Orel Hershiser

Who is Orel Hershiser?

Orel Hershiser IV is a retired Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played 18 seasons from 1983 to 2000. Orel Hershiser eventually worked as a color analyst on television and as a professional poker player.

He has excelled at every level he has played at and has won baseball’s highest titles, including World Series, American, and National League Champion.

People think you’re a tough nut to crack despite your rugged exterior and fiery nature.

Similarly, Orel, a retired American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 2000, qualifies.

However, we know very little about the entertaining and fascinating other half of his personality; so, we plunge you into his deeper milestone days.

The former baseball player began his career in high school and has appeared in 18 MLB seasons to date.

He earned many exploits and awards while playing for teams such as the Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Hershiser, Orel
Hershiser, Orel
After announcing his retirement, he served as a coach and team executive for the Texas Rangers before becoming a television color analyst for ESPN and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Aside from his work, he motivates us to be someone outside of our comfort zone, and we desire to be like him.

“I’m living proof that extraordinary things can happen to regular people who work hard and never give up.”

Orel Hershiser | Childhood

Hershiser was born on September 16, 1958, under the Virgo star sign to parents Orel Leonard Hershiser III and Mildred Hershiser.

His hometown is Buffalo, New York, and he has a younger brother named Gordie Hershiser.

His father was also a baseball coach and league organizer, while his mother used to operate the snack bar they owned.

Furthermore, Hershiser’s family relocated from a variety of locations, the first of which occurred when he was six years old when they relocated to Detroit, Michigan.

Following that, when he was twelve, they relocated to Toronto, Canada, then a few years later, to New Jersey.

Amateur Sports and Education

Hershiser has had a strong interest in gaming since childhood, which is why he began playing at a young age.

As a result, he competed in inter-school and state-level tournaments.

As a result, we may assume that he had a great foundation in games because he finished third in a national hit, run, and throws competition when he was eight years old.

He started him in Little League Baseball before his shift at the age of twelve, and when they moved to Canada, he started him in ice hockey.

He was a member of the Don Mills Flyers of the Greater Toronto Hockey League at the time.

They moved to New Jersey when he finished elementary school, and he attended Cherry Hill School East.

He started as a freshman, progressed to junior varsity, and could only make it to the varsity team after his junior year.

During his final years, Hershiser maintained his image by setting a strikeout record in 1976, when he struck out 15 batters in a single game.

He also starred as the main character while posting the highest strikeout rates, earned run averages, and winning percentages.

In fact, because of his spotless records over the years, he was named an all-conference selection.

More Facts About Orel Hershiser

College

However, as a student at Bowling Green State University, his academic performance was subpar, leaving him ineligible to play baseball.

As a result, he was only eligible for a partial scholarship, making it impossible for him to continue his education.

Having said that, he did not leave; instead, he enrolled in summer school and began furthering his education while working for his father’s paper company.

During the same time period, he improved his game by adding 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) to his fastball as his weight gain (15 pounds / 6.8 kg) aided him.

Following that, on May 4, 1979, he began his career against Kent State, where he recorded a no-hitter with an all-Mid-American Conference All-Star team.

He struck out two hitters in the entire game and won the game 2-0.

Professional Career of Orel Hershiser

He was taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 17th round of the 1979 Major League Baseball draft after becoming enthused about a hoax of getting into the minor league.

His talents were questioned in his report, which led to him having a weak fastball, an improper curveball, and making easy mistakes.

As a result, Hershiser made his professional debut with the Clinton Dodgers, a Class A farm team in the Midwest League.

During his stint, he appeared in 11 games, starting four of them, and finished the 1979 season with a 4-0 record and a 2.09 ERA.

Minor League Baseball

Orel was assigned to the San Antonio Dodgers of the Texas League in AA the following season, where he appeared as a reliever (a pitcher).

According to Hershiser, this season was his worst since he allowed 20 runs in seven innings, prompting him to consider retiring.

His management, on the other hand, was encouraging enough to keep him continuing.

Following that, in 1982, he was promoted to the Pacific Coast League’s Triple-A Albuquerque Dukes, where he started seven of 47 games and earned a 3.71 ERA.

The next year, Hershiser was named the best rookie in spring training and received the Mulvey Award.

