Arthur Lee Guetterman (born November 22, 1958), nicknamed "Goot," is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played from to for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). A southpaw used primarily in the major leagues as a relief pitcher, he stood tall. He led the Yankees in wins in 1990 without starting a game.
Guetterman attended Liberty University, where he set several school records on the baseball team. Drafted by the Mariners in the fourth round of the 1981 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, he made his major league debut in 1984, though he would not return to the major leagues until 1986. After having the highest earned run average (ERA) of any American League (AL) pitcher with at least 75 innings pitched in 1986, he won 11 games as a starter in 1987, posting an 8–1 record at one point before getting moved to the bullpen due to a loss of control of his pitches. He was traded to the Yankees after the season, and after spending much of 1988 in the minor leagues, he emerged as a part-time closer for the Yankees in 1989, while Dave Righetti was struggling. He had 13 saves in 1989, then just two the following year, though he would lead the Yankees in wins. In 1991, Guetterman became unhappy with his playing time and requested a trade, which he got in 1992, when he was part of the only Yankees-Mets trade between 1987 and 2001.
After finishing the 1992 season with the Mets, Guetterman pitched for the Cardinals in 1993, though he was in the minor leagues until June 30 that year. He had a 2.93 ERA for the Cardinals that year but did not return to the major leagues in 1994. After stints with the Mariners again in 1995 and 1996, Guetterman played one year for the Sioux Falls Canaries of the independent Northern League.
Early life Arthur Lee Guetterman was born on November 22, 1958, to Arthur Adam Jr. and Ruth Guetterman. Lee's father was a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy, which Art Jr. served in for 23 years. Though Art never played baseball professionally, he taught his son to pitch, building him a box mounted on wooden legs to represent a strike zone and providing him with a bucket of baseballs to practice throwing at it. Guetterman graduated from Oceanside High School in Oceanside, California, and went to Liberty University, where he was coached on the baseball team by former major league pitcher Al Worthington. During his time at Liberty, Guetterman set school records that still stood in 2010 for starts (47), innings pitched (), wins (29), complete games (30), and shutouts (seven). As a hitter, he batted .325 with 82 runs scored, 11 home runs, and 108 runs batted in (RBI). In his senior year of 1981, he was selected as a 1st Team All-American in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. That same year, the Seattle Mariners selected him in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft.
First professional seasons (1981–85) In 1981, Guetterman began his professional career with the Single-A short season Bellingham Mariners of the Northwest League. He made 13 starts for the ballclub, accumulating a 6–4 record, a 2.68 ERA, 55 strikeouts, 44 walks, and 85 hits allowed in 84 innings pitched. He joined the Bakersfield Mariners of the Single-A California League in 1982, making 26 starts and posting a 7–11 record, a 4.44 ERA, 82 strikeouts, 69 walks, and 172 hits allowed in 154 innings pitched. With Bakersfield again for the 1983 season, he made 25 starts and had a 12–6 record, a 3.22 ERA, 93 strikeouts, 45 walks, and 164 hits allowed in innings.
Guetterman spent most of the 1984 season with the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League, making 24 starts and posting an 11–7 record, a 3.38 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 38 walks, and 174 hits allowed in 157 innings. At the end of the year, Seattle promoted him to the major leagues as one of their September call-ups. He made his major league debut as a relief pitcher on September 12, allowing one run in innings pitched in an 8–1 loss to the Texas Rangers. Guetterman would make three appearances for Seattle in 1984, allowing two runs in innings. In 1985, Guetterman pitched for the Triple-A Calgary Cannons of the Pacific Coast League (PCL). He appeared in 20 games (18 starts), posting a 5–8 record, a 5.79 ERA, 48 strikeouts, 44 walks, and 138 hits allowed in innings.
First full season, use as a starter (1986–87) In 1986, Guetterman made the Mariners' roster out of spring training and spent most of the season as a relief pitcher with the major league club, though he started four games for Calgary as well. Sixteen of his 41 appearances for Seattle were multiple-inning efforts, such as a game on May 11, when he pitched five scoreless innings of relief in a 4–3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He started the second game of a doubleheader on June 7 and made three starts from June 28 through July 8, allowing two runs in innings in an 8–5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on July 1, though Guetterman did not get the decision. In 41 games, he had an 0–4 record, 38 strikeouts, 30 walks, and 108 hits allowed in 76 innings pitched. His 7.34 ERA was the highest among American League (AL) pitchers with at least 75 innings pitched.
