Dan Driessen
| Dan Driessen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First baseman | |||
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Born: July 29, 1951 Hilton Head Island, South Carolina |
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| MLB debut | |||
| June 9, 1973, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| October 3, 1987, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .267 | ||
| Home runs | 153 | ||
| Runs batted in | 763 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Daniel Driessen (born July 29, 1951 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina) is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played for five teams in his 15-year big-league career. He is best known as a member of the Cincinnati Reds "Big Red Machine" of the 1970s.
Driessen was one of eight children, all raised by their mother, who was a maid, after his father died when Dan was six years old. He attended Michael C. Riley High School (which did not have a baseball team) until his senior year. He then went to Hardeeville High School in Hardeeville, South Carolina, which also did not have a team, but he made a name for himself as a catcher with the town team, the Hardeeville Boll Weevils. His coach, Hal Young, wrote to Major League teams touting Driessen, and the Atlanta Braves and Reds showed interest. The Braves passed on him, but the Reds offered him a contract.
Driessen was signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent in 1969. He made his major-league debut at age 21 on June 9, 1973 in an 8-4 Reds win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Starting at third base and batting sixth, he had one hit and one walk in five at-bats. His first career hit was a ninth-inning double off Jack Aker.
He had a productive rookie season, hitting .301 with four home runs and 47 runs batted in. Driessen received the nickname "The Cobra" during his rookie season because of the quick, lethal way his bat struck. He became Cincinnati's starting third baseman in 1974, but was soon replaced at that position by Pete Rose.
In 1976, Driessen became the National League's first-ever designated hitter in a World Series. Although he went 0-4 in the series opener against the New York Yankees, overall he made the most of his opportunity by hitting .357 with five hits (including two doubles and a home run) and two walks in 16 plate appearances as the Reds swept the series for their second consecutive World Series crown. He was part of the Reds' 1975 World Series-winning team, going hitless in two at-bats in the Reds' seven-game win over the Boston Red Sox.
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