Orel Hershiser pitched 18 seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, and the New York Mets. He finished his career with 204 wins and a 3.48 ERA. However what most will remember about the righty will be the magical season he put together in 1988.
Regular Season
In 1988 Hershiser led the league in wins (23), innings pitched (267), complete games (15), and shutouts (8). Hershiser started the season winning his first six starts and pitched two complete games in those outings.
The now 63 year old was steady all season long, but he dominated towards the end of the season. The Dodgers pitcher finished the year with a record 59 consecutive scoreless innings pitched, breaking former Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale’s record of 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.
The Streak
The streak started on August 30, when Hershiser pitched four scoreless innings to end a game. The record was broken in the season’s final game when Hershiser notched ten shutout innings with 116 pitches. In Hershiser’s last ten starts of the 1988 season, nine were complete games.
“I remember last year, I think, somebody had a survey asking players what they thought the most unbeatable records are,” Hershiser told the Los Angeles Times in 1988. “I voted for [Drysdale’s scoreless-innings streak] first, because of all the circumstances [in which] they can score a run.”
Hershiser finished the season 23-8 with a 2.26 ERA. He also made the All-Star team and took home the NL Cy Young Award.
Post Season
In the NLCS against the New York Mets, Hershiser started games 1,3 and 7 and pitched in game 4 in relief to record a save. Then, in game 7, he threw a complete game shutout to advance the Dodgers to the World Series and was rightfully chosen as the NLCS MVP. In the NLCS, Hershiser pitched 24.2 innings and posted an ERA of 1.09.
The Dodgers faced the Oakland Athletics in the 1988 World Series. Hershiser pitched a shutout in game two, and in-game five, the series clincher, Hershiser pitched a complete game allowing only two runs. In the World Series, Hershiser had a 2-0 with an ERA of 1.00, pitched 18 innings, and two complete games to take home the World Series MVP.
The Buffalo, NY native is the only player to win the Cy Young Award, the NLCS MVP, and the World Series MVP in the same season. It was a magical season for Hershiser, and one of the best pitching performances from start to finish in league history.
Hershiser pitched for 18 years, finishing with a record of 204-104 Hershiser while also striking out 2,014 batters. In the playoffs, he compiled an equally impressive 8-3 record with a 2.59 ERA in 132 innings pitched.
As impressive as his complete body of work was, it’s hard to think of anything beyond 1988 when his name comes up in conversation.
-LaMarr Fields
Twitter: @raiderway83
Photo: Jimmyack205. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.