New York Yankees: Alex Rodriguez Retires Short of Milestone
By Ron Juckett
DON DRYSDALE
Best known as a dominating pitcher who was Sandy Koufax’s sidekick for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Don Drysdale came into the 1969 season 40 strikeouts shy of 2,500.
A standout pitcher from Van Nuys, CA, Drysdale signed with the Dodgers in 1954 while they were still in Brooklyn. By 1957, he became a mainstay in the rotation. His best year, 1962, he went 25-8 with a 2.83 ERA while striking out 232 in 314.1 innings, earning the Cy Young Award.
Coming off a legendary 1968 where he threw 58.2 consecutive scoreless innings, including six straight shutouts, it seemed a lock he would reach that milestone. His body said otherwise. An ox of a pitcher, he started over 40 games a year from 1962 through 1966. Add three World Series trips in that stretch and there was nothing left in his right arm. A three-time strikeout champion, by 1966 the overuse dropped his annual total under 200.
Instead of a slow and steady decline at 32, Drysdale mustered 12 starts, an ERA of 4.45 and a 5-4 record. In the end, he fanned 24 in 62.2 innings, falling 14 short of the mark. Injuries forced him to miss six weeks between April and mid-June. By his last start on August 5, he barely could throw six innings or strikeout more than two.
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