86.

For more, read Ralph Terry’s Society for American Baseball Research bio.