Perry Lychak

Perry Michael Lychak

• Throws Left
• Height 6' 1", Weight 180 lb.

• School Indiana State University, Edmonds Community College

• Born April 29, 1959 in Edmonton, AB Canada

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Perry Lychak pitched for Team Canada and in the minors.

Lychak debuted in Canada's leagues at age 15, for the Edmonton Dusters. He came to the US for college baseball. He was on Canada's squads in the 1979 Pan American Games , 1980 Amateur World Series and 1981 Intercontinental Cup. In the 1981 Cup, he handed the then-mighty Cuban national team their first loss in five years, throwing a three-hitter in a 2-1 upset win. It would be 18 years (at the 1999 Pan American Games) until Canada beat Cuba again. He led the event with a 0.66 ERA. It appears to be the first time a Canadian led an international tournament in ERA but records are incomplete for a couple Amateur World Series in the 1970s.

The southpaw turned pro with the Toronto Blue Jays' Kinston Blue Jays farm team and would spend all five of his pro seasons in Kinston. In 1982, he was 2-2 with a 2.51 ERA, walking 21 in 28 2/3 IP. In 1983, he was 4-5 with five saves and a 4.79 ERA, walking 54 in 67 2/3 IP. He improved his control (29 BB in 65 1/3 IP) in 1984 and was 5-2 with 7 saves and a 3.15 ERA. He tied for 7th in the Carolina League in saves.

In 1985, he was 4-2 with 14 saves and a 1.75 ERA. He was third in the Jays chain in saves, behind Luis Aquino and Tom Henke. He tied Dave Harman and Jeff Innis for 4th in the loop in saves. He was 0-7 with a 2.41 ERA and 14 saves as a player-coach for the 1986 Kinston Eagles (now independent from Toronto), allowing only 46 hits in 67 1/3 innings. He tied John Smiley for 5th in the league in saves. He had gone 15-18 with 40 saves and a 3.02 ERA in 190 games as a pro (8 starts).

He married a lady from Kinston and taught and coached there.