By Paul Lanning

One of the most famous student-athletes to come out of Orange Coast College, Dan Quisenberry not only left his mark on the baseball program at the college, but went on to leave an unforgettable legacy in the Kansas City area, both on and off the ballfield.

Quisenberry, a Santa Monica native, attracted very little interest from pro scouts after high school, and his time at Orange Coast didn't draw much more interest. He had an unremarkable won-loss record (15-15) during his two seasons at the college (1971–73). However, he was a true workhorse, piling up 254 2/3 innings pitched—still a school record—and his 15 wins accounted for nearly half of OCC's win total during that time, as the team went 33-31. Nearly 40 years later, his 15 career wins still rank seventh-best all-time at OCC. He also posted a sparkling 1.88 career earned run average for the Pirates, still fourth-best in school history.

Following OCC, Quisenberry went on to what is now the University of La Verne and was eventually signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Royals. Though he had been a starting pitcher in college, he didn’t have the “stuff” to be a dominant starter in the big leagues. After converting to a sidearm or “submarine” motion in the minors, he quickly rose through the ranks as a baffling reliever who threw a variety of off-speed pitches with pinpoint control and an off-putting motion. He made his major league debut on July 8, 1979, and soon became one of the most dominant closers in the game.

In his first full season in the majors, 1980, "Quiz" helped lead the Royals to the World Series for the first time in team history, posting a 12-7 record with a 3.07 ERA and a league-leading 75 appearances and 33 saves – the first of five times he would be the American League’s pacesetter in saves. In 1983, he became the first reliever in history to reach the 40-save mark, finishing with a team-record 45 saves and a 1.94 ERA. Dan continued his stellar run in 1984 with 44 saves and a 2.64 ERA, finishing as the runner-up for the American League Cy Young Award in each of those seasons. In 1985, his league-leading 84 appearances and 37 saves, combined with a 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.

Quisenberry was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1988 season, marking the end of a dominant career in Kansas City that included the Royals’ only two World Series appearances in team history. After a rocky season he rebounded in 1989 as a quality middle reliever and setup man for the Cardinals, posting a 2.64 ERA in 63 games. Following a brief stint with the San Francisco Giants to open the 1990 season, Quisenberry retired from baseball.

To this day Quisenberry remains the only five-time Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the Year award-winner in baseball history. He finished his Major League Baseball career with 56 wins, 244 saves, and a 2.76 ERA in 674 appearances and 1,043 1/3 innings pitched. In addition to his franchise saves record (tied by Jeff Montgomery in 1993), he also still holds the Royals' team records for appearances (84 in 1985), most games finished (77 in 1985), and relief wins (12 in 1980).

A three-time All-Star, Quisenberry was inducted into the OCC 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, he devoted countless hours to various charities in the Kansas City area and helped raise millions of dollars both during and after his playing career was over. He returned with his family to Kansas City full-time after he retired, focusing on raising his children, writing poetry, and continuing his charity work. Efforts to support a local food bank, raise funds to fight diabetes, and provide care for cerebral palsy patients were among his many commitments. A 16-page poem entitled Down & In was published in 1995.

Sadly, in December of 1997, Quisenberry was diagnosed with brain cancer, and he passed away in Leawood, Kansas, on September 30, 1998. He was just 45 years old, a husband and father of two teenagers. While he was battling the disease, his first full book of poetry, entitled On Days Like This: Poems, was published in April 1998.