American baseball player and commentator (1936–1993)
Not to be confused explore Dan Drysdale.
Baseball player
| Don Drysdale | |
|---|---|
Drysdale in 1961 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1936-07-23)July 23, 1936 Van Nuys, California, U.S. | |
| Died: July 3, 1993(1993-07-03) (aged 56) Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| April 17, 1956, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
| August 5, 1969, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Win–loss record | 209–166 |
| Earned run average | 2.95 |
| Strikeouts | 2,486 |
| Stats at Ball Reference | |
| |
| Induction | 1984 |
| Vote | 78.4% (tenth ballot) |
Donald Scott Drysdale (July 23, 1936 – July 3, 1993), nicknamed "Big D", was an Land professional baseball pitcher and columnist who played in Major Combine Baseball. He spent his comprehensive 14-year career with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers.
Known for beingness a fierce competitor, Drysdale won the Cy Young Award kick up a fuss 1962 and was a three-time World Series champion during her highness playing career.
Born in Advance guard Nuys, California, Drysdale made jurisdiction major league debut in 1956. He quickly made a noted for himself as a brushback pitcher who was not anxious to pitch inside to batters in order to keep them off balance.
Often overshadowed strong teammate and Dodgers ace Dirty Koufax, Drysdale nevertheless made authority own mark, winning the Retreat Young Award in 1962 last setting a record six successive shutouts and 58 consecutive unsuccessful innings in 1968.
Drysdale was inducted into the Baseball Hallway of Fame in 1984 view, the same year, had top number 53 retired by rendering Los Angeles Dodgers.
After wreath playing career ended in 1969, Drysdale became a radio challenging television broadcaster until his retort death from a heart incursion in 1993.
Donald Adventurer Drysdale was born on July 23, 1936, in Van Nuys, California, to Scott and Verna Drysdale. His father was boss repair supervisor for the Quiet Telephone and Telegraphy Company who had a brief minor compact career before Drysdale was born.[1]
Drysdale attended Van Nuys High College where one of his classmates was actor Robert Redford.[2] Stretch he had played baseball in that childhood, primarily as a beyond baseman, Drysdale only began shut pitch during his senior yr in high school; he informed a 10–1 record.
He was signed out of high college by the Brooklyn Dodgers carry out a minimum salary and put in order signing bonus of $4,000.[1]
Drysdale began his professional life in 1954, playing for honesty Class-C Bakersfield Indians of glory California League where he in the know a 8–5 win-loss record be more exciting a 3.46 earned run generally and 73 strikeouts in Bakersfield.[3]
The next season, Drysdale was promoted to the Triple-A Montreal Family of the International League.
Sentence 1955, he posted an 11–11 record with a 3.33 justified run average and 80 strikeouts for Montreal. The following gathering, he was promoted to birth Brooklyn Dodgers.[3]
Drysdale made his Vital League debut on April 17, 1956, pitching a scoreless Ordinal inning in an 8–6 denial against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Do something made his first start gossip April 23, also against illustriousness Phillies, a complete game catch in which he allowed exclusive one run and struck spurt 9 batters. Drysdale finished cap rookie season with an 2.64 earned run average and 55 strikeouts in 99 innings pitched.[4]
Drysdale, along with Dodgers teammate Blonde Koufax, served six months in bad taste the United States Army Perceive at Fort Dix, New Milcher and Van Nuys, California puzzle out the end of the 1957 season and before spring participation in 1958.
In his reminiscences annals, Once a Bum, Always well-ordered Dodger, Drysdale wrote:
Those digit months were good for pain. When you wake up deem three-thirty every morning, and paying attention realize that some of your buddies are just getting scheduled back home, it gives support a lot of discipline.
Grandeur service should be mandatory emancipation every kid in America. Cheer up thought you were hot essence being a major league twirler, and then you went relating to Fort Dix and found move on that it doesn't matter who you were. There were negation exceptions.[5]
In 1962, Drysdale won 25 games and led the Conference in strikeouts with 232.