Following that, he was assigned to Albuquerque, where he appeared in 49 games, starting 10, and with a 4.09 ERA for the Dukes.

In addition, he had 16 saves that season.

The year is 1983.

Hershiser made his major league debut on September 1, 1983, with the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Montreal Expos, and he played in 8 games.

He had an ERA of 3.38 towards the conclusion of the month, despite retiring three batters in a game.

He finished the season by playing in the Dominican Republic’s winter ball, where he worked with coach Dave Wallace on his pitching delivery.

The year is 1984

Orel appeared mostly as a long reliever on the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster at the start of the new season.

With the season came his moniker “Bulldog,” as he was extremely hesitant in the field, offering considerably more respect to the batters.

That season, his first win came on April 5 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 12-inning game.

After a lot of verbal abuse, Orel toughened up and only allowed one run during May’s gameplay.

At the same time, he was promoted to full-time starter in the Dodger rotation following the injury of Jerry Reuss.

By the end of the season, he had started 20 of the 45 games he had pitched in, with a 2.66 ERA.

The year is 1985

He made his debut start in the National League in 1985, and he went on to have a big winning streak, finishing 19-3 with a 2.03 ERA.

On the one side, Hershiser guided the Dodgers to the NL West title and finished third in Cy Young voting.

He did, however, pitch in the 1985 National League Championship Series.

To summarize the year 1986, he posted a 16-16 record with a 3.06 ERA while appearing in his first All-Star Game. Orel then underwent an emergency appendectomy.

The year was 1988

Hershiser had a winning streak and one of the great years in 1988 when all he did was win trophies and leave his skills for the others.

Initially, Orel started the season normally, but since August 30, he has been on an unbroken streak, leading the season with 23 wins, 267 innings, 8 shutouts, and 15 complete games.

Second, he eclipsed former Dodger Don Drysdale’s record of 59 consecutive shutout innings while ranking third in ERA (2.26) at the same time.

He also appeared in his second All-Star game and was nominated for the National League Cy Young Award.

Third, he won the Gold Glove Award and appeared in the 1988 National League Championship Series against the New York Mets.

Finally, he was named the NLCS MVP in Game 7 after winning the World Series MVP Award in Game 5.

By the end of the season, Hershiser had been named The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year, as well as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year.

He became the only player in history to win the Cy Young Award, the Championship Series MVP Award, and the World Series MVP Award all in the same season.

The year was 1989

The Dodgers signed Orel to a three-year, $7.9 million contract at the start of the season, which was the most expensive three-year contract at the time.

He appeared in 35 games this season and had an ERA of 2.31.

However, the gameplay was subpar owing to a lack of skilled teammates and a lack of offensive assistance.

The year was 1990

Hershiser missed a few games this season due to a torn labrum, and he underwent shoulder reconstruction surgery on April 27 under the supervision of Dr. Frank Jobe.

Thus, it was in May 1991 that he returned and began his games.

The year was 1991

On June 9, he won his 100th career game against the Chicago Cubs, and he finished the season with 21 starts and a 3.46 ERA.

He was named the UPI Comeback Player of the Year by the end of the season.

Years 1992 and 1993

Even until 1992, he had an impact on his surgery, which caused his performance to differ slightly.

In both years, he appeared in 33 games and had a 3.67 ERA and a 3.59 ERA in 1992 and 1993, respectively.

Despite his efforts and hardships, he won the Silver Slugger Award in 1993, with 83 plate appearances.

The year was 1994

Hershiser became a free agent in 1994 after his contract with the Dodgers expired due to his participation in the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Indians of Cleveland

The year was 1995

On April 8, the Cleveland Indians signed Orel Hershiser to a three-year contract after General Manager John Hart praised his “character and competitiveness.”

Orel appeared for the Indians in the 1995 American League Championship Series (ALCS) against the Seattle Mariners.

During the same game, he was named ALCS MVP.

He had started 26 games with a 3.87 ERA by the end of the season.

The year was 1997

He had a 14-6 record as he proceeded to the 1997 season.

Overall, he appeared in three seasons for the Indians and served as an inspiration (or, as some may say, a folk hero) for them.

The year was 1998

In 1997, he signed a one-year, $3.45 million contract with the San Francisco Giants.

As a result, he pitched for the Giants in 1998, posting a 4.41 ERA in 34 starts.

