Books and articles about Dick Drago

Drago made the majors when he was picked by the Royals in the expansion draft, and he became the ace of their struggling staff. Improving with the rest of the team, he had his best season in 1971 (17-11, 3.01), but his record suffered when the team declined in 1972 (12-17 despite a 2.99 ERA). Boston acquired him for 1974, and in their AL championship season in 1975 he was their bullpen ace with 15 saves. He saved Games Two and Three as the Red Sox swept the A's in the ALCS, but lost Game Two of the World Series in the ninth inning on a Ken Griffey double. His three scoreless innings of one-hit ball in Game Six kept Boston in the game, and they won on Carlton Fisk's famous homer in the 12th inning.

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Traded to California for 1976 and then to Baltimore in mid-1977, he returned to the Red Sox for 1978 and had his last good season in 1979, going 10-6 with 13 saves. (SFS)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 15, 1966: Rocky Mount (Carolina League) teammates Dick Drago and Darrell Clark each pitch 7-inning no-hitters against Greensboro, Drago winning 5–0 in the opener. His roommate Clark wins 2–0 in the nightcap. » July 30, 1971: Frank Robinson's home run spoils a no-hit bid by the Royals Dick Drago, who loses, 1–0, in a rain-shortened game. Play is stopped with one out in the 5th. Robby's homer is the 493rd, tying him with Lou Gehrig for 11th place on the homer list. » July 1, 1973: At California, the Twins' Jim Kaat fires a one-hitter to beat the Angels, 2–1. Frank Robinson's home run in the 2nd is the only hit. This is the 2nd time in his career that Robby hits a home run to break up a no hitter: he did it July 30, 1971 against KC's Dick Drago. » October 12, 1975: Down 2–1 in the 9th inning, the Reds rally to win the World Series 2nd game 3–2. Concepcion's 2-out single off Dick Drago scores Bench with the tying run, and Griffey's double wins it. » July 20, 1976: Hank Aaron hits the 755th, and last, home run of his career, connecting off Dick Drago of the California Angels. Jerry Augustine wins for the Brewers, 6–2. » April 7, 1978: At Comiskey Park, 50,754 watch as the White Sox edge the Red Sox, 6–5, on Wayne Nordhagen's bloop double in the last of the 9th. Dick Drago, in relief of Mike Torrez, takes the loss, after allowing a game tying homer to Ron Blomberg and single to Chet Lemon. Larrin LeGrow is the winner. Carl Yastrzemski has two singles, the 11th straight opener he has had a hit. » April 14, 1978: In the Red Sox home opener, starter Dennis Eckersley pitches into the 10th inning before giving way to Dick Drago, Jim Rice's 395 foot single scores Butch Hobson with the winner in the bottom of the 10th, and Boston wins 5–4. » June 24, 1978: The Red Sox lose the first of two games with Minnesota, 5–4, to stretch their losing streak to five games. Rod Carew's 2-run double in the 6th inning, off Dick Drago, gives the Twins the 5–3 lead. In the nitecap, the Red Sox score four runs in the 6th inning to win, 4–2, overcoming the loss of starter Mike Torrez, who was tossed in the 1st inning for protesting a balk call. Carl Yastrzemski drives home a run, collecting his 1500th career RBI, and Carlton Fisk hits his 15th homer of the year. » June 27, 1978: New York's Graig Nettles belts a two-run homer in the 14th to give the Yankees a 6–4 win over the Red Sox. Dick Drago serves up Nettles' 13th homer of the year. Sparky Lyle (6–1) wins in relief. Ron Guidry (13-0) starts for NY and gives up eight hits in six innings. » September 29, 1978: Bob Stanley makes just his 3rd start of the year, shutting out the Blue Jays at Fenway, 11–0. Stanley has a one-hitter but Dick Drago takes over in the 7th as the two hurlers allow just three hits. Jim Rice's first inning double and 2nd inning single gives him 400 total bases for the year. He is the first player to reach that mark in the American League since Joe DiMaggio in 1937: Aaron had 400 in 1959. Lynn and Hobson both collect three hits. » April 10, 1980: In front of a crowd of 53,313, Sixto Lezcano hits two homers — a 2-run shot in the 4th off Dennis Eckersley — and a grand slam with two outs in the 9th inning, to give Milwaukee a 9–5 win over Boston and Dick Drago. Lezcano also opened the 1978 season with a grand slam, the only player to do it twice in Openers. The game features seven homers, including Carl Yastrzemski and Butch Hobson going deep in the 9th off Jim Slaton.