To end the 2018 year, let’s bring out Dandy Don Drysdale from 1965. I think it was Doug S. who posted this earlier on the APBA Baseball group on Facebook but boy, it is indeed a Dandy card!
Giving up 30 homers didn’t affect Dodger Drysdale’s effectiveness in 1965. He still came away with a nice 2.77 ERA and a 23-12 won-loss record. Don sure was durable too. He started 42 games and pitched over 308 innings. Note that he even earned a save in one of his two relief appearances.
APBA rewarded Don Drysdale of 1965 with a BYZ grade. While that may seem a bit harsh, a little perspective might shed some light. Drysdale’s 2.77 ERA was eighth in the National League (and second on his team!) in 1965. Teammate Sandy Koufax led the league with a nifty 2.04 mark.
The league average for ERA was 3.54 so a B grade seems reasonable especially considering the added bonus of the Z control rating.
| Split | W | L | W-L% | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 Totals | 23 | 12 | .657 | 2.77 | 44 | 42 | 20 | 7 | 1 | 308.1 | 270 | 113 | 95 | 30 | 66 | 210 |
Drysdale was historically a good hitter and 1965 was no exception. He hit .300 with seven home runs and 19 rbis in 130 at-bats.
Not bad considering that the team leader in homers on the Dodgers had 12. The entire Dodger team hit 78 home runs for the entire season.
| Split | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 Totals | 58 | 42 | 138 | 130 | 18 | 39 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 34 | .300 | .331 | .508 |
Drysdale’s 1965 card is a bonafide cleanup hitter especially considering that LA’s #4 man Ron Fairly, hit 9 homers with a slugging percentage of .377. Manager Walter Alston recognized this. Drysdale came in as a pinch hitter 14 times in 1965 (replayers, keep this in mind!).
Drysdale has a clutch card with power numbers 1-5-5. In addition to his 55-7, he has four 8s which means he will hit especially well against Cs and Ds (more so than usual, I mean).
Watch out with runners on base. Drysdale has four 24s. He does have one 14 but it’s not at 45… he has a 36-14.
Finally, Don was blessed with a 13-22. Considering that Drysdale led the NL with 12 HBP from the mound, I wouldn’t be surprised if an opponent decided to return the favor.
Have a great New Year’s Day, everyone!!
I lived in LA in the early 60s and saw Drysdale several times. Needless to say, the guy was a good hitter as well as pitcher. He had a lot of opposite field power. I recall, for some reason, I remember only bits of games I watched, seeing him ripping a laser of a drive off Tony Cloninger off the right center field wall at Chavez Ravine. They did use him as a pinch hitter. Because he was hitting so well, he wanted them to bat him 4th or 5th in the lineup when he pitched, but Alston (I think he was the manager) wouldn’t do it.
How many pinch hits did Drysdale get in 1965? (I know he was used 14 times as a pinch hitter).