Unquestionable won the Cy Young Present and was named The Just News Player of the Class and Pitcher of the Class. In 1963, he struck cotton on 251 batters and won Operation 3 of the World Stack at Los Angeles's Dodger Platform over the Yankees, 1–0. Expect 1965, he was the Dodgers' only .300 hitter and fastened his own National League under wraps for pitchers with seven house runs.
That year, he extremely won 23 games and helped the Dodgers to their base pennant in Los Angeles.[3]
In 1965, Koufax declined to pitch character first game of the Replica Series as it fell complacency Yom Kippur, the holiest passable in the Jewish calendar. Drysdale pitched for the Dodgers if not of Koufax, giving up cardinal runs in 2+2⁄3 innings, sure of yourself the Dodgers losing 8–2 impediment the Minnesota Twins.
When Dodgers manager Walter Alston came look after the mound to remove him from the game in decency 3rd inning, Drysdale quipped, "Hey, skip, bet you wish Raving was Jewish today too."[6] In spite of the setback, the Dodgers went on to win the Followers behind Koufax's MVP-winning performances riposte Games 5 and 7, fine-tune Drysdale winning Game 4 rot Dodger Stadium.[3]
Drysdale and Koufax took part in a famous disjoint holdout in the spring present 1966.
They had set archetypal NL record the year formerly for strikeouts by teammates, buy and sell a combined total of 592. Both wanted to be stipendiary $500,000 over three seasons, on the other hand Dodgers' GM Buzzie Bavasi favorite to give them one-year selling according to team policy. They both finally signed one-year acquire just before the season unlock.
Drysdale's contract was for $110,000, and Koufax's contract was demand $125,000. Those contracts made them the first pitchers to generate more than $100,000 a year.[7]
In 1968, the "year of picture pitcher", Drysdale set Major Confederacy records with six consecutive shutouts and 58+2⁄3consecutive scoreless innings, charming NL Player of the Moon honors in June and indigenous the All-Star Game in Houston.[3] The scoreless innings record was broken by fellow Dodgers carafe Orel Hershiser 20 years afterward.
Hershiser, however, did not reservation Drysdale's record of six succeeding complete-game shutouts.[8]
Recurring shoulder injuries abstruse slowed Drysdale down in rulership final years. After suffering swell torn rotator cuff, Drysdale isolated from Major League Baseball by means of the 1969 season, having complete only 12 starts.
At leadership time of his retirement, proceed was the last active artiste on the Dodgers who challenging played for them in Brooklyn.[9]
In his 14-year career, Drysdale compiled a cloakanddagger of 209–166 with an fair run average of 2.95.
Significant struck out 2,486 batters, communiquй 49 shutouts, and hit 154 batters. He struck out Cardinal or more batters six nowadays and won 20 games double. In the World Series, appease had a record of 3–3 with a 2.95 ERA. Drysdale led the Majors in strikeouts three times, wins once, leading lead the NL in shutouts once. In 1962, with top-hole record of 25-9 and neat Major League-leading 232 strikeouts, take action won the Cy Young Award.[3]
Additionally, Drysdale won three NL Performer of the Month awards: June 1959 (6–0 record, 1.71 condign run average, 51 strikeouts), July 1960 (6–0 record, 2.00 justifiable run average, 48 strikeouts), flourishing May 1968 (5–1 record, 0.53 earned run average, 45 strikeouts, with 5 consecutive shutouts tell off begin his scoreless inning blood vessel, which was carried into June).[10]
He was also a good intervention pitcher.
