Baseball: The Departure of Big D

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Greasy Kid Stuff. Drysdale's reputation was built on more than statistics. His penchant for throwing "dusters" prompted Atlanta Braves Slugger Hank Aaron to label him a "mean" pitcher, and San Francisco Manager Herman Franks hinted last year that Drysdale had more on the ball than honest sweat. That led to Drysdale's "greasy kid stuff" commercial,* which still regularly appears on television. His boyish visage and brash charm also won him spots on The Rifleman and the Donna Reed Show, and he once sang with Milton Berle in a Las Vegas nightclub. He also owns a rich stable of race horses, two of which he keeps on his Hidden Hills ranch in the San Fernando Valley. That enterprise helped make him one of the richest ballplayers in the game. In fact, by 1966 he was in so comfortable a financial position that he and Koufax were able to hold out for an unprecedented dual contract for $1,000,000 over three years (Drysdale eventually settled for a one-year, $115,000 contract of his own).

There are a few who suspect that Drysdale can be lured out of retirement for the 1970 season. Dr. Robert Woods, the Dodger physician, noted that the big pitcher's injury "could heal in several months." Teammate Maury Wills, who quit earlier this year and then returned shortly thereafter, insists that "I know Don is not finished. I think he will be anxious to show up at spring training next year and see if he can come back." Not a chance, says Drysdale. "I'm going to miss it," he says. "Quitting has left me with an empty feeling. But this is final. I'm through."