Gary Peters

Gary Charles Peters (April 21, 1937 – January 26, 2023) was an American professional baseball player, a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons from 1959 through 1972 on two major league teams. He was one of the best-hitting pitchers of his era.

Peters was born in Grove City, Pennsylvania, to Thomas and Elizabeth (Rowe) Peters. He attended Mercer High School, where he starred in basketball, leading the team to three regional championships and earning All-State Pennsylvania honors in his senior year in 1955. His school did not field a baseball team, so he played sandlot and semi-pro ball. In 1956, he signed a professional contract as an amateur free agent with the Chicago White Sox. His father knew White Sox scout Fred Schaffer, and they reached an agreement under which the club would pay for Peters to attend Grove City College in the fall and spring while he played minor league baseball in the summer. At Grove City College he majored in mathematics.

Peters reached the majors with the Chicago White Sox in 1959 and pitched through the 1972 season. In 2024, he was posthumously inducted into Mercer High School's Athletic Hall of Fame.