View source for Dan Quisenberry

{{short description|American baseball player (1953–1998)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Dan Quisenberry
|image=Dan Quisenberry 1986.jpg
|image_size = 220
|caption=Quisenberry in 1986
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date|1953|2|7}}
|birth_place=[[Santa Monica, California]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1998|9|30|1953|2|7}}
|death_place=[[Leawood, Kansas]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=July 8
|debutyear=1979
|debutteam=Kansas City Royals
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=April 23
|finalyear=1990
|finalteam=San Francisco Giants
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=56–46
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=2.76
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=379
|stat4label=[[Save (baseball)|Saves]]
|stat4value=244
|teams=
* [[Kansas City Royals]] ({{mlby|1979}}–{{mlby|1988}})
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{mlby|1988}}–{{mlby|1989}})
* [[San Francisco Giants]] ({{mlby|1990}})
|highlights=
* 3× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1982 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1982]]–[[1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1984]])
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1985}})
* 5× [[AL Rolaids Relief Man Award]] (1980, 1982–1985)
* 5× [[List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders|AL saves leader]] (1980, 1982–1985)
* [[Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame]]
}}'''Daniel Raymond Quisenberry''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|w|ɪ|z|ən|b|ɛr|i}}; February 7, 1953 – September 30, 1998), nicknamed "'''Quiz'''", was an American right-handed [[relief pitcher]] in [[Major League Baseball]] who played primarily for the [[Kansas City Royals]].<ref name="diesap">{{cite news |last=Tucker |first=Doug |date=September 30, 1998 |title=Pitcher Dan Quisenberry Dies at 45 |url=https://apnews.com/article/8eb03d5228e29a96cbca64c789467988 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606124552/https://apnews.com/article/8eb03d5228e29a96cbca64c789467988 |archive-date=2021-06-06 |work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref name="ehqdoc">{{cite news |date=October 1, 1998 |title=Ex-hurler Quiz dies of cancer |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N-YnAAAAIBAJ&pg=6719%2C123067 |work=Spokesman-Review |location= |page=C6 |via=Google News Archive}}</ref> Notable for his [[Submarine (baseball)|submarine]]-style pitching delivery and his humorous quotes, he led the [[American League]] (AL) in [[save (baseball)|saves]] a record five times (1980, 1982–85). In each season he led the league in saves, Quisenberry finished in the top five of the AL [[Cy Young Award]] voting, including runner-up finishes in 1983 and 1984 to [[LaMarr Hoyt]] and [[Willie Hernández]], respectively. He retired in 1990 with 244 saves, the fifth-highest total in major league history at the time.

In addition to playing for the Royals, Quisenberry spent parts of two seasons with the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] and his final season with the [[San Francisco Giants]].

==Early life==
Quisenberry was born in [[Santa Monica, California]]. His name is the English mutation of the German surname [[Questenberg]], a village in [[Saxony-Anhalt]]. His parents divorced when he was 7 years old, and his mother remarried Art Meola, a [[Rockwell International]] engineer who encouraged him and his older brother to play baseball. Quisenberry played baseball at [[Costa Mesa High School/Middle School]]. In 1973, while attending [[Orange Coast College]], he was named team MVP. He was then recruited by the [[University of La Verne]], a [[Church of the Brethren]] college, where he met his future wife, Janie Howard, while attending a class in [[square dancing]].<ref name=sabr>{{Cite web | url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/dan-quisenberry/ | title=Dan Quisenberry | first=Steve | last=Wulf | publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref>

==Career==

=== Kansas City Royals ===
Quisenberry signed with the Royals as an amateur [[free agent]] in [[1975 in baseball|1975]] for a [[Class A (baseball)|Class A]] team in [[Waterloo, Iowa]], and pitched a [[complete game]] in his first start. At the end of the season, he was promoted to the [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] team in [[Jacksonville, Florida]]. At the time, he worked for a sporting goods store during the day and a mortuary at night.<ref name="sabr" /> In the winter of 1978, he attended [[Fresno Pacific University]], affiliated with the [[Mennonite Brethren Church]], to get a teaching degree in case his baseball career was not successful.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Wulf |first=Steve |date=July 11, 1983 |title=Special delivery from down under |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1983/07/11/special-delivery-from-down-under |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref>

On July 8, [[1979 Kansas City Royals season|1979]], at the age of 26, he made his major league debut with the [[Kansas City Royals]] against the [[1979 Chicago White Sox season|Chicago White Sox]], pitching {{frac|2|2|3}} scoreless innings, and surrendering just two hits and no walks. Quisenberry appeared in 32 games and posted a {{nowrap|3–2}} record with a 3.15 [[earned run average]] and five saves.<ref name=sabr/>

