Don Drysdale was born on Thursday, July 23, 1936, in Van Nuys, California. Drysdale was 19 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 17, 1956, with the Brooklyn Dodgers. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Don Drysdale baseball stats page.
"One day at Dodger Stadium, St. Louis Cardinal catcher Gene Oliver blasted a long homerun off Drysdale. Before beginning a leisurely trot around the bases, Oliver first stood at home plate admiring the flight of the ball and then said, loud enough for Drysdale to hear, 'Hey, batboy, come get the bat.'... The next time Oliver batted, Drysdale drilled him with a fastball. While Oliver writhed in the dirt of the batter's box and teammates and the Cardinals' trainer rushed to his aid, Drysdale said loud enough for everyone to hear, 'Hey, batboy, come get Oliver.'" - Shannon, Mike. Author. Tales from the Dugout: The Greatest True Baseball Stories Ever Told. McGraw-Hill Publishers. 11 January 1998. Page 62. [Don Drysdale Quotes]
Don DrysdaleDon Drysdale Autograph on a 1980 TCMA Baseball Card (#028) |
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Don DrysdaleDon Drysdale Pitching Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
1956 | 20 | Dodgers | 25 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 5 | .500 | 2.64 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 99.0 | 413 | 95 | 29 | 35 | 9 | 31 | 3 | 55 | 3 | 3 | 0 | - |
1957 | 21 | Dodgers | 34 | 29 | 4 | 17 | 9 | .654 | 2.69 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 221.0 | 911 | 197 | 66 | 76 | 17 | 61 | 3 | 148 | 3 | 7 | 1 | - |
1958 | 22 | Dodgers | 44 | 29 | 7 | 12 | 13 | .480 | 4.17 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 211.2 | 913 | 214 | 98 | 107 | 21 | 72 | 6 | 131 | 8 | 14 | 2 | - |
1959 | 23 | Dodgers | 44 | 36 | 7 | 17 | 13 | .567 | 3.46 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 270.2 | 1,142 | 237 | 104 | 113 | 26 | 93 | 9 | 242 | 4 | 18 | 2 | - |
1960 | 24 | Dodgers | 41 | 36 | 5 | 15 | 14 | .517 | 2.84 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 269.0 | 1,083 | 214 | 85 | 93 | 27 | 72 | 5 | 246 | 6 | 10 | 0 | - |
1961 | 25 | Dodgers | 40 | 37 | 2 | 13 | 10 | .565 | 3.69 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 244.0 | 1,047 | 236 | 100 | 111 | 29 | 83 | 15 | 182 | 7 | 20 | 1 | - |
1962 | 26 | Dodgers | 43 | 41 | 2 | 25 | 9 | .735 | 2.83 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 314.1 | 1,289 | 272 | 99 | 122 | 21 | 78 | 12 | 232 | 8 | 11 | 0 | - |
1963 | 27 | Dodgers | 42 | 42 | 0 | 19 | 17 | .528 | 2.63 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 315.1 | 1,266 | 287 | 92 | 114 | 25 | 57 | 13 | 251 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
1964 | 28 | Dodgers | 40 | 40 | 0 | 18 | 16 | .529 | 2.18 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 321.1 | 1,264 | 242 | 78 | 91 | 15 | 68 | 9 | 237 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
1965 | 29 | Dodgers | 44 | 42 | 1 | 23 | 12 | .657 | 2.77 | 20 | 7 | 1 | 308.1 | 1,262 | 270 | 95 | 113 | 30 | 66 | 11 | 210 | 11 | 12 | 0 | - |
1966 | 30 | Dodgers | 40 | 40 | 0 | 13 | 16 | .448 | 3.42 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 273.2 | 1,135 | 279 | 104 | 114 | 21 | 45 | 8 | 177 | 7 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
1967 | 31 | Dodgers | 38 | 38 | 0 | 13 | 16 | .448 | 2.74 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 282.0 | 1,151 | 269 | 86 | 101 | 19 | 60 | 19 | 196 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
1968 | 32 | Dodgers | 31 | 31 | 0 | 14 | 12 | .538 | 2.15 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 239.0 | 954 | 201 | 57 | 68 | 11 | 56 | 10 | 155 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
1969 | 33 | Dodgers | 12 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 4 | .556 | 4.45 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 62.2 | 267 | 71 | 31 | 34 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD | ||
14 Years | 518 | 465 | 34 | 209 | 166 | .557 | 2.95 | 167 | 49 | 6 | 3,432.0 | 14,097 | 3,084 | 1,124 | 1,292 | 280 | 855 | 123 | 2,486 | 82 | 154 | 10 | 0 |
