Winning Pitch : Discernment Press : 9781946324337 : 1946324337 : 10 Mar 2023 : Born the son of a poor sharecropper, Jim Perry grew up working in the tobacco fields of rural North Carolina. Not only did he work his way out of that backbreaking job, but Jim Perry worked himself all the way to becoming a big league baseball star. After a splashy debut, Jim faced repeated obstacles as he worked to become a regular member of the starting rotation. To everyone's surprise (except his own), Jim Perry finally emerged in his 11th major league season to become a 20-game winner. The next year he won the Cy Young Award, given to the best pitcher in the American League. As a longtime player representative, Jim Perry played a pivotal role in MLB's first labor battles, helping to achieve key gains that would eventually lead to a massive explosion in player salaries. Marvin Miller, executive director of the MLB Players' Association, called Perry "a tower of strength" for his role in helping Miller