Vernon Sanders Law (born March 12, 1930) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played in 1950–51 and 1954–67. He batted and threw right-handed and was listed at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) and 195 pounds (88 kg). Law signed for the Pirates as an amateur free agent in 1948 and made his major-league debut in 1950. In 1960, he won both the Cy Young Award (the first Pittsburgh pitcher to do so) and a World Series ring as a member of the Pirates. He is currently the oldest living Cy Young Award winner. In 1965, he won the Lou Gehrig Award and the Associated Press's National League Comeback Player of the Year Award. A control pitcher, he finished among the top three National League pitchers in bases on ball per nine innings pitched in multiple seasons. Law was inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame in August 2025. At the time, he was the 11th oldest living Major League player.
Law was born on March 12, 1930, in Meridian, Idaho. Law attended Meridian High School, where he pitched on the baseball team. As a senior in 1948, he pitched three no-hit, no-run games, and was one of the top pitching prospects in the country. Toward the end of his high school pitching career in 1948, the largest crowd in Meridian High history came to watch the 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb. (88.5 kg) or 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb. (86.2 kg) Law pitch against another Border League high school team.
Law's brother Evan Law was a catcher at Boise Junior College when Law was a senior in high school. Within a day of graduating high school, Law and his brother were pursued by scouts from 10 different MLB teams, including former MLB player Floyd "Babe" Herman, who scouted the brothers for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pirates scout Bill Posedel was also involved in recruiting the Laws.
Popular singer, radio star and movie star Bing Crosby was part owner of the Pirates at the time. Crosby called the Laws' parents, encouraging them to have their sons join the Pirates. Herman Welcker, who was later a United States senator from Idaho, had recommended Law to Crosby. Welcker and Crosby were friends and had attended Gonzaga University together in Spokane, Washington. Vern and Evan both signed identical contracts in late May 1948 to join the Pirates organization.
Professional career and military service
The Pirates originally assigned Law to the Class D Santa Rosa Pirates of the Far West League in 1948. Herman said at the time one benefit of assignment to Santa Rosa was that Posedel, a former Major League pitcher who was based in Vallejo, California, would instruct law with the Santa Rosa, California team. Law had an 8–5 win–loss record with Santa Rosa and 4.66 earned run average (ERA). He struck out 126 batters in 110 innings pitched.
In 1949, Law was assigned to the Class B Davenport Pirates of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (Triple-I) League. Evan was assigned to the Greenville Pirates of the Class D Alabama State League, where he played his only season of professional baseball. Law had a 5–11 record, but a 2.94 ERA, with 123 strikeouts in 144 innings pitched. In 1950, Vern was assigned to the Double-A New Orleans Pelicans. He was 6–4, with a 2.67 ERA in 12 games.
The 20-year old Law was called up to the Pirates in June 1950. He pitched in 27 games for the Pirates, starting 17 games. Law had a 7–9 record, with a 4.92 ERA, for a team with a 57–96 record. In 1951, he pitched in 28 games for the Pirates, starting 14. He had a 6–9 record, with a 4.50 ERA, and one shutout, for the 64–90 1951 Pirates. He injured his right rotator cuff pitching before and after a rain delay in a game against the Chicago Cubs that season. Without proper knowledge of how to treat the injury, Law was subjected to having his tonsils removed as one means to deal with the pain, instead of therapeutic techniques that would actually have a benefit.
Law voluntarily enlisted in the United States Army during the Korean War, and he did not play Major League Baseball in 1952 and 1953. The arm soreness he had during the 1951 season was no longer a problem going into the 1954 season. In 1954, Law returned to the Pirates and pitched in 39 games, starting 18. He had 7 complete games, and three saves, with a 5.51 ERA. He had 56 bases on balls and 57 strikeouts in 161.2 innings pitched. The Pirates finished the season 53–101. In mid-June, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals had shown some interest in trading for Law, but no trade occurred.
Law improved in 1955, with a 3.81 ERA and 10–10 record, pitching in 43 games and starting 24. This was the first time in his Major League career that his ERA was below 4.00. He also pitched over 200 innings for the first time (200.2), with 81 strikeouts and 62 bases on balls. The team finished 60–94, but Law was 23rd in NL Most Valuable Player voting.
On July 19, 1955, Law started a game against the Milwaukee Braves that went 19 innings. Law pitched the first 18 innings of the game. He did not allow a run from the fourth inning through the 18th inning, and struck out 12 batters and walked only two. Manager Fred Haney pinch hit for Law in the 18th inning, fearing Law might get a sore arm. Bob Friend pitched the 19th inning for the Pirates and gave up a run. The Pirates scored two runs in the bottom of the 19th inning, however, winning the game; with the victory going to Friend. Five days later, Haney let Law pitch a 10-inning complete game four-hitter against the Chicago Cubs, winning 3–2. The effect of pitching 28 innings in five days showed over the rest of the season, with Law losing six of his last nine games in 1955.
Bobby Bragan replaced Haney as the Pirates' manager in 1956. Going into the season, Bragan considered Law part of his nucleus of starting pitchers. The Pirates had a 66–88 record. Law started 32 of the 39 games in which he pitched, going 8–16, with a 4.32 ERA, 60 strikeouts and 49 walks in 195.2 innings pitched. Law was eighth in the National League in bases on balls per nine innings pitched (2.254).
Bragan continued using Law as a starter in 1957. Law started 25 of the 31 games in which he pitched, and had his first winning record (10–8) in Pittsburgh. Law also had his first below 3.00 ERA season (2.87), and was third in the National League in bases on balls per nine innings pitched (1.668) and fifth in the NL in ERA. The team had a 62–92 season, but Danny Murtaugh replaced Bragan as manager in early August and led the team to a 26–25 record for the remainder of the season.
Murtaugh had been coaching for the Pirates before he replaced Bragan, and at the time was named a temporary replacement as manager. Murtaugh went on to manage the Pirates in over 2,000 more games (1958–1964, 1967, 1970–71, 1973–76). In his first full season, the Pirates were 84–70, their first winning season in 10 years. In 1958, Murtaugh continued using Law primarily as a starter, and Law had another winning season (14–12). Law had a 3.96 ERA in 202.1 innings pitched, giving up 235 hits, with 56 strikeouts and 39 walks. He was again third in the National League in bases on balls per nine innings pitched (1.735).
In 1959 Law was 18–9, with a 2.98 ERA in 266 innings pitched. He started 33 games (with only one relief appearance), completing a career-high 20 games, with two shutouts; striking out 110 batters while walking only 53. He was tied for 19th in NL Most Valuable Player voting. He shared the NL Player of the Month award in August 1959 (4–0, 1.94 ERA, 25 strikeouts) with Willie McCovey. He was second in the National League in WAR for pitchers (6.5), third in win-loss percentage (.667), fifth in ERA and bases on balls per nine innings pitched (1.793); and ninth in strikeouts to bases on balls. He defeated every National League team at least once during the 1959 season.
In 1960, Law won the Cy Young Award, when only one such award was given between both leagues. He helped lead the Pirates to a World Series victory over the New York Yankees, winning two games in the series. He was selected to play on the NL All-Star team in both 1960 All-Star Games, and was the starting and winning pitcher in the July 13 All-Star Game. Law started all 35 games in which he pitched during the season, with a win–loss record of 20–9, and a 3.08 earned run average. His 18 complete games was tied for best among all Major League pitchers. He was second in the National League in WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) (1.126); third in wins, winning percentage (.690) and bases on balls per nine innings pitched (1.325); fourth in strikeouts to bases on balls; and seventh in ERA.