MOST, not all, of Orel Hershiser’s National League highlights came when he wore a Dodgers uniform. Hershiser pitched 31/3 scoreless innings in relief of Masato Yoshii in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the Braves last Oct. 17, a 4-3, 15-inning Mets victory.
“That game will stay with me not only because of the way I pitched, but because my 11-year-old son [Jordan] was the batboy for the entire game,” said Hershiser, who announced his retirement Thursday. Hershiser came back and tossed a scoreless inning of relief two days later in a 10-9, Game 6 loss.
He didn’t have a great deal of talent left at that point, but he had as much bulldog as ever in him. Tommy Lasorda gave Hershiser that nickname early in his career.
“I was very disappointed with the way he pitched against Houston and I called him in my office and told him I wanted him to act like a bulldog,” Lasorda said. “Not only did he act like a bulldog, he acted like one that was mad all the time when he was on that hill of thrills.”