During spring training in [[1980 Kansas City Royals season|1980]], manager [[Jim Frey]] suggested that Quisenberry learn the submarine-style delivery from [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] reliever [[Kent Tekulve]] to confuse hitters, because he could not overpower them with a fastball.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Angell |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Angell |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lPRJrzHvS9MC&q=quisenberry+1980 |title=Season Ticket |date=2013-02-05 |publisher=Open Road Media |isbn=978-1-4532-9783-4 |pages=205 |language=en}}</ref> From [[1980 in baseball|1980]] to [[1985 in baseball|1985]], Quisenberry was the American League's dominant [[closer (baseball)|closer]] leading the American League in saves every season except the [[1981 Major League Baseball strike|strike-shortened]] [[1981 in baseball|1981]] season. During that time, he posted an ERA of 2.45 and won the [[Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award|Rolaids Relief Man Award]] each season. He also finished in the top five in voting for the [[Cy Young Award]] during this span.<ref name=sabr/> He won the [[Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award]] every year from 1982 to 1985.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fireman of the Year Award / Reliever of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_snfi.shtml |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref>

[[File:Dan Quisenberry pitching.jpg|thumb|left|Quisenberry pitching for the Kansas City Royals]]
Unlike many closers, Quisenberry did not possess a hard [[fastball]], and thus had to rely on pinpoint control, guile, and deception, which was augmented by the submarine delivery he first used in 1980. His primary pitch was a [[sinker (baseball)|sinking fastball]], which causes hitters to hit the ball on the ground rather than in the air. He also threw a [[curveball]], a [[changeup]] he developed in [[1984 Kansas City Royals season|1984]], and an occasional knuckleball.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=James |first1=Bill |author-link1=Bill James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7FfRLE6I5EEC&q=quisenberry |title=The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers: An Historical Compendium of Pitching, Pitchers, and Pitches |last2=Neyer |first2=Rob |author-link2=Rob Neyer |date=2008-06-16 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-4391-0377-7 |pages=349 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Posnanski |first=Joe |author-link=Joe Posnanski |date=April 2, 2020 |title=Favorite Players: Dan Quisenberry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1716599/2020/04/02/favorite-players-dan-quisenberry/ |access-date=2025-01-27 |work=[[The Athletic]] |language= |issn=}}</ref> Although Quisenberry was not a strikeout pitcher (averaging only 3.3 strikeouts per nine innings during his career), he offset this deficiency by seldom walking batters or throwing [[wild pitch]]es. His 45 saves in [[1983 Kansas City Royals season|1983]] set a single-season MLB record, later tied in 1984 by [[Bruce Sutter]] and broken in [[1986 in baseball|1986]] by [[Dave Righetti]], and set a team record that was tied in 1993 by [[Jeff Montgomery (baseball)|Jeff Montgomery]] and surpassed in 2013 by [[Greg Holland (baseball)|Greg Holland]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hollagr01.shtml | title=Greg Holland | publisher=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Seib-Schaub |first=Jill |date=2013-09-30 |title=Royals closer sets club single-season saves record |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/royals-closer-sets-club-single-season-saves-record/c-62218464 |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=MLB.com |language=}}</ref> Quisenberry was the first pitcher in major league history to save more than 40 games in a season twice in his career. He won a World Series with the Royals in [[1985 World Series|1985]] and was the winning pitcher of [[1985 World Series#Game 6|Game 6]], notorious for [[Don Denkinger]]'s [[The Call (Kansas City Royals)|blown call at first base]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-12-07 |title=1985- Denkinger World Series - History of Cardinals |url=https://historyofcardinals.com/1985-denkinger-world-series/ |access-date=2024-10-20 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1983, the Royals signed Quisenberry to a lifetime contract, similar to the contract of teammate [[George Brett]]. However, a rocky start in [[1988 Kansas City Royals season|1988]] led to Quisenberry's relegation to middle relief and mop-up duty. Shortly before the [[1988 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star break]], he was released by the Royals.

=== St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants ===
Ten days later, the [[1988 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]], managed by ex-Royals manager [[Whitey Herzog]], signed Quisenberry as a free agent. After pitching for a year and a half in St. Louis, Quisenberry signed to play with the [[San Francisco Giants]] in [[1990 San Francisco Giants season|1990]]. He tore his [[rotator cuff]] just five appearances into the 1990 season; this was the first serious injury of his career.<ref name="sabr" /> Quisenberry retired from baseball in [[1990 in baseball|1990]] with 244 saves, then the fifth-highest total in major league history.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/30/sports/quisenberry-steps-aside.html|title=Quisenberry Steps Aside|work=The New York Times |date=April 30, 1990|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>

