Richard William Tidrow was a Major League Baseball player for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and New York Mets from 1972 to 1984. He was primarily known as a setup man, or pitcher before the closer; however, on occasion he would also start games. His best seasons were with the Yankees when he helped the team to two World Series championships in 1977 and 1978. He was traded the following season to the Cubs for Ray Burris. He acquired his nickname, "Dirt", while playing for the Yankees, for his somewhat unkempt appearance and his tendency to get his uniform shirt dirty even before the start of a game. His high kick and sidearm delivery anticipated the style of Dennis Eckersley. He is currently the scouting director for the San Francisco Giants, overseeing a farm system that has produced several top pitching talents, including Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, and Madison Bumgarner. [More at Wikipedia]

May 14th, 1947 in San Francisco  /  Died:   Jul 10th, 2021