Not even invited to 1987 spring training, Guetterman began the season in the bullpen at Calgary, posting a 5–1 record and a 2.86 ERA in 16 appearances (two starts). Promoted by the Mariners in late May when another starter went on the disabled list, he entered a tie game against the New York Yankees in the beginning of the sixth inning on May 27, throwing two scoreless innings as the Mariners took the lead. He was removed in the eighth after walking Don Mattingly to lead off the inning, and Jerry Reed eventually allowed Mattingly to score, but the Mariners held on to win 6–5, and Guetterman was credited with the victory, his first ever in the major leagues. He then joined the starting rotation, winning his next four decisions for Seattle. In one of those, on June 26 against the Cleveland Indians, he allowed just three hits in his only major league shutout. After a loss, he won three more decisions in a row and had an 8–1 record by the All-Star break. He had a 6.29 ERA in his next six starts, losing three of four decisions, before getting moved to the bullpen. "Lee won five in a row and then lost his command,” said Billy Connors, the Mariners' pitching coach. “He seemed afraid to let the guys hit the ball. That’s trouble for a sinkerball pitcher." As a reliever, Guetterman posted a 1.69 ERA in seven outings. He made two more starts at the end of the season, winning both of them. In 25 games (17 starts), he had an 11–4 record, a 3.81 ERA, 42 strikeouts, 35 walks, and 117 hits allowed in innings pitched. After the season, on December 22, he was traded to the New York Yankees with Clay Parker and Wade Taylor for Steve Trout and Henry Cotto.
Emerging as a relief pitcher, closing, leading the Yankees in wins (1988–90) Entering the 1988 season, Sarah Ballard of Sports Illustrated predicted that Guetterman would be the Yankees' fifth starter. He began the year in the bullpen, posting a 2.45 ERA in eight games. However, after May 6, he was sent to the minor leagues because Yankee manager Billy Martin thought he was not aggressive enough. Used as a starter again for the Triple-A Columbus Clippers of the International League, he made 18 appearances, posting a 9–6 record, a 2.76 ERA, 49 strikeouts, 26 walks, and 109 hits allowed in innings. Recalled to the Yankees in August, he gave up five runs in a three-inning start on August 5, and he allowed six runs in innings of relief on August 16, causing his ERA to rise to 5.47. He posted a 3.14 ERA after that and remained with the Yankees for the rest of the season, used mostly as a reliever. In 20 games (two starts), he had a 1–2 record, a 4.65 ERA, 15 strikeouts, 14 walks, and 49 hits allowed in innings.
Expected to begin the 1989 season with the Clippers, Guetterman made the Yankee roster out of spring training because Ron Guidry suffered a left elbow injury. Then, Guetterman was manager Dallas Green's choice in April to be the Yankee closer when Dave Righetti slumped due to elbow problems. "I need a guy in that situation who’ll throw strikes and not walk people," Green said. "I have faith Goot can do that." "It's not my role," Guetterman declared. "I feel like I'm a fill-in just because I'm pitching well. Over the long haul, Dave and Lance [McCullers] are going to get the call late in games. That's their forte, what they do best." As Guetterman predicted, Righetti went on to assume the closer role and get 25 saves for the Yankees in 1989 (McCullers would only have three), but Guetterman and Righetti shared the responsibility in the early part of the year; both had eight saves through June 4. Guetterman would be unscored upon for his first 19 games of the year, pitching consecutive scoreless innings before he gave up five runs to the California Angels on June 4. His ERA was 1.37 through June 17, but he had an 8.82 ERA over his next 13 games, raising his season total to 3.32 on July 26. He had a 1.11 ERA for the rest of the season to finish the year with a 2.45 mark. In 70 games (all in relief, he would never make another start in the major leagues), Guetterman had a 5–5 record, 51 strikeouts, 26 walks, and 98 hits allowed in 103 innings pitched. He had 13 saves, which would be the highest total of his career, and his 70 games pitched ranked fifth among AL relievers.
Against the Rangers on April 13, 1990, Guetterman pitched a scoreless sixth through eighth innings to help preserve a 3–0 victory. He also pitched a scoreless sixth through eighth innings on May 25, helping preserve a 6–3 victory over the Royals. Entering a tie game against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 20, he threw a scoreless eighth and ninth innings, earning the win after Roberto Kelly had hit a home run to give the Yankees the winning margin of victory in the top of the ninth. On July 7, he entered a tie game against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning and held the team to one hit in four innings, earning the win as the Yankees scored in the bottom of the 12th. He suffered a strained ribcage on July 18 and was placed on the disabled list the next day. Activated on August 3, he allowed two runs over innings against the Indians that night but earned the win in a 6–4 victory. Relieving Mark Leiter after four innings against the Baltimore Orioles on September 24, Guetterman pitched five scoreless innings but had a no decision in an eventual 6–3, 10-inning loss. Though he did not start a single game in 1990, Guetterman's 11 wins were the most on the Yankees, more than any of their starters had. In 64 games, he had an 11–7 record, two saves, a 3.39 ERA, 48 strikeouts, 26 walks, and 80 hits allowed in 93 innings pitched.
Dissatisfaction with workload, trade to the Mets (1991–92)