Don Drysdale
Big D: Hall of Fame pitcher, record-setter, and fierce competitor.
Donald Scott Drysdale (July 23, 1936 – July 3, 1993), nicknamed "Big D", was an American professional baseball pitcher and broadcaster who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent his entire 14-year career with the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers. Known for being a fierce competitor, Drysdale won the Cy Young Award in 1962 and was a three-time World Series champion during his playing career.
- Role
- Starting Pitcher
- Team Tenure
- 1956–1969 (Entire Career)
- Hall of Fame Induction
- 1984
- Retired Number
- 53
- World Series Titles
- 1959, 1963, 1965
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Drysdale set a Major League record with six consecutive complete-game shutouts and 58 consecutive scoreless innings in 1968. The scoreless innings record was broken by fellow Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser 20 years later, but Hershiser did not match Drysdale's record of six consecutive complete-game shutouts.
In Their Own Story
The dynamic between Drysdale and Sandy Koufax was complex, often defined by shared holdouts and contrasting personalities. In the spring of 1966, the pair executed a famous joint holdout to demand $500,000 over three seasons. Although Dodgers GM Buzzie Bavasi initially preferred one-year contracts, both pitchers eventually signed: Drysdale for $110,000 and Koufax for $125,000, making them the first pitchers to earn more than $100,000 a year. Their partnership was tested during the 1965 World Series when Koufax declined to pitch Game 1 due to Yom Kippur. Drysdale took the mound but struggled, giving up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings as the Dodgers lost 8–2. When manager Walter Alston removed him in the third inning, Drysdale quipped, "Hey, skip, bet you wish I was Jewish today too." Despite the setback, the Dodgers won the series behind Koufax's MVP performances in Games 5 and 7, with Drysdale securing the victory in Game 4.
Reader's Guide
Drysdale was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, and his number 53 was retired by the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 1, 1984. He was a nine-time All-Star, starting the Midsummer Classic a record five times and pitching a record 19.1 innings. He led the Majors in strikeouts three times, wins once, and led the NL in shutouts once.
Did You Know?
- Drysdale set a Major League record with six consecutive complete-game shutouts in 1968, a feat no other pitcher has matched.
- He set a record of 58 consecutive scoreless innings in 1968, later broken by Orel Hershiser.
- Drysdale won the Cy Young Award in 1962 with a 25-9 record and a Major League-leading 232 strikeouts.
- He hit 29 home runs in his career, a notable total for a pitcher.
- Drysdale led the NL in hit batsmen for four straight seasons from 1958 to 1961, and again in 1965.
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