A
long while back in the beginning of this blog I created a
“career-capping” 1970 card for Don Drysdale, also imagining if the star
righthander didn’t retire at the young age of 32.
Today I go one year further and create a fantasy 1971 card for “Double-D”:
Though retiring at such a young age, Drysdale still collected 209 wins along with a 2.95 earned run average and 2486 strikeouts.
Imagine if he were able to pitch another three or four years. Would we
be looking at a 300-win guy? Most assuredly a 3000 strikeout pitcher for
sure.
Nevertheless, his accomplishments in such a short time were good enough
for the BBWAA to elect him into the Hall of Fame in 1984, joining old
teammate Sandy Koufax and eventually joined by Don Sutton.
Drysdale took home the Cy Young in 1962 while pacing the Senior Circuit
in wins, starts, innings and strikeouts, while also posting one of his
NINE sub-3.00 ERA campaigns.
Tough as nails when on the mound, he was named to eight All-Star Games,
and of course had that magical run in 1968 when he threw 58 2/3
consecutive scoreless innings, including six straight shutouts.