Don DrysdaleDon Drysdale Hitting Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
1956 | 20 | Dodgers | 26 | 26 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .192 | .222 | .346 |
1957 | 21 | Dodgers | 37 | 73 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .123 | .200 | .205 |
1958 | 22 | Dodgers | 47 | 66 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .227 | .261 | .591 |
1959 | 23 | Dodgers | 46 | 91 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 31 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .165 | .198 | .330 |
1960 | 24 | Dodgers | 41 | 83 | 3 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 32 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .157 | .211 | .277 |
1961 | 25 | Dodgers | 40 | 83 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | .193 | .244 | .386 |
1962 | 26 | Dodgers | 43 | 111 | 9 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .198 | .246 | .252 |
1963 | 27 | Dodgers | 42 | 96 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 35 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | .167 | .241 | .198 |
1964 | 28 | Dodgers | 40 | 110 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 29 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .173 | .202 | .218 |
1965 | 29 | Dodgers | 58 | 130 | 18 | 39 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .300 | .331 | .508 |
1966 | 30 | Dodgers | 46 | 106 | 6 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .189 | .211 | .264 |
1967 | 31 | Dodgers | 38 | 93 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .129 | .172 | .140 |
1968 | 32 | Dodgers | 31 | 79 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .177 | .188 | .190 |
1969 | 33 | Dodgers | 12 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .136 | .208 | .182 |
Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
14 Years | 547 | 1,169 | 96 | 218 | 26 | 7 | 29 | 1 | 113 | 60 | 0 | 370 | 69 | 6 | 5 | 34 | .186 | .228 | .295 |
Don DrysdaleDon Drysdale Fielding Stats |
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Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
1956 Dodgers | P | 25 | 12 | 297 | 30 | 1.2 | 28 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .933 | 2.55 |
1957 Dodgers | P | 34 | 29 | 663 | 77 | 2.3 | 75 | 15 | 60 | 2 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .974 | 3.05 |
1958 Dodgers | P | 44 | 29 | 635 | 66 | 1.5 | 60 | 15 | 45 | 6 | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .909 | 2.55 |
1959 Dodgers | P | 44 | 36 | 812 | 69 | 1.6 | 66 | 18 | 48 | 3 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .957 | 2.19 |
1960 Dodgers | P | 41 | 36 | 807 | 81 | 2.0 | 78 | 18 | 60 | 3 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .963 | 2.61 |
1961 Dodgers | P | 40 | 37 | 732 | 52 | 1.3 | 49 | 13 | 36 | 3 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .942 | 1.81 |
1962 Dodgers | P | 43 | 41 | 943 | 77 | 1.8 | 70 | 10 | 60 | 7 | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .909 | 2.00 |
1963 Dodgers | P | 42 | 42 | 946 | 85 | 2.0 | 81 | 19 | 62 | 4 | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .953 | 2.31 |
1964 Dodgers | P | 40 | 40 | 964 | 84 | 2.1 | 81 | 13 | 68 | 3 | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .964 | 2.27 |
1965 Dodgers | P | 44 | 42 | 925 | 86 | 2.0 | 77 | 22 | 55 | 9 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .895 | 2.25 |
1966 Dodgers | P | 40 | 40 | 821 | 62 | 1.6 | 55 | 10 | 45 | 7 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .887 | 1.81 |
1967 Dodgers | P | 38 | 38 | 846 | 80 | 2.1 | 75 | 11 | 64 | 5 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .938 | 2.39 |
1968 Dodgers | P | 31 | 31 | 717 | 70 | 2.3 | 65 | 15 | 50 | 5 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .929 | 2.45 |
1969 Dodgers | P | 12 | 12 | 188 | 14 | 1.2 | 14 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.01 |
Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
P Totals | 518 | 465 | 10,296 | 933 | 1.8 | 874 | 188 | 686 | 59 | 55 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .937 | 2.29 | |
14 Years | 518 | 465 | 10,296 | 933 | 1.8 | 874 | 188 | 686 | 59 | 55 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .937 | 2.29 |
