(AUDACY) Former MLB pitcher Richard William Tidrow, better known as Dick — or by baseball fans as "Dirt," given his often dirty uniforms — passed away Wednesday. He was 74 years old.
He died "unexpectedly" in his Lee's Summit, Missouri home, according to Andrew Baggarly of the Atheletic.
Tidrow was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the fourth round of the 1967 MLB secondary draft and spent the next five seasons rising through the minor league ranks. Making his debut on April 18, 1972, Tidrow impressed as a 24-year-old rookie, compiling a 14-15 record but with an impressive 2.77 ERA. Over the next dozen years, he'd spend time with not only the Indians but the Yankees and Cubs, spending the bulk of his career with those two clubs before finishing off with brief stints with the White Sox and Mets. He earned two World Series rings, with the 1977 and 1978 Yankees, posting a dazzling 1.93 ERA in the latter of those World Series in two appearances.
His impact on the baseball diamond wasn't done after his playing career, however, as he'd go on to become a longtime Giants executive and was a pitching guru for the organization.
The 2021 season was Tidrow's 28th year overall with the team. He had different roles over his tenure, including as a scout, a special assistant to the general manager, the director of player personnel and most recently as senior advisor to the president of baseball operations.
Other members of the MLB community mourned his death on social media.
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