LaMarr Hoyt, former MLB pitcher who spent the majority of his career with the Chicago White Sox, died on Monday following a lengthy illness, according to MLB.com. He was 66 years old. Hoyt’s son, Matthew, told MLB.com that his father died of cancer at his home in Columbia, South Carolina.
“My dad passed away from cancer with me by his side early in the morning of the 29th,” said Mathew Hoyt, LaMarr’s oldest son. “He genuinely loved being a part of the White Sox organization, and I can say without a doubt those were the best years of his life. All he talked about in his final days was baseball, the White Sox and all of his former teammates.”
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Hoyt was a member of the White Sox from 1979-84. He won the Cy Young awards in 1983 after posting a 24-10 record with a 3.66 ERA, 11 complete games and 148 strikeouts. He led the American League in wins that season and in 1982 when he tallied a 19-15 record. In Game 1 of the American League Championship Series in 1983, Hoyt posted a complete game in the White Sox’s win over the Baltimore Orioles.
“My first impression of LaMarr was, ‘Here is a pitcher.’ He had average stuff but amazing command and tremendous confidence, and he never showed fear,” said Tony La Russa, the current White Sox manager who was also the manager of the team when Hoyt was pitching. “We brought him up to the big leagues in 1979 and nothing bothered him. He had this impressive cool where he believed if he made his pitches, he would get hitters out. He faced teams multiple times in a season but could change up his looks and keep them off balance. What a great competitor.”
After the 1984 season, Hoyt was traded to the San Diego Padres. He made his first All-Star game in 1985 and finished the season with 16 wins and a 3.47 ERA. His final MLB season was the following year, and he posted an 8-11 record in 25 starts.
“LaMarr was a great pitcher and a great teammate. We would sit around and talk pitching for hours,” said Richard Dotson, who won 22 games with the White Sox in 1983. “He really knew how to pitch. His stuff was never great, but he had a great sinker and exceptional command. LaMarr, Britt Burns, Harold Baines and I all came up to the big leagues around the same time and grew up together, which eventually led to that memorable 1983 season. We are all going to miss him.”
