Don Drysdale,
pitcher,
Los Angeles Dodgers, throws R, born 7-23-1936, died 7-3-1993.
Drysdale spent his entire career with the Dodgers franchise, first in Brooklyn and then in Los Angeles. He played from 1956 to 1969, retiring at the age of 33. Drysdale was an exceptional hitter for a pitcher. He hit seven home runs in a season while playing in Dodger Stadium and batting 130 times. Drysdale and Sandy Koufax formed one of the most intimidating 1-2 pitching combinations in baseball during the 1960s.
Drysdale was notorious for his willingness to pitch inside and holds the National League record for hit batsmen in a career, at 154. He won the NL Cy Young Award in 1962 with a 25-9 record, 314 2/3 innings pitched, and 232 strikeouts with a 2.83 ERA. He threw seven shutouts in 1965 and eight in 1968, but did not lead the league in that category in either year. In 1968, he threw 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, which was a record at the time. Orel Hershiser would later break that record.
Drysdale was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984 with 78% of the ballot.