Myron Walter Drabowsky (July 21, 1935 – June 10, 2006) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for eight teams: the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago White Sox. He was a two-time World Series champion (1966, 1970) and was also widely known as one of baseball's most accomplished practical jokers.
Early Life
Drabowsky was born Mirosław Drabowski in Ozanna, Poland. His mother was an American citizen, and the family fled to the United States in 1938 as Adolf Hitler began mobilizing in Eastern Europe. They settled in Wilson, Connecticut. He attended the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut, where he had an 8–0 record with a no-hitter as a senior. He later studied economics at Trinity College in Hartford, where he threw another no-hitter for the varsity baseball team. He was signed as a bonus baby by the Chicago Cubs in 1956.
MLB Career
Chicago Cubs (1956–1960)
Drabowsky debuted on August 7, 1956. In 1957, his first full season, he went 13–15 with a 3.53 ERA and tied for second in the National League with 170 strikeouts. On May 13, 1958, he surrendered Stan Musial's 3,000th career hit. An elbow injury suffered on July 11, 1958, curtailed his effectiveness. He was traded to the Milwaukee Braves after the 1960 season.
Milwaukee Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Athletics (1961–1965)
Drabowsky struggled during this period, bouncing between teams and spending time in the minor leagues. On July 13, 1963, he was the losing pitcher when Early Wynn earned his 300th career victory. He was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the Rule 5 draft on November 29, 1965.
Baltimore Orioles (1966–1968)
The move to Baltimore was a turning point. Drabowsky became a full-time relief pitcher and was part of one of the best bullpens of the 1960s alongside Stu Miller, Dick Hall, and Eddie Fisher. He posted ERAs of 2.81 (1966), 1.60 (1967), and 1.91 (1968).
In Game 1 of the 1966 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Drabowsky entered in the third inning with the bases loaded and one out. He pitched 6⅔ scoreless innings, striking out 11 batters—a World Series record for a relief pitcher—and tying the record of six consecutive strikeouts. The Orioles swept the Dodgers in four games.
Later Career (1969–1972)
Drabowsky was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the expansion draft after the 1968 season. He won the first game in Royals franchise history on April 8, 1969, and led American League relief pitchers with 11 wins that season. He was traded back to Baltimore in June 1970 and won his second World Series ring as the Orioles defeated the Cincinnati Reds in five games. He finished his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox in 1972.
Career Statistics
Over 17 seasons, Drabowsky compiled an 88–105 win–loss record, a 3.71 earned run average, 54 saves, and 1,162 strikeouts over 1,641 innings pitched in 589 games (154 starts). He threw 33 complete games and 6 shutouts.
Practical Jokes
Drabowsky was renowned for his elaborate pranks. He frequently placed snakes in teammates' lockers, made prank phone calls from bullpen phones (including impersonating manager Alvin Dark to order a pitcher to warm up), and gave Commissioner Bowie Kuhn a hotfoot during the 1970 World Series celebration. He once ordered takeout food from a Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong using the bullpen phone at Anaheim Stadium. Jim Bouton wrote in Ball Four that "there is no bigger flake in organized baseball than Drabowsky."
Post-Playing Career and Death
After retiring, Drabowsky worked for an envelope company and a communications firm before returning to baseball as a coach. He served as pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox (1986), coached in their minor league system, was the Chicago Cubs' pitching coach (1994), and later worked as a minor league pitching instructor for the Baltimore Orioles in Florida for over a decade. He was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. Drabowsky died on June 10, 2006, in Little Rock, Arkansas, at age 70, following a six-year battle with multiple myeloma.