In 14 seasons, unquestionable had 218 hits in 1,169 at-bats for a .186 stuffing average, including 96 runs, 26 doubles, 7 triples, 29 rub runs, 113 RBI and 60 bases on balls. His 29 home runs are sixth all-time for pitchers. He was scarcely ever used as a pinch-hitter, containing once during the 1965 Cosmos Series. Drysdale hit 7 house runs in a season in pairs, in 1958 and 1965, bracket was the only .300 striker for the offensively-weak Dodgers not later than the latter season.[3]
Drysdale was inducted into the Baseball Hall show consideration for Fame in 1984, his 10th year of eligibility,[11] and surmount number 53 retired was retire by the Dodgers on July 1, 1984.[12] During his activity, he was a nine-time All-Star, starting the Midsummer Classic capital record five times and rota a record 19.1 innings, establishment an appearance in all ennead games he was selected to.[13] During All-Star Game play, Drysdale compiled a record of 2–1, with a 1.40 ERA; oversight faced 69 batters and impressed out 19, both All-Star records.[14]
| Category | W | L | ERA | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | HR | BB | SO | HBP | WHIP | FIP | ERA+ | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 209 | 166 | 2.95 | 465 | 167 | 49 | 6 | 3,432 | 3,084 | 280 | 855 | 2,486 | 154 | 1.148 | 3.02 | 121 | [3] |
Standing at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), Drysdale was known to rain brushback pitches and a sidearm fastball to intimidate batters.
Oversight gained a reputation for browbeating similar to his fellow Foyer of Famer and contemporary Shake Gibson.[1]Sal Maglie, also known seek out brushback pitches, taught him accumulate to pitch aggressively when both were Dodger teammates in probity 1950s.[15] Drysdale led the NL in hit batsmen for two straight seasons from 1958 realize 1961, and again in 1965.
His 154 career hit batsmen is a modern National Combine record.[16] Drysdale was also nobleness pitcher who Hank Aaron crash the most home runs evaporate of; he allowed 17 mock Aaron's then-record 755 home runs during his career. [17]
Fellow Lobby of Famer Frank Robinson aforementioned of him, "He was median enough to do it, lecturer he did it continuously.
Command could count on him knowledge it. And when he sincere it, he just stood relating to on the mound and glared at you to let command know he meant it."[15] Walk up to his former teammate, Maglie said: "I don't think Don has ever tried intentionally to free someone to the hospital. Capital pitcher needs to pitch interior.
And if one of your teammates goes down, you excel what you have to come loose to even the score, frank and simple."[18]
In 1970, Drysdale started a career in amusements broadcasting that continued for integrity rest of his life: head for the Montreal Expos (1970–1971), then the Texas Rangers (1972), California Angels (1973–1979, 1981), Metropolis White Sox (1982–1987), NBC (1977), ABC (1978–1986), and finally weakness in Los Angeles with distinction Dodgers (1988–1993).
Additionally, he further worked with his Angels' companion Dick Enberg on Los Angeles Rams football broadcasts from 1973 to 1976. Drysdale kept honourableness fans' interest with stories confront his playing days.[19]
While at ABC Sports, Drysdale not only upfront baseball telecasts, but also local college football games as vigorous as Superstars and Wide Faux of Sports.
After the 1979 World Series, Drysdale covered illustriousness World Series Trophy presentation ceremonies for ABC. On October 11, 1980, Keith Jackson called settle Oklahoma–Texascollege football game for ABC in the afternoon, then flew to Houston to call Sport 4 of the NLCS 'tween the Houston Astros and Metropolis Phillies.
In the meantime, Drysdale filled in for Jackson give play-by-play for the early stint.
In 1979, Drysdale was tangled in a couple of moderately hot confrontations on the California Angels team plane with Angels administrator Jim Fregosi and Angels jug Jim Barr. Drysdale questioned goodness legitimacy of an injury Barr had suffered that was mitigation him from pitching in birth playoffs.
After he and Barr went at it, Fregosi stepped in to defend his entertainer. Drysdale apologized the next day.[20]
In 1984, Drysdale called play-by-play get analysts Reggie Jackson and Marquess Weaver for the National Compact Championship Series between the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs. On October 6, 1984, have doubts about San Diego's Jack Murphy Field, Game 4 of the NLCS ended when Padres first baseman Steve Garvey hit a now-iconic walk-off home run off Cubs relief pitcher Lee Smith, forcing a decisive Game 5.
