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Don Drysdale
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Don Drysdale: Up and In Discussion
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Brina
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rated it 4 stars
Feb 26, 2025 06:21PM
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I don't have the capacity to read for long periods at a time. I'm at the 1959 world series.
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Don't have access to this title so have recommended to our library's Libby titles. Brina; read your review. Great review!
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Here is my review of the Drysdale biography. I apologize if I'm a bit prudish, but I am particular about whom I idolize.I expected more from this biography than I got. perhaps it is because I lived through the Drysdale years and followed the team closely. Drysdale was part of the duet of Koufax and Drysdale-the most imposing and dominant one two punch of the era. In the 1963 World Series, for instance, the Yankees scored a total of four runs and batted.171 in the four games. Koufax, Drysdale, and Podres pitched 35 and a third of the thirty-six innings. I learned very little from the read, most of which came from magazine and newspaper articles. In fact, the book reads like a long exclusive SI piece. That is not to say that the book isn't entertaining, because it is. It just doesn't compare to great biographies like The Kid by Ben Bradlee Jr., Billy Martin by Bill Pennington or Sandy Koufax and Mickey Mantle by Jane Leavy to name a few.
We learn very little about Drysdale's youth, and we get little insight into what made him tick. Who may have helped form his personality and drive? What was his family life as a child? On the one hand, the author dives immediately into the highlights of his life with the first chapter rather than detailing unnecessary facts of his youth or surroundings. But I needed a bit more of his makeup.
Drysdale pitched in baseball's golden age-in 1956. His road roommate at age nineteen was fellow Hall of Famer and Dodger great Gil Hodges. He was described by his peers as "A man's man"-he drank hard, was tough, and lived life like every day could be his last. When I read that he ate liver and onions and a couple of beers for breakfast, I could understand why he died at age fifty-six.
The author doesn't judge whether " a man's man "was an apt capsulation of Drysdale 's life. I have no doubt that it was apt for the 60's. Nevertheless, I'm going to be judgmental. No doubt he was fun to be around and admired as a competitor. But my perception differs. I prefer the taciturn Sandy Koufax. Drysdale was a hard drinker, proposed to Ann Meyers on the third date while he was seemingly happily married to Ginger. And oh, by the way, Ginger accused him of beating her on more than thirty occasions. I was also struck by the callousness with which Drysdale deliberately hit batters. I know it was a different game then, but he didn't just brush back hitters. He hit them to intimidate them. If Walter Alston would visit the mound to tell Drysdale to intentionally walk a batter, Drysdale would say, "why waste four pitches" and just hit the batter. Moreover, as Director of Pitching development for the Dodgers, he actually schooled younger pitchers on where and how to hit batters as part of their repertoire. And then there is the notorious spit ball that he used. So nefarious was that practice that he made a television commercial for Vitalis as a greaseless product to mock his use of foreign substances. So, my perception of him may be naive or too judgmental, but he was no Christy Mathewson.
I'd did enjoy the chapter on the 1968 record breaking six consecutive shutouts over 58 and two thirds' innings. The author, I think, rightly suggests that this accomplishment (later broken by Orel Hershiser), catapulted Drysdale over the hump into Cooperstown. So, it's 3.5 stars for me- good, but not special.
Interesting trivia: I had no idea that Gene Mauch The Little general was best friends with Drysdale and was his best man at his wedding. That seems like an odd couple, although both were fierce competitors.On the night that Drysdale had his sixth consecutive shutout, RFK congratulated him in his own celebratory win in the 68 primary for President in California. Of course, a bit later RFK was assassinated.
In the 1965 season, the Dodgers offense was so bad that they scored either one run or no runs in 17% of their games.
I forgot to say that I loved the titles of each chapter in the book. All were songs made famous by the Chairman of the Board Frank Sinatra.
Harold; Great review. Even though you and Brina had different takes on this bio I would probably read if our library purchases for Libby.
Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Harold; Great review. Even though you and Brina had different takes on this bio I would probably read if our library purchases for Libby."It is definitely worth your time.
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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Brina wrote: "I read the whole book today. She touches on her courtship and marriage to Don and how she navigated being a working single mother after his death. Here is my review. https://www.goodreads.com/rev..."
Brina; Fabulous review! Having graduated 1967 my generation was able to experience how important Title IX was in changing sports.
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Lance wrote: "Link to the review on my site: https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20..."Lance; Great review! Hoping our library gets this title for Libby Kindle.
As I said Lance, he pieced together news and magazine articles.
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