Don DrysdaleDon Drysdale Miscellaneous Stats |
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Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
1956 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 1 | n/a | 26.0 | 3.3 | 26.0 | 1.77 | 5.00 | 2.82 |
1957 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 3 | n/a | 36.5 | 2.5 | 12.2 | 2.43 | 6.03 | 2.48 |
1958 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 2 | 1 | n/a | 9.4 | 2.6 | 5.5 | 1.82 | 5.57 | 3.06 |
1959 Dodgers | 0 | 1 | .000 | 3 | 0 | n/a | 22.8 | 2.9 | 7.6 | 2.60 | 8.05 | 3.09 |
1960 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 2.6 | 20.8 | 3.42 | 8.23 | 2.41 |
1961 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 16.6 | 3.5 | 6.9 | 2.19 | 6.71 | 3.06 |
1962 Dodgers | 0 | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 3.8 | 7.9 | 2.97 | 6.64 | 2.23 |
1963 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 2.7 | 19.2 | 4.40 | 7.16 | 1.63 |
1964 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 110.0 | 3.8 | 13.8 | 3.49 | 6.64 | 1.90 |
1965 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 14 | 0 | n/a | 18.6 | 3.8 | 6.8 | 3.18 | 6.13 | 1.93 |
1966 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 6 | 0 | n/a | 53.0 | 3.8 | 13.3 | 3.93 | 5.82 | 1.48 |
1967 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 3.6 | 15.5 | 3.27 | 6.26 | 1.91 |
1968 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 2.7 | 26.3 | 2.77 | 5.84 | 2.11 |
1969 Dodgers | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 2.0 | 7.3 | 1.85 | 3.45 | 1.87 |
Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
14 Years | 0 | 2 | .000 | 25 | 5 | n/a | 40.3 | 3.2 | 10.3 | 2.91 | 6.52 | 2.24 |
Don DrysdaleDon Drysdale Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
1956 Brooklyn Dodgers | 53 | $9,000.00 | - | Stats |
1957 Brooklyn Dodgers | 53 | $15,500.00 | - | - |
1958 Los Angeles Dodgers | 53 | $17,500.00 | - | - |
1959 Los Angeles Dodgers | 53 | $19,000.00 | Stats | Stats |
1960 Los Angeles Dodgers | 53 | $25,000.00 | - | - |
1961 Los Angeles Dodgers | 53 | $32,500.00 | Stats | - |
1962 Los Angeles Dodgers | 53 | $37,500.00 | Stats | - |
1963 Los Angeles Dodgers | 53 | $46,000.00 | Stats | Stats |
1964 Los Angeles Dodgers | 53 | $70,000.00 | Stats | - |
1965 Los Angeles Dodgers | 53 | $85,000.00 | Stats | Stats |
1966 Los Angeles Dodgers | 53 | $110,000.00 | - | Stats |
1967 Los Angeles Dodgers | 53 | $100,000.00 | Stats | - |
1968 Los Angeles Dodgers | 53 | $100,000.00 | Stats | - |
1969 Los Angeles Dodgers | 53 | $115,000.00 | - | - |
Don Drysdale Stats by Baseball Almanac |
Donald Scott Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player who spent his entire fourteen-year Hall of Fame career, pitching for the Dodgers franchise. Don, his nickname, started in Brooklyn (1956-1957), and stayed with the franchise after they relocated to Los Angeles (1958-1969), making Big-D the last Brooklyn Dodger and the first LA Dodger to wear #53 in regular season games!
Don Drysdale Rookie Card | 1957 Topps Baseball Card (#18 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library
Don Drysdale said, "My own little rule was two for one. If one of my teammates got knocked down, then I knocked down two on the other team." One of his opponents, Hall of Fame first baseman Orlando Cepeda said that, "the trick against Drysdale is to hit him before before he hits you." Drysdale plunked Cepeda four times, second most amongst batters he hit, behind Ernie Banks who he drilled five times. Drysdale led the National League in hit by pitch a record five seasons, including a record four consecutive. [Hit by Pitch Records]
Juan Marichal once said, "For five years I've been here (in the NL), I've seen too much of this. Drysdale has hit Felipe Alou, Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda. I'm not saying he tried deliberately to hit them, but he has too good control to be so far off the plate." Branch Rickey, in a scouting report (below) from 1954, also wrote, "Fine pitching hand, and placement on fast and curve ball needs no coaching."
