Larry Dierker, a legendary figure for the Houston Astros, achieved 574 wins as both a player and manager. His number 49 is retired, and he reflects on key moments from his career, including striking out Willie Mays and throwing a no-hitter in 1976.
Key points
Larry Dierker achieved 574 wins as a player and manager.
His number 49 is retired by the Houston Astros.
He struck out Willie Mays in his first start.
Dierker threw a no-hitter in July 1976.
He reflected on the 1998 Astros team as his best managed.
Mentioned in this story
Larry DierkerWillie MaysRandy Johnson
Houston AstrosAtlanta BravesNew York Yankees
6 Oct 1999: Head coach Larry Dierker #49 of the Houston Astros meets with his players on the mound during the National League Division Series game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves defeated the Astros 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport | Getty Images
6 Oct 1999: Head coach Larry Dierker #49 of the Houston Astros meets with his players on the mound during the National League Division Series game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves defeated the Astros 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport | Getty Images
Larry Dierker as a player and manager guided the Astros franchise to a combined 574 wins. His number 49 is rightfully retired, and he joins us as our Legends Series continues with our sixth entry.
**Letâs start at the beginning. You struck out Willie Mays in your first ever start. Incredible. What do you most remember about that?**
*I was in Cocoa Florida, and I had been averaging almost two strike outs per inning because the general manager Paul Richards taught me how to throw a sinker and a slider which I didnât know how to throw. If all you have is a fastball, youâre not going to last very long.*
*I was confident, but they didnât exactly put me out there against an easy team, they had Harvey Kuenn, McCovey, Cepeda and of course, Willie. I had one strike in the count, and I threw him a change up, and he hit it about 450 feet, but it went 10-foot foul, and that was strike two. So, then I threw him a slider that started inside, and the ball broke over the inside corner. Itâs now called a backdoor slider of course, and I kind of threw it by accident and it really worked.*
**Itâs coming up on 50 years since you threw your no-hitter in July of 1976. Did you know you had it going that day?**
*I was at the end of my career. We were way out of the race. They had brought up a bunch of younger guys, so it was clear that the team was looking to rebuild.*
*On that day, I decided to just mix it up, and not try to impress anyone that I still knew how to throw. I was cruising along and then once it got into the 8th inning, I decided that I was just going to throw fast balls because we had a 6-0 lead in the dome, and I didnât have to give in to anybody.*
*My fastball was awesome that day. In 1969, I had a possible no-hitter in Atlanta with two outs when Felix Millan got an infield hit. I wasnât going to let that happen again, so Iâm in the dome, thereâs these fences to protect me, my ball had pop on it.*
*It was kind of like the game when Lance McCullers threw the Yankees 23 straight curve balls. I just kept throwing fastballs and they couldnât hit them, and I had a no hitter.*
**I often wonder about what wouldâve happened if you had gotten to the series and faced the in 1998. How good was that Astros team in 1998?**
*The Padres were a really good team. Give them credit. Kevin Brown outpitched Randy.  Remember, Bob Gibson one year had an ERA of 1.12 and lost a game to me. If your team doesnât score any runs, you canât win.*
*Iâm not sure if that was the best team that the Astros ever had in their history, but it was the best team I personally ever had as a manager. When we got Randy and he went 10-1 that summer, he was just overpowering, and the months of August and September were so exciting. I really thought we were going to the World Series.*
**Do you have any innings left in that arm of yours? The Astros staff has been compromised to say the least.**
*I think the problem with the Astros pitchers and pitchers all throughout baseball is not necessarily the pitchers themselves or the coaches, itâs the doctors.*
*If a guy has a little thing in his shoulder, theyâll poke around and find something. In my day, we put hot patches on it, took some painkillers, and went out there. All they could do back then was take X-rays and that only showed inflammation or tendons or anything else.*
*We couldnât afford not to pitch because everyone mostly had one-year contracts and you were only paid the next season based upon what you did the season before. Guys didnât want to miss a start.*
*You look at some of those guys in the Hall Of Fame who threw 4000 or 5000 innings, are you going to tell me that those guys didnât have tweaks in their arms, that things didnât hurt? I took so many cortisone shots, sometimes even from the opposing team doctors from the other club. I was always focused on the next start. Thatâs just the way it was back then.*
Q&A
What achievements did Larry Dierker have with the Houston Astros?
Larry Dierker guided the Astros to a combined 574 wins as a player and manager, and his number 49 is retired by the franchise.
What was Larry Dierker's experience during his no-hitter in 1976?
During his no-hitter in July 1976, Dierker decided to throw fastballs in the eighth inning, leading to a successful performance with a 6-0 lead.
How did Larry Dierker feel about the 1998 Astros team?
Dierker considered the 1998 Astros team the best he personally managed, noting their exciting performance and strong pitching from Randy Johnson.
What does Larry Dierker think about modern pitching injuries?
Dierker believes that modern pitchers are overly scrutinized by doctors, contrasting it with his era when players often pitched through injuries.
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