Леонард Баркер: Бейсбол тарихындағы жетістіктері мен өмірі

American baseball player

Leonard Harold Barker III (born July 7, 1955) is an American former Major League Baseball right handed starting pitcher. He pitched the tenth perfect game in baseball history. Barker pitched with the Texas Rangers (1976–78), Cleveland Indians (1979–83), Atlanta Braves (1983–85) and Milwaukee Brewers (1987). During an 11 year baseball career, Barker compiled 74 wins, 975 strikeouts, and a 4.34 earned run average.

Barker was a hard thrower, who early in his career struggled with his control. On April 16, 1978, at Fenway Park, Barker (then with the Texas Rangers) threw a pitch that sailed upward onto the screen above and behind the backstop. Partly due to this, he did not make the major leagues until 1979. Barker was traded, along with Bobby Bonds, from the Rangers to the Indians for Jim Kern and Larvell Blanks on October 3, 1978. His best season statistically was , when he enjoyed career highs in wins (19) and strikeouts (181, best in the American League).

Barker's most notable accomplishment occurred on May 15, 1981, as a member of the Cleveland Indians. until the league later changed the criteria for recognizing a perfect game). The final out of the game was a fly ball caught by Rick Manning in short center field. Barker's pitching was so consistent on that night that he never reached ball three against any Blue Jays hitter. Barker's perfect outing, one of only twenty four in the history of Major League Baseball, is also the most recent no hitter thrown by an Indians pitcher. "I run into people almost every day who want to talk about it", Barker said in 2006. "Everyone says, 'You're probably tired of talking about it.' I say, 'No, it's something to be proud of.' It's a special thing." Barker was selected for the 1981 Major League Baseball All Star Game, held in Cleveland on August 9. It was the first game played after a lengthy players' strike, and Barker pitched two scoreless innings before 72,086 fans in his home stadium.

During the 1983 season, Barker was traded to the Atlanta Braves for Brett Butler, Brook Jacoby, Rick Behenna and $150,000 cash. He and his wife Eva are the parents of Jared, Blake, and Jacob. He also has three children, Carly, Troy and Lyle with his previous wife, Bonnie. The Barker family currently resides in Geauga County, east of Cleveland. Barker serves as the head coach for Division II Notre Dame College in South Euclid.