Danny McDevitt
A journeyman left-hander who pitched the final game for the Brooklyn Dodgers, a poignant footnote in baseball's most emotional relocation.
1932–2010 (age 78)·American baseball player·Birthday: November 18·The Silent Generation
Biography
Danny McDevitt's Major League career was brief and itinerant, but he holds a unique, melancholic place in baseball lore. A crafty left-hander from North Carolina, he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1957, the club's last season in New York. On September 24, 1957, McDevitt took the mound at Ebbets Field and threw a complete-game, 2–0 shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the final victory ever recorded by the Brooklyn Dodgers. He moved with the team to Los Angeles the following year, but like many players of his era, he bounced between several clubs before his career ended in 1962. McDevitt's story is that of a solid professional whose name is forever linked to the end of an era, the last man to deliver a win for a beloved franchise before it broke a city's heart.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Danny was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Danny Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Danny's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 70
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Died at 78
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Pitched a complete-game shutout in the final victory for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field in September 1957.
- Played for four Major League teams across six seasons from 1957 to 1962.
- Posted a career 3.79 ERA over 117 games, primarily as a starting pitcher.
Did You Know?
He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving during the Korean War before his baseball career.
After baseball, he worked as a scout for the Atlanta Braves.
His final Major League appearance was with the Kansas City Athletics in 1962.
He was listed at 5 feet 10 inches, relatively short for a professional pitcher of his time.
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