Difference between revisions of "Don Drysdale" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
Line 137: Line 137:
 
* Rushin, Steve. 1993. [http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1138456/1/index.htm The Season Of High Heat] ''Vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com.''
 
* Rushin, Steve. 1993. [http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1138456/1/index.htm The Season Of High Heat] ''Vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com.''
 
* [http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/63831/don_drysdales_hall_of_fame_career.html Don Drysdale's Hall of Fame Career]
 
* [http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/63831/don_drysdales_hall_of_fame_career.html Don Drysdale's Hall of Fame Career]
 +
* [http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1074084/index.htm Ex-bad Boy's Big Year]'' Vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com.''
 
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1397 find-a-grave]
 
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1397 find-a-grave]
 
* [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mcc&fileName=044/page.db&recNum=0&itemLink=r?ammem/mcc:@field(DOCID+@lit(mcc/044)) Branch Rickey's 1954 amateur scouting report] on Drysdale, at the Library of Congress.
 
* [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mcc&fileName=044/page.db&recNum=0&itemLink=r?ammem/mcc:@field(DOCID+@lit(mcc/044)) Branch Rickey's 1954 amateur scouting report] on Drysdale, at the Library of Congress.

Revision as of 02:31, 7 January 2009

Don Drysdale
Pitcher
Born: July 23 1936(1936-07-23)
Van Nuys, California
Died: July 3 1993 (aged 56)
Montreal, Quebec
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 17, 1956
for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Final game
August 5, 1969
for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Career statistics
Win-Loss record     209-166
Earned run average     2.95
Strikeouts     2,486
Teams
  • Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers (1956-1969)
Career highlights and awards
  • 8x All-Star selection (1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968)
  • 3x World Series champion (1959, 1963, 1965)
  • 1962 Cy Young Award
  • 1962 NL TSN Pitcher of the Year
  • Los Angeles Dodgers #53 retired
Member of the National
Empty Star.svg Baseball Hall of Fame Empty Star.svg
Elected    1984
Vote    78.41%

Donald Scott Drysdale was one of the most successful and aggressive pitchers in American baseball history. He was best known for using brushback pitches and intentionally hitting opposing players as well as maintaining one of the highest batting averages for a pitcher.

He teamed up with fellow Cy Young award winner and teammate Sandy Koufax to lead the Brooklyn Dodgers to multiple World Series championships. Drysdale's Hall of Fame career bridged a gap of several eras—1950's and 1960's—of Dodgers baseball, during which he pitched in five World Series, led the league in strikeouts three times, and threw 49 shut outs, including a record setting 58 1/3 scoreless innings.

In 1968 he pitched his record-tying fifth straight shutout on the day of the California presidential primary and was congratulated by Robert Kennedy in the speech he gave just before he was assassinated.

Early life

Drysdale was born on July 23, 1936 in Van Nuys, California. Drysdale, after his graduation from Van Nuys High School in 1954, was courted by the Pittsburgh Pirates team president Branch Rickey. Rickey offered a $6,000 bonus and a contract with Pittsburgh's Triple-A Hollywood Stars affiliate. Neither Drysdale nor his father thought the youngster was ready to start his career at the Triple-A level.

Instead, Drysdale signed with the Dodgers for $4,000 because he wanted an organization that stood the best chance of teaching the art of pitching. He pitched that summer at the Dodgers' California League affiliate in Bakersfield and 1955 at Triple-A Montreal.[1]

After compiling a 8-5 record in Bakersfield he was 11-11 in 28 games in Montreal.[2]

Major League Career

Donald Drysdale's number 53 was retired by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1984

In 1956, Don Drysdale made the jump to the majors, both starting and pitching from the bullpen for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The ensuing decade (from 1957-1966) marked a period of Dodgers' domination in baseball. While their offense was as weak as any, Drysdale and Sandy Koufax became a duo that would consistently dominate opposing batters

The following year marked the arrival of the hurler nicknamed "Big D" by the fans. Following a 5-5 rookie year, Drysdale settled into the starting rotation and threw for a 17-9 record in the team's last year in Brooklyn. He would become a mainstay at the top of the rotation throughout the duration of his career.

In 1958, the Brooklyn Dodgers made history by moving west to Los Angeles. Drysdale tossed the first game in Los Angeles Dodgers history, a 6-5 victory over the San Fransisco Giants, in what would eventually become an intense rivalry.

In 1962, Drysdale won 25 games and the Cy Young Award; however, the highlight of his career was in 1968, better known as the "Year of the Pitcher." In 1963 he struck out 251 batters and won Game 3 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium. In 1965, Big D was the Dodgers' only .300 hitter and tied his own National League record for pitchers with seven home runs. The same year he won 23 games and led the Dodgers to their third World Championship in Los Angeles. He ended his career with 209 wins, 2,486 strikeouts, 167 complete games and 49 shutouts.