The year was 1999

On February 20, he signed a minor league contract with the Indians to play in 1999.

Following that, on March 25, he signed with the New York Mets, where he posted a 4.58 ERA in 32 starts.

He also played in the 1999 National League Championship Series with the New York Mets.

The Millennium

On December 17, 1999, he signed a one-year contract with the Dodgers, and the season began on April 14 against the Reds.

Unfortunately, this was his poorest year in terms of ERA, as he only recorded 13.14.

Orel Hershiser | After Retirement

The Dodgers fired Hershiser on June 26, 2000, and he stayed as a player-personnel consultant.

He then resigned from the role and began working as a broadcaster.

During the 2000-2001 season, he worked for ABC and ESPN on the Little League World Series, and he appeared on ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball.

Orel began as a special assistant to General Manager John Hart in the fall of 2001, and he began as a pitching coach on June 2, 2002.

ESPN

He remained a coach until 2005 when he was promoted to Executive Director of the Rangers 2006.

Following that, Orel rejoined ESPN as an analyst for Baseball Tonight, Sunday Night Baseball, and the Little League World Series.

Hershiser joined the Dodgers’ new regional sports network SportsNet LA as a television analyst in 2014.

Since 2017, he has worked as a major broadcast team member for Dodger baseball, with Joe Davis. He also worked as an announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pitching Stats for Orel Hershiser

Pitching is the most essential aspect of the game, as it affects the entire game.

As for Hershiser, he has his own strategies for making it work, and he knows his throwing better, as he noted in 1989.

Hershiser has a sinking fastball to either side of the plate, a cutter (which changes the path of his fastball, causing it to break instead of sinking), a curveball with three speeds and three angles, and a straight change.

Furthermore, his sinker resembles batting practice fastballs.

MLB Statistics

Season Level G GS IP K% BB% ERA FIP WAR

Total MLB 510 466 3130.1 15.3% 7.7% 3.48 3.69 48.0

Fangraphs has further information about his statistics.

Orel Hershiser | Achievements & Highlights

• Three All-Stars (1987–1989)
• Champion of the World Series (1988)
• National League Cy Young Award (1988)
• MVP of the World Series (1988)
• LCS MVP No. 2 (1988 & 1995)
• Gold Glove Recognition (1988)
• Silver Slugger Trophy (1993)
• NL is the new leader (1988)

59 consecutive scoreless innings pitched in Major League Baseball

The baseball player has boundless skill; he even began playing poker in 2006 after becoming friends with a poker instructor in Summerlin, Nevada.

Orel began his poker career with $2-$5 No-Limit Hold’em after signing with Poker Royalty.

Poker

His most notable performance occurred in 2008 when he defended the champions Ted Forrest, Allen Cunningham, and Freddy Deeb in the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship under the PokerStars banner.

Following that, he competed in the World Series of Poker in 2008 and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in 2009. In 2008, he made $54,570 during his time here.

Books

Orel has enjoyed a charmed existence and has written novels along the way, including;

Jerry B. Jenkins and Orel Hershiser (Out of The Blue in 1989)

Hershiser, Orel (Between The Lines: Nine Things Baseball Taught Me About Life in 2002)

Orel Hershiser Net Worth & Salary

Hershiser is expected to have a net worth of $20 million by 2022.

In 2015, he listed his two-story Las Vegas home for $1 million.

The house was built in 2004 in the Red Rock Country Club subdivision and has a view of the golf course.

The interior of the luxurious home had stone floors and vaulted ceilings, as well as four bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining hall, as well as bathrooms.

The house was 4,100 square feet in size.

Social Media & Family

Hershiser married Jamie Byars for the first time in 1981, while he was playing in San Antonio.

They met for the first time at a team party, and they married within six months.

Their early years were uneventful, but they divorced in 2005 because they couldn’t keep their marriage together.

In exchange, he has two boys from his first marriage, Orel Leonard V (nicknamed Quinton) and Jordan Hershiser.

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Later, in 2005, he met his second wife, educational specialist Dana Deaver, in Minneapolis while Dana was on a business trip.

The couple began dating in 2008 and married in the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas in 2010.

Sloane Hershiser is their new daughter.

@orelhershiser55 on Instagram

@OrelHershiser on Twitter