Don Gullett
A fireball left-hander whose electric arm powered two of baseball's greatest dynasties, the Reds and Yankees, to multiple World Series titles.
1951–2024 (age 73)·American baseball player·Birthday: January 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Don Gullett emerged from rural Kentucky with a fastball that seemed to arrive at the plate before the sound of the pitch left his hand. Signed by the Cincinnati Reds straight out of high school, he became the youngest player in the majors in 1970 and quickly matured into the ace of the fabled 'Big Red Machine.' His pitching, a blend of power and control, was the engine that drove the Reds to consecutive championships in 1975 and 1976. In a bold move, he joined the New York Yankees as a free agent, adding his arm to another championship roster and helping them secure titles in 1977 and 1978. His career, though shortened by shoulder injuries, was a masterclass in peak performance, leaving a legacy defined not by longevity but by the sheer dominance he brought to the mound for the sport's most formidable teams.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Don was born in 1951, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Don Was Born
The biggest hits of 1951
#1 Movie
Quo Vadis
Best Picture
An American in Paris
#1 TV Show
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
Don's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1951Born
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Started school
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1964Became a teenager
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Could drive
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1969Could vote
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Turned 21
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1981Turned 30
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 40
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 50
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 60
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 70
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2024Died at 73
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
Key Achievements
- Won four World Series championships, two each with the Cincinnati Reds (1975, 1976) and the New York Yankees (1977, 1978).
- Pitched a complete game victory in Game 1 of the 1975 World Series, setting the tone for the Reds' championship win.
- Posted a career .686 winning percentage (109-50), one of the highest in MLB history for pitchers with over 150 decisions.
- Was selected as an All-Star in 1974 after leading the National League with a .727 winning percentage.
Did You Know?
He was a standout high school basketball player in Kentucky, scoring over 40 points in a game and drawing interest from college programs.
Gullett was the first major free agent signing by the New York Yankees under George Steinbrenner's ownership.
He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2002.
“You don't think. You see the mitt, you let it go, and you trust your stuff.”