=== Career legacy ===
In the [[1996 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting]] by the [[Baseball Writers' Association of America]], Quisenberry received 18 votes, just under the 24 vote (5%) cut-off to remain on the ballot. In the same election, [[Bruce Sutter]], a pitcher with remarkably similar overall statistics,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.notinhalloffame.com/baseball/922-80-dan-quisenberry|title=102. Dan Quisenberry|website=www.notinhalloffame.com}}</ref> received 137 votes; Sutter went on to be elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]] in 2006. In 2013, Quisenberry's Hall of Fame candidacy was given a second look by the [[Expansion Era Committee]], which re-examines the credentials of overlooked players from 1973–present, but he fell short of the 12 votes needed from the 16-member panel.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article333561/Dan-Quisenberry-not-picked-by-Hall-of-Fame-committee.html | title=Dan Quisenberry not picked by Hall of Fame committee | first=Bob | last=Dutton | work=[[The Kansas City Star]] | date=December 9, 2013}}</ref>

Along with Sutter and [[Rich Gossage]], Quisenberry was part of the transition from [[Relief pitcher#Early modern relievers/"firemen"|"fire men"]] to the ninth inning [[closer (baseball)|closer]] popularized by manager [[Tony La Russa]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Neyer |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Neyer |date=February 16, 2001 |title=Neyer: A short history of closers |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/neyerhistory.html |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=ESPN.com}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Quisenberry and his wife lived in Kansas City. They had two children, Alysia and David. The family supported the Harvesters Food Bank.<ref name=lesson>{{Cite news | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/dan-quisenberry-s-poetry-is-a-lesson-for-life | title=Poetry In Submarine Motion | first=Steve | last=Wulf | work=[[MLB.com]] | date=February 28, 2021}}</ref>

Quisenberry was religious.<ref name=lesson/> Originally considered a hothead, Quisenberry credited his wife as well as [[Christianity]] for calming him.<ref name=sabr/>

After his baseball career ended, Quisenberry published book of poetry, ''On Days Like This,'' in 1998.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Quisenberry |first=Dan |url=https://archive.org/details/ondayslikethispo00quis |title=On days like this : poems |date=1998 |publisher=Kansas City, Mo. : Helicon Nine Editions |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-1-884235-24-5}}</ref> He was also one of baseball's most quotable characters, with ''bon mots'' like "I found a delivery in my flaw" and "I've seen the future and it's much like the present, only longer."<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/quoquis.shtml | title=DAN QUISENBERRY QUOTES | publisher=[[Baseball Almanac]]}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The latter quote, however, had been published verbatim nearly two decades prior.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://rsidd.online.fr/profit/profit.html#Future%20poem%20The%20Profit | title=The Profit | first=Kehlog | last=Albran}}</ref>

===Death===
In January 1998, Quisenberry cut short a snowboarding vacation in Colorado because of headaches, dizzy spells, and blurred vision.<ref>{{cite news |last=Weyler |first=John |date=April 29, 1998 |title=Friends, Family Are Ready to Salute Dan Quisenberry as He Battles Brain Cancer |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-apr-29-sp-44298-story.html |url-access= |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> Quisenberry was diagnosed with grade IV [[astrocytoma]], a highly malignant form of [[brain cancer]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://apnews.com/article/dfa7af6e59ec2d12654bee2625e2fa52 | title=Quisenberry's Tumor Malignant | work=[[Associated Press]] | date=January 12, 1998}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Posnanski |first=Joe |author-link=Joe Posnanski |date=2017-06-27 |title=Hand in hand |url=https://medium.com/joeblogs/hand-in-hand-d90a689701de |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=Joe Blogs |language=en}}</ref> He died at age 45 on September 30, 1998, in [[Leawood, Kansas]].<ref name=diesap/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dan Quisenberry Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/q/quiseda01.shtml |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders]]
*[[List of notable brain tumor patients]]
*[[Major League Baseball titles leaders]]

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Angell |first=Roger |year=1988 |title=[[Season Ticket: A Baseball Companion]] |location=[[Boston]] |publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]] |isbn=0-395-38165-7 | chapter=9}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{baseballstats|mlb=120858|espn=|br=q/quiseda01|fangraphs=1010622|brm=quisen001dan|retro=Q/Pquisd001}}
* {{SABR Baseball Biography Project|dan-quisenberry}}
* [https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/07/making-penpals-of-baseballs-forgotten-players/375250/ The Atlantic: "How Athletes Ensure Immortality"]
* {{findagrave|6826697}}

{{Kansas City Royals}}
{{1985 Kansas City Royals}}
{{AL Relief Man Award Winners}}
{{AL saves champions}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quisenberry, Dan}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Kansas City Royals players]]
[[Category:San Francisco Giants players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals players]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:American League saves champions]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Santa Monica, California]]
[[Category:Deaths from brain cancer in the United States]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Kansas]]
[[Category:Waterloo Royals players]]
[[Category:Jacksonville Suns players]]
[[Category:Omaha Royals players]]
[[Category:La Verne Leopards baseball players]]
[[Category:University of La Verne alumni]]