Orel Hershiser overcame the odds to become one of the Dodgers' best Pitchers, as 17th Round Selections are not expected to be great.
Hershiser debuted for Los Angeles in 1983 and was in the starting rotation a year later, eventually supplanting Fernando Valenzuela as the staff ace with a 19-3 year in 1985, which also featured a third-place Cy Young finish with a 2.03 ERA.
From 1987 to 1989, Hershiser was named to the All-Star Game, with the middle seasons seeing the Buffalo native throw one of the best seasons in Dodgers history. Hershiser won the Cy Young and led the NL in Wins (23) and Innings Pitched (267) while also earning a Gold Glove. He led Los Angeles to a World Series win, capturing both the NLCS and World Series MVP, dominating all playoff performances.
A torn labrum kept Hershiser out of most of 1990 and half of 1991, though when he returned he was no longer the top hurler he once was. Hershiser was still a competent starter and valuable to the team, but he left the Dodgers for Cleveland as a Free Agent in 1995. He had one last run in 2000 with the Dodgers, but his time had passed, and he was released that summer.
Hershiser had a record of 135 and 107 with 1,455 Strikeouts and an ERA of 3.12.
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