Don Drysdale Honored By Dodgers

(CNS) – The Los Angeles Dodgers will honor the late Hall of Fame pitcher Don Drysdale on the 75th anniversary of his birth during tonight’s game at Dodger Stadium against the Washington Nationals.

Drysdale’s sons D.J. and Darren will throw out ceremonial first pitches. More than 50 of his family members and friends will be at the game and special videos and tributes honoring him will be shown during the game.

Born July 23, 1936 in Van Nuys, Drysdale graduated from Van Nuys High School in 1954 and signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers that year.

Drysdale reached the majors in 1956 and pitched with the Dodgers until 1969, the final player to have played for the team when it was in Brooklyn.

Drysdale was known as a fierce competitor, regularly knocking down and hitting opposing batters. “For every Dodger they (the Giants pitchers) knock down, I’ll knock down two of theirs, and they won’t be .220 hitters, either,” Drysdale once said.

Drysdale teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax to give the Dodgers one of the best 1-2 pitching combinations in baseball history. The duo helped the Dodgers to win the World Series in 1963 and 1965.

Drysdale set a major league record in 1968 with 58 consecutive scoreless innings. He was selected for nine All-Star games and was the 1962 Cy Young Award winner.

Drysdale is second behind fellow Hall of Famer Don Sutton in several Dodger career pitching categories including wins (209), strikeouts (2,486), innings pitched (3,432 1/3) and starts (465).

Following his playing career, Drysdale was an announcer with the Montreal Expos (1970-71), Texas Rangers (1972), California Angels (1973-1979, 1981), Chicago White Sox (1982-87) and ABC (1978-86).

Drysdale returned to the Dodgers as an announcer in 1988, remaining with the team until his death from a heart attack on July 3, 1993 in a hotel room in Montreal, where he was broadcasting a game. He was 56.