During a three-week stretch of time between mid-May and early June of 1968, L.A. Dodgers right-hander Don Drysdale turned in a record-breaking performance. He set a major league record that many thought would ever be broken by pitching six consecutive shutouts stretching from May 14th versus the Cubs until June 4th against the Pirates, and was already nearly through the fifth inning of his seventh straight start before he yielded a single run. He recorded 58-and-two-thirds innings of scoreless pitching, breaking the old mark of 56 scoreless innings that was set by the late, great Walter Johnson. Drysdale’s remarkable streak finally ended in the fifth inning of the team’s 5-3 win against the Phillies on June 8 at Dodger Stadium. Despite the streak coming to an end, Drysdale still earned his seventh consecutive win. A sacrifice fly to left field by Phillies’ journeyman outfielder Howie Bedell snapped the streak. Drysdale struck out 46 batters during the awe-inspiring period of time. Twenty years later, another Dodgers’ ace, Orel Hershiser, set the new major league record by pitching 59 consecutive innings without allowing a run.
This lot features seven specially crafted and engraved German beer steins that commemorate Big D’s seven starts during the record-breaking feat. Each of the steins’ decorative metal lids include specific engraving for each of the seven starts. The first stein’s lid reads: “May 14, 1968, Dodgers 1 – Cubs 0” and all of the subsequent five shutouts are done in similar fashion. Each of the first six steins measure approximately nine inches tall, while the seventh and final stein, which stands six inches tall, reads: “June 8, 1968, Dodgers 5 – Phillies 3 (Scored in 5th Inning).” The final stein marks the end of the fantastic streak with the fateful fifth inning called out.
Includes LOA from the Drysdale Family.