Larry Demery
American baseball player (1953–2024)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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: June 4, 1953 Bakersfield, California, U.S. | |
| Died: February 20, 2024 (aged 70) Bakersfield, California, U.S. | |
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 record | 29–23 |
| Earned run average | 3.72 |
| Strikeouts | 217 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| 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[update], 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]