While Drysdale's numbers put him in a legendary category, there is little doubt that he had several good years left. His prime was shortened significantly, however, by a career-ending torn-rotator cuff. In his own words, the Hall of Fame pitcher said, "A torn rotator cuff is a cancer for a pitcher and if a pitcher gets a badly torn one, he has to face the facts, it's all over baby."[2]

1988

On September 28, 1988, fellow Dodger Orel Hershiser surpassed Don Drysdale, finishing the season with a record 59 consecutive scoreless innings pitched. In his final start of the year, Hershiser needed to pitch 10 shutout innings to set the mark – meaning not only that he would have to prevent the San Diego Padres from scoring, but that his own team would also need to fail to score in order to ensure extra innings. The Dodgers' anemic offense was obliging, however, and Hershiser pitched the first 10 innings of a scoreless tie, with the Padres eventually prevailing 2-1 in 16 innings. Hershiser almost did not pitch in the 10th inning, in deference to Drysdale, but was convinced by the Hall of Famer to take the mound and try to break the record. When Hershiser broke Drysdale's record, Drysdale went to hug him, and said, Oh, I'll tell ya, congratulations... And at least you kept it in the family.


Achievements

Despite being a pitcher, Don Drysdale led the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers with a .300 batting average. He was one of the few players in the history of baseball to hit .300 and win 20 games in the same season. Not only did he hit for average, but he hit for power, as he clubbed 29 home runs during his career, second most for any pitcher in National League history.

Drysdale was a perennial All-Star, being named to the team of stars in 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, and 1968, his last and arguably best season.

In 1962, Drysdale received his only Cy Young award and was named to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. His number 53 was officially retired at Dodger Stadium on July 1, 1984.

Don Drysdale still holds the National League mark for most hit batsmen, with 154,

Holdout

The dynamic duo of Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax was as intimidating off the field as it was on. On February 28, 1966, the duo took their dominance to an entirely new level as they demanded a 3 year, 1.05 million dollar contract (a fortune at the time) to be divided evenly. Holdouts, even in that era of sports, were not uncommon, as the two did not sustain any relationship with the Dodgers organization for six weeks. At one point, Walter O Malley, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers gave up. The headlines were, "The baseball curtains fell on them and the Dodgers Tuesday night. It fell with the impact of an iron curtain with the announcement from Dodger general manager, Buzzie Bavasi: "There is no sense in negotiating further."[3] In a stunning turn of events, however, Koufax and Drysdale did an about face, each signing one-year deals worth 115,000 and 105,000 respectively.

Broadcasting career

Don Drysdale retired midseason in 1969 due to an ailing shoulder and became a broadcaster for not just the Dodgers (from 1988 up until his death in 1993), but also the Montreal Expos (1970-1971), Texas Rangers (baseball) (1972), California Angels (1973-1979}), Chicago White Sox (982-1987), and Major League Baseball on ABC (1978-1986).

While at ABC Sports, Drysdale not only announced baseball telecasts, but also Superstars and Wide World of Sports. During the 1979 World Series, Drysdale covered the World Series Trophy presentation ceremonies for ABC. In 1984, he did play-by-play (alongside fellow Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson and Earl Weaver) for the 1984 National League Championship Series (NLCS) between the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs.

On October 6, 1984 at San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium, Game four of the NLCS ended when Padres first baseman Steve Garvey hit a dramatic two run home run off of Lee Smith. Drysdale on the call:

Deep right field, way back. Cotto going back to the wall...it's gone! Home run Garvey! And there will be tomorrow!

While broadcasting for the White Sox, Drysdale generated some mild controversy while covering a heated argument between an umpire and Sox manager Tony LaRussa. The animated LaRussa pulled up the third base bag and hurled it into the outfield, to the approval of the Comiskey Park crowd, and ensuring his ejection. Drysdale remarked, "Go get 'em, Dago!"

For the Sox, Drysdale broadcasted the 300th victory of pitching contemporary Tom Seaver against the host New York Yankees in 1985. His post-game interview with Seaver was carried live by both the Sox' network and the Yankees' longtime flagship television station WPIX.

