Description
Rawlings model 361B was used by Jerry Dybzinski with the Chicago White Sox during the 1984 season. The bat shows tremendous use with a minor handle crack.
Many ball marks, seam impressions, and ink transfers are visible on the front, right, left, and back barrel surfaces. There is some very slight grain swelling from repeated contact on the left barrel. The handle has a light to moderate coat of pine tar and a very slight h-crack about 5″ up from the knob. The knob is stamped with the model number (361B), batch code (006), and year code (4) for 1984. There are no other markings on the knob or barrel end.
The Indians brought him up to the majors at the start of the 1980 season. He spent the season mostly at shortstop, serving as Tom Veryzer’s backup, but also spent time at second and third base in the 114 games he played during the 1980 Cleveland Indians season. In 1981, Dybzinski played only 48 games for the Indians that season. He played one more season for the Indians, then on April 1, 1983, Dybzinski was traded to the Chicago White Sox for Pat Tabler.
The 1983 Chicago White Sox season wound up being the best season statistically for Dybzinski. He played 127 games as the starting shortstop, stealing 11 bases over the course of the season. He made two critical mistakes that thwarted a potential White Sox scoring rally in the seventh inning of the deciding Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. With the match scoreless and Greg Walker and Vance Law at second and first base respectively after each had singled, Dybzinski’s unsuccessful sacrifice bunt resulted in Baltimore Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey throwing to third to force out Walker. When the next batter Julio Cruz singled, Dybzinski overran second, realized that Law stopped at third because Todd Cruz had cut off Gary Roenicke’s throw from left field and got caught in a rundown. Instead of tagging Dybzinski, second baseman Rich Dauer threw out Law who attempted to score during the rundown. “I felt like a beached whale,” Dybzinski said about his baserunning gaffe.
He served as the backup to Scott Fletcher in 1984, and was released from the Chicago White Sox on April 1, 1985. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 11, and was released at the end of the season. He signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners in January 1986, but was released before the season began, ending his major league career.
