Don Elston
Encyclopedia
Donald Ray Elston (April 6, 1929 - January 2, 1995) was a pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played for the Chicago Cubs
(1953, 1957, 1958–64) and Brooklyn Dodgers
(1957). Elston batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Campbellstown
, Ohio
.
A hard-thrower pitcher, Elston played for perennially weak Chicago Cubs teams for most of his nine-year major league career. He began as a starter
, but after switching to the bullpen
, he became one of the best relievers
in the National League
. He led the league with 69 relief appearances in , setting a club mark, and In , he tied with teammate Bill Henry
with 65 appearances for the league lead. In that season Elston had a career-high 10 victories and was selected for the All-Star Game. He came in the ninth inning of the first game to preserve a 5–4 victory over the American League
.
In 450 career games, Elston posted a 49-54 record with a 3.70 ERA
and 63 saves
.
Elston died in Arlington Heights, Illinois
, at the age of 65.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(1953, 1957, 1958–64) and Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(1957). Elston batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Campbellstown
Preble County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 42,337 people, 16,001 households, and 12,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 100 people per square mile . There were 17,186 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
A hard-thrower pitcher, Elston played for perennially weak Chicago Cubs teams for most of his nine-year major league career. He began as a starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
, but after switching to the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
, he became one of the best relievers
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. He led the league with 69 relief appearances in , setting a club mark, and In , he tied with teammate Bill Henry
Bill Henry
William Rodman Henry is a retired American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, he appeared in Major League Baseball between and for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros...
with 65 appearances for the league lead. In that season Elston had a career-high 10 victories and was selected for the All-Star Game. He came in the ninth inning of the first game to preserve a 5–4 victory over the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
.
In 450 career games, Elston posted a 49-54 record with a 3.70 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
and 63 saves
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
.
Elston died in Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census....
, at the age of 65.
Quotation
- Elroy FaceRoy FaceElroy Leon Face is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953–1969, pitching primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates...
was 18-1 with PittsburghPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in 1959. I was traveling with the Cubs. The Cubs had two relief pitchers: right-hander Don Elston and left-hander Bill Henry. They were constantly protecting leads and no one even knew about it. The year Elroy Face was 18-1 he blew 10 leads. Did you know that? But they had such a good-hitting team they came back in the last inning and won the game for him. Elston and Henry were terrific. – Jerome HoltzmanJerome HoltzmanJerome Holtzman was an American sportswriter known for his writings on baseball who served as the official historian for Major League Baseball from 1999 until his death.-Newspaper career:...
, Hall of Fame writer and MLB official historian http://www.theheckler.com/index.php?page=05-07-HoltzmanInterview&idrub=18&idsite=1