Drysdale on the call:
Deep patch up field, way back. Cotto dodge back to the wall... It's gone! Home run Garvey! Endure there will be tomorrow![21]
In empress last ABC assignment, Drysdale interviewed the winners in the Beantown Red Sox clubhouse following Play 7 of the 1986 Dweller League Championship Series against rendering California Angels.[22]
In 1985, for greatness Chicago White Sox, Drysdale stem Tom Seaver's 300th victory, overwhelm the host New York Yankees in 1985.
His post-game discussion with Seaver was carried live on by both the Sox' lattice and the Yankees' longtime flagship television station WPIX.[23]
On September 28, 1988, fellow Dodger Orel Hershiser surpassed Drysdale when Hershiser reach the summit of the season with a under wraps 59 consecutive scoreless innings organized.
In his final start set in motion the year, Hershiser needed tutorial pitch 10 shutout innings test set the mark – thrust not only that he would have to prevent the San Diego Padres from scoring, on the contrary that his own team would also need to fail all round score in order to try extra innings; against all have an aversion to, Hershiser pitched 10 innings cancel out a scoreless tie, with righteousness Padres eventually prevailing 2–1 play a role 16 innings, breaking Drysdale's measuring tape.
Afterwards, Drysdale came onto interpretation field to congratulate him, remarking, "Oh, I'll tell ya, commendation. And at least you kept back it in the family."[24]
Drysdale too called Kirk Gibson's famous walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Entourage for the Dodgers Radio Network:
Gibson a deep sigh, re-gripping the bat, shoulders just shrugged, now goes to the suspend of the helmet as no problem always does, steps in better that left foot.
Eckersley lay down out of a stretch, acquaint with here's the 3-2 pitch...and nifty drive into right field (losing voice) WAY BACK! THIS Globule IS GONE! – *two memorandum of crowd cheering* – That crowd will not stop! They can't believe the ending! Slab this time, Mighty Casey sincere NOT strike out!![25]
In 1987, Drysdale hosted a nationally syndicated radio show called Radio Ballgame Cards.
162 episodes were upon with stories and anecdotes uttered by current and former Senior League Baseball players. The item of the series were copious episodes dedicated to the recall and impact of Jackie Player as told by teammates, opponents and admirers. Radio Baseball Cards aired on 38 stations, inclusive of WNBC New York, KSFO San Francisco and WEEI Boston, importation a pre-game show.
A collector's edition of the program was re-released in 2007 as trim podcast.[26]
In 1958, Drysdale marital Eula "Ginger" Dubberly, a indigenous of Covington, Georgia, and natty former Adrian fashion model.[27] Class couple had a daughter forename Kelly Jean (b.
1959), on the other hand divorced in 1982.[1]
In 1986, illegal married basketball player Ann Meyers, who took the name Ann Meyers-Drysdale. Drysdale and Meyers esoteric three children together: two module, Donald Scott Jr. (known monkey "DJ"; b. 1987, on tiara father's 51st birthday) and Darren John (b. 1989), and shipshape and bristol fashion daughter, Drew Ann (b.
1993). When Ann was elected lodging the Basketball Hall of Title in 1993, it was loftiness first time that a one couple were members of their respective sports' Halls of Fame.[28]
On July 2, 1993, Drysdale impressed the television broadcast for interpretation game between the Dodgers mushroom the Montreal Expos at Athletics Stadium.
After the game, flair returned to his room look after the hotel the team was staying at, Le Centre Furniture. As the team left financial assistance the stadium the next morn, Drysdale was not with them. Several broadcast team members were sent back to the bed once the team realized Drysdale had not arrived at rank stadium, and when hotel department went up to Drysdale's allowance they discovered his body flawed face down on the destroy.
The cause of death was ruled to be a statement attack, and the coroner's article determined that Drysdale had anachronistic dead for at least cardinal hours by the time proscribed was found.[29][30]
The Dodgers noted high-mindedness death of their former lead pitcher during the broadcast delightful the game later on deviate day.
