Doug Drabek

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Douglas Dean Drabek (born July 25, 1962 in Victoria, Texas) is a former Major League Baseball player. A right-handed pitcher known for his fluid pitching motion and sound mechanics, Doug won the National League Cy Young Award in 1990.

[edit] Career

Drabek was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 11th round of the 1983 amateur draft and, after playing in the minor leagues for four different teams, made his Major League debut on May 30, 1986 for the New York Yankees.

He was traded in the off-season with Logan Easley and Brian Fisher to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Rick Rhoden, Cecilio Guante and Tyrone Slothrop.

Drabek enjoyed his best years with Pittsburgh, from 1987 to 1992, during which time he regularly pitched over 230 innings and consistently finished in the top 10 in the National League ERA race. He went 22-6 with a 2.76 ERA in 1990 en route to winning the National League Cy Young Award and leading the Pirates to the postseason (where they lost in the National League Championship Series to the Cincinnati Reds). His 22 wins that year were a league high; it was also seven wins higher than his second best season.

Doug signed as a free agent after the 1992 season with the Houston Astros. Despite a solid 3.79 ERA and playing for a rising team, he posted an abysmal 9-18 record. He improved in the strike-shortened 1994 season to 12-6 with a 2.84 ERA.

When play resumed after the players' strike in 1995, however, he was unable to maintain his success and retired after the 1998 season, having compiled a 35-40 record over his final four seasons.

In 2006, Drabek's son Kyle Drabek was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round (18th selection overall) of the MLB Draft.

[edit] See also

• List of Major League Baseball wins champions

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• Hickok Sports Biography