Bio

One of the most famous "names" to come out of Orange Coast College, Dan Quisenberry not only left his mark at OCC, he left an unforgettable legacy in the Kansas City area, both on and off the baseball field. Upon looking at his baseball numbers at Coast, they are stats that don't immediately jump off of the page, but upon deeper investigation, they are numbers that showed dominating stuff. His win-loss record was a modest 15-15 during his two seasons, however those 15 wins accounted for nearly half of OCC's win total during those two seasons. (33-31). His 15 career wins are seventh-best all-time in OCC history. "Quiz" also posted a career 1.88 ERA for the Pirates, fourth-best in school history and his 254 2/3 career innings is still the all-time record at Orange Coast. Following Coast, Quisenberry went on to La Verne University and was eventually signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Royals. He made his MLB debut on July 8, 1979, but it was from 1980-1985 where he became one of the most dominant closers in the game. In 1980, "Quiz" helped lead the Royals to the World Series for the first time in team history, posting a 12-7 record with 33 saves and a 3.07 ERA. In 1983, he became the first reliever to reach the 40-save mark, finishing with a team-record 45 and a 1.94 ERA. Dan repeated the feat in 1984 with 44 saves and a 2.64 ERA, finishing runner-up for the American Cy Young Award in each of those seasons. Quisenberry is the only five-time Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the Year award-winner in baseball history. Finally, in 1985, his 37 saves and 2.37 ERA helped lead the Royals back to the World Series, where they topped the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games for the ballclub's only World Series title. He finished his MLB career in 1990 after posting 244 saves and a 2.76 ERA in 1,043 1/3 innings of work. In addition to his saves record, he also holds the Royals' top spot in appearances (84 in 1985), most games finished (77 in 1985) and relief wins (12 in 1989). A three-time All-Star, Quisenberry was inducted into the OCC School Hall of Fame in 1983, the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame, also in 1998. Off the baseball field, Dan devoted countless hours to various charities in the area and helped raise millions of dollars during and after his playing career was over. In December of 1997, Dan was diagnosed with brain cancer and on Sept. 30, 1998, he passed away in Leawood, Kansas at the age of 45.
Gathered by Orange Coast College