Radio

Drysdale hosted a nationally syndicated radio show called Radio Baseball Cards. 162 episodes were produced with stories and anecdotes told by current and former Major League Baseball players, including many Hall of Famers. The highlight of the series were numerous episodes dedicated to the memory and impact of Jackie Robinson. Radio Baseball Cards aired on 38 stations, including WNBC New York, KSFO San Francisco and WEEI Boston. A collector's edition of the program was re-released in 2007 as a podcast.[4]

Personal Life

Drysdale married Ginger Dubberly in 1958, with whom he had a daughter named Kelly. They divorced in 1982. In 1986, he married Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame player Ann Meyers, who took the name Ann Meyers-Drysdale. It was the first time that a married couple were members of their respective sports' Hall of Fame. Drysdale and Meyers had three children together: Don Junior ("DJ") (son), Darren (son), and Drew (daughter). In 1990, Drysdale published his autobiography, Once a Bum, Always a Dodger.

Television

Drysdale guest starred in:

  • The Greatest American Hero episode "The Two Hundred Mile an Hour Fastball," which was first broadcast on November 4, 1981 as a broadcaster for the California Stars.[5]
  • The Brady Bunch episode "The Dropout," which was first broadcast on September 25, 1970.
  • Leave It to Beaver episode "Long Distance Call," which was first broadcast on June 16, 1962.[6]
  • The Rifleman episode "Skull," which was first broadcast on 1 January, 1962.
  • The Millionaire episode "Millionaire Larry Maxwell," which was first broadcast on March 1, 1960.
  • With his first wife, Ginger, on You Bet Your Life with host Groucho Marx. The episode was released on the 2006 DVD "Groucho Marx: You Bet Your Life - 14 Classic Episodes."

Death

Don Drysdale died of a heart attack in his hotel room in Montreal, Quebec, where he had been broadcasting a Dodgers game in 1993. Drysdale was found dead by radio station employees sent to look for him when he was late for his scheduled broadcast. After Drysdale missed the team bus, the hotel staff went in and found him face down, near his bed. The coroner estimated that he had been dead for 18 hours. Soon afterwards, Drysdale's broadcasting colleague Vin Scully, who was instructed not to say anything on the air until Drysdale's family was notified, announced the news of his death by saying

Never have I been asked to make an announcement that hurts me as much as this one. And I say it to you as best I can with a broken heart.

Fellow broadcaster Ross Porter told his radio audience,

I just don't believe it, folks.

Drysdale was replaced by Rick Monday in the broadcast booth.

Among the personal belongings found in Drysdale's hotel room at the time of his death was a cassette tape of Robert F. Kennedy's victory speech after the 1968 California Democratic presidential primary, a speech given only moments before Senator Kennedy's assassination. In the speech, Kennedy had noted, to the cheers of the crowd, that Drysdale had pitched his fifth straight shutout that evening. Drysdale had apparently carried the tape with him wherever he went since Robert Kennedy's death.

Don Drysdale's body was cremated at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Legacy

Don Drysdale was the Iron Man of the late 1950's and 1960's, as he churned out game after game, and inning after inning, never really suffering from injuries until the torn rotator-cuff that ended his career. He is best remembered for the fear he instilled in the opposing batter, often freezing them at the plate as they anticipated the next pitch hitting them. In all, Drysdale pegged 154 batters in his career, a record that will most likely stand. Former baseball player, Dick Groat said, "Batting against him (Don Drysdale) is the same as making a date with the dentist."[7] Drysdale himself made it clear that he meant business on the mound. He announced that, "For every Dodger they [the Giants' pitchers] knock down, I'll knock down three Giants—and they won't be .220 hitters, either."[2] A charismatic figure in every aspect, Don Drysdalewas one of the fiercest competitors on the mound, and was a key component of multiple Dodgers' pennants and World Championship trophies. Upon his death, Chicago Sun-Times writer Dave van Dyck summed up the legacy of Don Drysdale: "Not all records are made to be broken. Some should belong forever to only one person. Like the record for most hit batsmen in a career, 154. No one ever intimidated batters like he did. No one ever will again.[8]

Notes

  1. Koufax, Drysdale were a dynamic duo Texas.rangers.mlb.com. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Official Site of Don Drysdale Retrieved November 4, 2008
  3. Don Drysdale Holdout] Retrieved November 4, 2008
  4. Smarter Podcasts - Home
  5. The Greatest American Hero: The Two-Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Fastball - TV.com
  6. TV.com
  7. Baseball-Almanac: Quotes
  8. Van Dyck, Dave. Drysdale A `Hitman' On Mound. Chicago Sun-Times. 1993.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Drysdale, Don, and Bob Verdi. 1990. Once a Bum, Always a Dodger. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0312039026
  • "Drysdale, Don". 2002. American National Biography. OCLC 277015554
  • Shapiro, Milton J. 1964. The Don Drysdale Story. New York: J. Messner. OCLC 1307872

External links

Template:1984 Baseball HOF

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.