Atlanta Daily World

Big Don Drysdale Striking Out Batters At Record Clip

Los Angeles Hurler May Topple Record Held By The Great Christy Mathewson

By JACK CUDDY

NEW YORK - (UPI) - Big Don Drysdale of the Dodgers striking out batters at the highest rate in modern national League history.

Whether he's doing it with a fireball or a "fearball," the towering righthander has registered a remarkable 140 strikeouts in 166 innings, this season, for an average of 8.64 strikeouts an inning.

That's better, even than the top National circuit mark of 8.47 chalked up by Dazzy Vance in the 1924 season for his 262 in 309 frames.

If young Don can continue at his current clip, he may establish not only a new strikeout average, but he may top the league's record 267 for a season, set by Christy Mathewson with the New York Giants in 367 innings, 1903.

Bob Feller set the major league record for most strikeouts, 348, with Cleveland in 1946. He did it in 371 innings, at an amazing 9.38 clip.

BATTERS CLAIM DUST-OFF

Six-foot-six Don, who'll be 23 on July 23, is clicking off his strikeouts to the accompaniment of wails from opposing batsmen who claim he's been trying to dust them off.

The blue-eyed, brown-haired giant from Van Nuys, Calif., defends shyly by saying he's merely trying to "brush them back" when they crowd the plate, and that he's not throwing at them-not dustin' them off.

Whether he's brushin' or dustin', one thing's certain: Don staged a comeback this season that's helped mightily in boosting Los Angeles back into pennant contention.

He's credited with 10 wins against six defeats, thus far. That's a lot better than the pace he set last season when, out of shape, he started off 1-7 and wound up 12-13.

Incidentally, he registered 131 strikeouts for the full 1958 campaign. That's less than his current 140 for about half this season.

KEEPS IN SHAPE

The Dodgers' dive to seventh place last year and his own poor performances taught Don a lasting lesson, he told friends. Despite his size, power and repertoire of deliveries, he discovered that he had to keep in all-round good physical shape during the off-season and also had to keep his right arm in condition by a little easy off-season pitching.

Out of shape at the start of the '58 schedule, he discovered an unhappy combination of (1) being unable to warm up quickly and (2) an arm that tired easily.

In 1957, when he won 17 and lost nine with Brooklyn, he was in excellent condition. He required only seven or eight pitches to warm up. But last season, he was taking 25 or more.

Manager Walt Alston is delighted with Don's return to form this year. Walt knows the big fellow is one of the greatest competitors on the mound he ever saw.

Although Drysdale is shy and soft-spoken off the mound, he changes to a menacing, sharp-tempered chap when he starts to pitch.

He refused to let rival batters crowd the plate-lest that give them an advantage over him and his Dodger mates. So-with angry scowls and menacing motions--he brushes them back, and is earning the title of "mean one" as he strikes them out.