Louisiana Lightning, Every Fourth Day

Ron Guidry was 5'11" and 161 pounds, and he got by on essentially two pitches. In 1978 that was more than enough to author one of the greatest seasons any pitcher has ever thrown.

The slider was the whole thing. Sparky Lyle handed it to him, and Guidry turned it into a pitch hitters could see coming and still not touch. He went 25-3 with a 1.74 ERA and 248 strikeouts, dragged a Bronx Zoo clubhouse out of a 14-game hole in the standings, and walked away with a unanimous Cy Young. On June 17 he struck out 18 Angels, and Yankee Stadium started rising to its feet on every two-strike count. That habit never left the Bronx.

Great seasons get remembered as numbers. The ones that stay with you are the ones you watched happen, start after start, knowing something rare was unfolding on the mound. Louisiana Lightning gave the 1978 Yankees exactly that, every fourth day.