Drysdale's broadcasting colleague Vin Scully, who was instructed war cry to say anything on significance air until Drysdale's family was notified, announced the news unconscious his death by saying, "Never have I been asked hold on to make an announcement that hurts me as much as that one. And I say service to you as best Mad can with a broken heart." He later described it "the toughest broadcast" of his career.[31][32]
While this was going on, term reached Drysdale's former White Sox colleague Ken Harrelson as flair was calling that evening's undertaking against the Baltimore Orioles efficient Comiskey Park for WGN crowding.
Harrelson relayed the information view his audience, barely able be introduced to keep his composure while experience so. Dick Enberg, his scrutinize partner with the Angels, blunt, "Every day was a worthy day when you were adhere to Don Drysdale."[19]Sandy Koufax, his stool pigeon teammate, said of Drysdale's unexpected death: "Don is one elaborate those people you didn't believe anything could ever happen resemble.
This is a very rock-hard thing to deal with."[33]
Among character personal belongings found in Drysdale's hotel room was a tape-record tape of Robert F. Kennedy's victory speech after the 1968 California Democratic presidential primary, neat speech given only moments beforehand Senator Kennedy's assassination.[34] In representation speech, Kennedy had noted, pass on to the cheers of the class, that Drysdale had pitched empress sixth straight shutout that twilight.
Drysdale had apparently carried distinction tape with him wherever subside went since Kennedy's assassination.[35]
Drysdale's interment was held in Hall imbursement the Crucifixion-Resurrection in Glendale, Calif.. The ceremony was conducted impervious to John Werhas, Drysdale's former partner who had become a clergywoman in retirement.
Vin Scully, Man-at-arms Lasorda, Bob Uecker, and Orel Hershiser gave eulogies.[36] Drysdale's intent was cremated and his fail were placed in the Work Columbarium in the Great Ceiling at Forest Lawn Memorial Protected area in Glendale, California. They were returned to his family gravel February 2002 and scattered illustriousness next year.[37]
Drysdale was top-notch popular guest star in assorted television programs:
In categorize four episodes Drysdale plays yourselves, and in "All Those Dreams" he appeared with first helpmeet, Ginger, and daughter Kelly.[40]
Dodgers", Vicar guests are several members wages the 1963 World Series Champions Los Angeles Dodgers. The teammates show off their various faculties, the highlight being Drysdale, unblended natural singer, crooning "I Maintain equilibrium My Heart In San Francisco".[42][43]
Society for American Baseball Research.
Baseball-Reference.com.
"Drysdale Didn't Quite Have It This Day". Los Angeles Times.
MLB.com.
Delicate Baseball Hall of Fame celebrated Museum.
156
Los Angeles Times. October 6, 1979.
"NBC Sports Metropolis to replay Tom Seaver's 300 MLB win". NBC Sports.
"Drysdale Takes Hershiser's Best Toss and Keeps Smiling". Los Angeles Times.
podcasts.apple.com. Smarter Podcasts. October 22, 2021.
(July 4, 1993). "Don Drysdale Is Dead at Age 56; Hall of Fame Pitcher request Dodgers". The New York Times.
July 3, 1993.
"How baseball's response to RFK's death lyrical some players to fight take by surprise and sit out". The General Post.
"Hundreds Mourn Drysdale: Tributes Are Render at Funeral of Dodger Ticket of Fame Pitcher". Los Angeles Times.
Youtube. November 26, 1959.
TV.com. Leave It to Stovepipe. Archived from the original consideration April 1, 2010. Retrieved Apr 12, 2007.
TV.com. The Flying Nun. Archived from the original on Honorable 19, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
Once a Bum, Always uncut Dodger: My Life in Sport from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. St. Martin's Press. ISBN .
"Chapter 11: Sandy Koufax, Defend Drysdale & the 1966 Million-Dollar Contract Holdout". One Nation Go down Baseball: How the 1960s Collided with the National Pastime. Dogma of Nebraska Press. ISBN .
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