This day in Los Angeles Dodgers history saw Don Drysdale and Brooklyn legend Pee Wee Reese inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame during a ceremony held in Cooperstown on August 12, 1984.
That year’s Hall of Fame class also included Harmon Killebrew and Luis Aparicio via Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) voting. Additionally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984 were Rick Ferrell and Reese by way of the Veterans Committee.
Drysdale, who was born and grew up in Van Nuys, California, made his MLB debut for the Dodgers in 1956 at the age of 19. Drysdale played his first two seasons in Brooklyn before the team moved to Los Angeles, where he finished out the entirety of his 14-year career.
During that time, Drysdale won 209 games while yielding a 2.95 ERA and 1.15 WHIP to go along with 2,486 strikeouts.
He was named an All-Star nine times, and won World Series in 1959, 1963 and 1965. Plus, the famed right-hander won the National League Cy Young Award in 1962 when he went 25-9 with a 2.83 ERA, 2.86 FIP and 1.11 WHIP.
In 1968, Drysdale set MLB records with six consecutive shutouts and 58.2 consecutive scoreless innings. The latter record was broken by fellow Dodgers hurler Orel Hershiser 20 years later.
Drysdale retired after the 1969 season, and in addition to being elected into the Hall of Fame, had his No. 53 retired by the Dodgers in July 1984.
Reese played 16 seasons, all with the Dodgers. From 1947 to 1956, he appeared in no fewer than 140 games and was one of the pillars of the franchise. Reese wasn’t an MVP-level player, but he was what embodied that caliber teammate and role model.
Reese enlisted in the Navy following the 1942 season and returned to the Dodgers in 1946. He was part of seven pennants and one World Series title in his career, but as impactful as Reese was while in a Dodgers uniform, his actions and relationships with his teammates, namely Jackie Robinson, are what made him so special.
During his Hall of Fame career, Reese batted .269/.366/.377 with 330 doubles, 80 triples, 126 home runs, 885 RBI and 232 stolen bases in 2,166 games.
Reese was a 10-time All-Star and received MVP votes in 13 different seasons. His 2,014 games at shortstop are the most in Dodgers history, and he additionally holds other franchise records in runs (1,338) and walks (1,210).
Most recent Dodgers Hall of Famer
The most prominent former Dodgers player who was last inducted into the Hall of Fame is Gil Hodges in 2022.
Fred McGriff, who spent the 2003 season with the Dodgers, was part of the 2023 Hall of Fame class.
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