| Welcome to the Southwest
Chemical Association
Larry Dierker: Biography of #49
Larry Dierker’s name has been associated with Major League Baseball in Houston almost since the inception of the club. A Los Angeles native, who was an All League Baseball and Basketball star at Taft High School in California, he was courted by 17 other big league clubs before signing with the Houston Colt .45’s in June of 1964. He made his major league debut in Colt Stadium on his 18th birthday (September 22, 1964) and struck out sluggers Willie Mays and Jim Hart in his first inning.
His 14-year pitching career saw him become Houston’s first 20-game winner in 1969, the same year he pitched a club record 20 complete games. Larry was named to the National League All-Star team for the 1969 game in RFK Stadium in Washington, and the 1971 game at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. He tossed the fifth no-hitter in franchise history on July 9, 1976 in the Astrodome against Montreal. In 1999, Dierker was selected as one of the five starting pitchers on the franchise’s All-Astrodome Team.
After completing his career on the field in 1977, Dierker went to work in the front office, directing the Group and Season Sales Department. In 1979 he moved into the broadcast booth becoming the club’s principal color analyst on radio and television, in addition to making several network television appearances through 1996.
On October 4, 1996, the Astros made a bold and surprising move by naming one of the franchises most storied pitchers as the club’s 12th field manager to begin the 1997 season.
In his five seasons as manager of the Houston Astros, Larry guided his teams to four National League Central Division titles, with a combined record of 448-362, and placing him 2nd on Houston’s all-time managerial list, behind Bill Virdon. To add to his resume, Larry reached managerial win number 200 in his 347th game, faster than any of the other six managers who won that number of games during their tenure as Houston’s skipper.
In 1998, Larry Dierker was named Manager of the Year, by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). In 1999, he became only the fourth manager in Major League history to finish in first place in each of his first three seasons.
On May 19, 2002, the Houston Astros honored Larry’s tenure with the organization, by retiring his uniform #49 from active status. It hangs at the ballpark with the other Astros greats.
Larry and his wife Judy reside in Houston and have three children: daughters Ashley and Julia, and son Ryan.
|
