| Rod Scurry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1956-03-17)March 17, 1956 Sacramento, California, U.S. | |
| Died: November 5, 1992(1992-11-05) (aged 36) Reno, Nevada, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 17, 1980, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 1988, for the Seattle Mariners | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 19–32 |
| Earned run average | 3.24 |
| Strikeouts | 431 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Rodney Grant Scurry (March 17, 1956 – November 5, 1992) was an American professional baseballpitcher. Scurry played for eight seasons and was the firstMajor League Baseball (MLB) player directly linked to thePittsburgh drug trials that doggedbaseball during the mid-1980s. In 1992, Scurry died of acocaine-induced heart attack.[1]
Scurry was born inSacramento, California and was drafted by thePittsburgh Pirates with the eleventh overall pick in the1974 Major League Baseball Draft. He spent six seasons in the Pirates' farm system, compiling a 37–51 record and 3.89earned run average, before making the major league club out ofSpring training1980.
Though he had been used primarily as astarter in the minors, Scurry spent most of his major-league career as arelief pitcher. The only exception was1981 when he was added to the Pirates' starting rotation. He won his first start on April 19, giving up fourhits and noearned runs in seveninnings pitched.[2]
From there, Scurry went 0–2 with a 5.79 ERA over his next four starts (the Pirates were 0–2 in his no-decisions), and he was returned to thebullpen. He made two more starts in August, winning one and losing one. For the season, he went 4–5 with a 3.77 ERA and sevensaves. In1982, he appeared in 76 games for the Pirates and went 4–5 with a 1.74 ERA and fourteen saves.
On September 14, 1985, his contract was sold to theNew York Yankees.
During his time with the Yankees, Scurry went 2–2 with a 3.46 ERA in 36 appearances over a season plus with the team. He was released shortly before the1987 season. He signed with theSan Francisco Giants in June and spent the entire season with their triple-A affiliate.
During Spring training1988, the Giants dealt Scurry to theSeattle Mariners for a player to be named later. After starting the season in the minors, he joined the team in May and went 0–2 with a 4.02 ERA and two saves. The Mariners released Scurry on December 21, 1988. A day later, he was arrested for buyingcrack cocaine at aReno, Nevadacrack house.[3]
On October 29, 1992, responding to a call from a neighbor, theWashoe County, Nevada Sheriff's Department found Scurry outside his home complaining thatsnakes were in his home, crawling on him and biting him. He became violent and stopped breathing when deputies attempted to put handcuffs and leg restraints on him. He was taken to Washoe Medical Center and remained on life-support systems until his death a week later.[4] His official cause of death was a cocaine-related heart attack.[5]
His son, Rod, Jr., was a pitcher in theColorado Rockies organization.[6]
Scurry had admitted, prior to his death, to purchasing cocaine on at least 19 occasions during the 1982 and 1983 seasons.[7] On August 19,1985, he became the first player directly named in the cocaine distribution trial of Curtis Strong.[7] He and Pirates teammatesDale Berra,Lee Lacy,Lee Mazzilli,John Milner andDave Parker, along with several other notable major league players, were called before a Pittsburghgrand jury for their involvement in the Pittsburgh drug scandal. Their testimony led to the drug trials, which made national headlines in September 1985. He and the other players brought before the Pittsburgh Grand Jury were granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony.[8]