John Purdin

John Nolan Purdin

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 185 lb.

• Debut September 16, 1964
• Final Game August 1, 1969
• Born July 16, 1942 in Lynx, OH USA
• Died March 28, 2010 in Charleston, SC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

John Purdin pitched 110 2/3 innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers during four seasons in the 1960s, going 6-4 with 2 saves. His main teammates were Willie Davis, Don Drysdale, Ron Fairly, Tom Haller, Sandy Koufax and Maury Wills.

He had been a pitching star in high school, once pitching a one-hitter, and was discovered while in the military. The Dodgers signed him in 1964 and put him with the Salisbury Dodgers, where he pitched a perfect game in the Western Carolinas League. After going 14-3 with Salisbury, he moved to the Spokane Indians of the Pacific Coast League and then up to the majors before the end of that season. In his first start for Los Angeles, he pitched a shutout.

As a major league hitter, he hit .250, not bad for the 1960s.

One source: Salisbury Post article

Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965 (he did not play in the World Series)