Orel Hershiser Biography

Orel Leonard Hershiser IV, born on September 16, 1958, played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1983 to 2000. He served as a pitching coach for the Texas Rangers from 2002 to 2005 and later became a broadcast color analyst for the Dodgers. After high school at Cherry Hill High School East and college at Bowling Green State University, he was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1979. During his early career with the Dodgers, he earned three All-Star selections and finished in the top five for the Cy Young Award four times. His standout season came in 1988 when he pitched 59 consecutive innings without allowing a run. After 12 seasons with the Dodgers, he played for the Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, and New York Mets before returning to Los Angeles for his final season. Known for his compact build and intense focus, he was nicknamed Bulldog by former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda.