Don Drysdale: Up and In
The Life of a Dodgers Legend
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- USD 15.99
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- USD 15.99
Publisher Description
The definitive biography of Dodgers legend Don Drysdale Larger than Life. In the history of American sports, rare is the athlete who fits that description better than Don Drysdale. On the mound, the towering 6-foot-5 righthander intimidated National League hitters for more than a decade, amassing career totals of 209 wins, 2,486 strikeouts… and hitting 154 batters, a stat he lead the major leagues in four times. Off the field, Drysdale's personality dominated every room he walked into. With a smile as immense as the sun, Drysdale's contemporaries included Frank Sinatra and Howard Cosell. In Up and In, longtime Orange County Register sportswriter Mark Whicker takes readers on a remarkable journey through Drysdale's life and career. Featuring exclusive interviews with Drysdale's teammates, broadcasting, and colleagues, this new biography paints a complete portrait of an unparalleled baseball life – from Drysdale's early years in Van Nuys to his sudden passing in 1993 at age 56.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sportswriter Whicker debuts with an affectionate biography of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale (1936–1993). Drysdale joined the Bakersfield Indians, the Dodgers' Class C team, in his late teens and finished his first season with an 8–5 record. Despite his "fiery" temper (he was once kicked out of a game for disputing balls and strikes), Drysdale moved up to the majors in 1956 and became known for intentionally pitching at batters' heads to intimidate them. Whicker notes that in contrast to contemporary pitchers, Drysdale excelled as a batter, hitting 29 homers over his 14 seasons in the majors. Elsewhere, Whicker covers Drysdale's forays into acting, which included guest appearances on Leave It to Beaver and Lawman, as well as his postretirement stints in the broadcasting booth for ABC and, in his later years, the Dodgers. There's not much on Drysdale's personal life, and the narrative sometimes meanders, as when Whicker devotes the bulk of a chapter to the ill fates that befell batters hit by pitches thrown by Drysdale's near contemporaries, but the reverent tone will appeal to Dodgers fans ("When Drysdale walked to the top of a mound, it seemed to grow and rise, and everyone in the ballpark knew anything was possible"). This gets the job done.