Don Drysdale Scouting Report | Branch Rickey Collection (Library of Congress) | June 15, 1954
Did you know that Tom Seaver holds the current National League record for most seasons with 200+ strikeouts (10) in a career? Why did we mention this here? Because after Drysdale hung up his cleats in 1969, he held the record himself with six 200+ strikeout seasons. Let's take a closer look at some numbers of interest as they relate to one of the most dominant pitchers of his era:
1 - Don Drysdale won one Cy Young Award during his career, in 1962, at a time when the Baseball Writers Association of America gave exactly one pitcher - the best one in all of Major League Baseball - the award. Drysdale was the second Dodger to receive the honor, but the first who wore a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform (Don Newcombe won in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform in 1956).
3 - Don Drysdale was a three-time strikeout champion, leading the National League in strikeouts in 1959 (242 strikeouts / Top 25), 1960 (246 strikeouts / Top 25), and 1962 (232 strikeouts / Top 25). Only one Dodger has ever had more strikeout titles than Drysdale, Hall of Fame lefty Sandy Koufax (4x).
5 - Don Drysdale tied the National League record for shutouts in a month when he threw five in May 1968 (more than most modern league leading pitchers have in a full season). No pitcher since has ever thrown six, and only one pitcher has tied the mark since Drysdale, Orel Hershiser in September 1988.
6 - Don Drysdale threw six consecutive shutouts in 1968, five during the month of May (mentioned above), and one additional during his first start in June. No pitcher in Major League history before, or after, has ever thrown six shutouts in a row. The truly historic six took place on May 14, 1968, May 18, 1968, May 22, 1968, May 26, 1968, May 31, 1968 and June 4, 1968.
7 - Don Drysdale hit seven home runs in 1958, tying the National League (NL) record for most home runs in a season by a pitcher, set previously by Don Newcombe in 1955. In 1965, Drysdale hit seven homers again, tying the NL record a second time, a single season hitting feat not matched by any other twirler in baseball history.
14 - Don Drysdale struck out fourteen batters on April 12, 1960, setting a National League record for most strikeouts by a pitcher during an Opening Day game!
49 - Don Drysdale won twenty-three games in 1965, his teammate Sandy Koufax won twenty-six games, giving the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers duo a combined forty-nine wins!
58 - Don Drysdale threw fifty-eight consecutive scoreless innings in 1968, breaking the all-time Major League record of 55.2 consecutive scoreless innings thrown by Walter Johnson in 1913. The record was considered unbreakable, but it was taken down by a fellow Dodger, Orel Hershiser in 1988. a list of every pitcher in baseball history with at least 40 scoreless innings pitched appears in the Baseball Almanac Innings Pitched Record Book.
154 - Don Drysdale finished his career plunking 154 batters, all in the National League (NL). The only senior circuit pitchers with more HBP; Vic Willis (156), Chick Fraser (187), Pink Hawley (201), all began their career in the nineteenth century, making Big D the modern day NL HBP king.
Don Drysdale | National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque | Class of 1984 (Link)
The career of Don Drysdale was cut short (33 years young) due to a rotator cuff tear, but in those twelve full seasons (two others were partial), he was widely considered one of the most dominant pitchers. Bill James, in Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame, wrote, "With the possible exception of Bob Gibson, Drysdale was the most intimidating pitcher between Lefty Grove and Rob Dibble. Batters hated to face him." The BBWAA did put Drysdale in the Hall, but not until his tenth appearance on the ballot. The results from those ten ballots were: 1975 (21.0%), 1976 (29.4%), 1977 (51.4%), 1978 (57.8%), 1979 (53.9%), 1980 (61.8%), 1981 (60.6%), 1982 (56.1%), 1984 (64.7%), and 1984 (78.4%).