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Staley was a sinker and knuckleball pitcher who won 19, 17, and 18 games for the Cardinals from 1951 to 1953. When he slipped to 7-13 in 1954, he was dealt to the Reds, then on to the Yankees, but he continued to be ineffective as a starter. When he arrived with the White Sox in 1956, his old manager, Marty Marion, converted him to relief and opened a second career for him. He and fellow reliever Turk Lown helped lead the Sox to the 1959 pennant. On September 22, he made one pitch, a game-ending double play with the bases loaded, to nail down the flag. In 1960 he led the AL with 13 wins in relief. (RL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 5, 1948: The Cards Gerry Staley picks up a pair of wins in relief over the Cubs, winning 6–3 and 5–2 over Ralph Hamner and Johnny Schmitz. Staley pitches two innings in the opener and two 2/3 innings in the nitecap. It is the 2nd time in three weeks that the Cubs have lost a doubleheader to a single reliever. » April 18, 1950: The first night Opening-Day game in history is played in St. Louis with the Cardinals defeating the Pirates 4–2, behind the 6-hit pitching of Gerry Staley. Stan Musial and Schoendienst contribute home runs. » May 30, 1950: The Cards sweep a pair from Pittsburgh with Gerry Staley winning both games in relief, 17–13 and 8–5. The Cards explode in the 8th in both games, plating seven in Game One and six in game 2. Staley also won a pair in 1948, the first reliever to ever accomplish the feat twice. For the Bucs, Nanny Fernandez hit home runs in the 8th and 9th of game 1. In game 2, Stan Musial has his only hit in 10 at bats today when he hits a 9th-inning liner for an inside-the-park home run. » July 30, 1950: The Cards stop the Giants, 6–3, to end New York's win streak of nine games. Gerry Staley wins his 10th on a 7-hitter and is back by Enos Slaughter's single, double, and triple. Red Schoendienst's wide toss to 3rd in the 9th ends his streak of 57 games without an error. He had handled 323 chances without an error. » September 30, 1950: P Gerry Staley and George Munger combine for a doubleheader sweep of the Cubs when the Cards win 2–0 and 4–0. » April 14, 1953: In a 3-2 victory, Braves OF Billy Bruton hits the first ML HR in Milwaukee's County Stadium, in the 10th inning off Gerry Staley of the Cards. This is the first game for the home crowd since 1901 when the Milwaukee Brewers were charter members of the AL. » May 28, 1953: Steve Bilko ties his 2nd major-league record in less than 24 hours. Bilko struck out five times in a row at Cincy last night, and today hits a record-tying two doubles (last done by the Braves' Bob Thorpe last season) in Cards 10-run 4th inning against the Braves. Gerry Staley still needs help in the 9th to win, 11–7. » September 20, 1953: Ernie Banks of the Cubs hits his first ML HR, against Gerry Staley, but the Cards win 11-6. » April 17, 1954: The wind is blowing out at Wrigley, as the Cards lose 23–13 to the Cubs in a National League record three hour and 43 minute game. The two teams combine for 35 hits, including five homers. Bruce Edwards walks twice in the 5th, when the Cubs score 10 runs. Cubs 3B Randy Jackson has four hits, including a home run that hits an apartment building on Waveland Avenue. Jim Brosnan is the winner over Gerry Staley in the highest scoring game ever between these two rivals. » December 8, 1954: The Cardinals send veteran pitcher Gerry Staley, who had won 84 games for St. Louis in the past six seasons, along with 3B Ray Jablonski to the Reds for Frank Smith (8–1 in 1954). After a year in St. Louis the Cards will waive good-bye to Smith and Cincinnati will sign him back. » September 11, 1955: In a move to shore up their pitching down the stretch, the Yankees buy Gerry Staley from St. Louis for the waiver price. » May 28, 1956: The White Sox buy P Gerry Staley from the Yankees. » September 22, 1959: The "Go-Go" White Sox clinch their first pennant in 40 years with a 4-2 win over the 2nd-place Indians. Early Wynn gets the win, with Gerry Staley saving the game in the 9th. » October 1, 1959: The Go-Go Sox change character at home and hammer the LA Dodgers 11-0 in the first game of the WS, as Ted Kluszewski has 2 HRs and 5 RBI. Early Wynn and Gerry Staley combine for the shutout. Yankee manager Casey Stengel, sitting out only his 2nd Series since 1947, covers the game as a reporter. » August 7, 1960: The White Sox win a pair from the Senators, with reliever Gerry Staley picking up two victories. Staley will be 13–8, all in relief, with both wins and losses topping the American League relievers. » June 10, 1961: Pitchers Ray Herbert and Don Larsen, 3B Andy Carey, and OF Al Pilarcik of the A's go to the White Sox for pitchers Bob Shaw and Gerry Staley and outfielders Wes Covington and Stan Johnson.