Nicknamed the "Bulldog" by Tommy Lasorda, his long-time manager with the NL's Los Angeles Dodgers, Hershiser demonstrated toughness throughout his career, as the nickname suggests.

He won the league's Cy Young Award and was named male athlete of the year by the Associated Press in 1988, when he led the NL in victories with a 23-8 record, in complete games with 15, in shutouts with 8, and in innings pitched with 267.

Hershiser joined the Dodgers for 8 appearances at the end of the 1983 season and became a regular starter in 1984. He led the league in winning percentage in 1985, at .884, going 19-3. For the next two years, he pitched at exactly .500, at 14-14 and 16-16, and then had his Cy Young Award season.

In 1995, Hershiser joined the Cleveland Indians as a free agent. He had a fine 16-6 record to help the Indians get into the playoffs, and he was named MVP of the American League Championship Series, in which he had two victories and an ERA of 1.29.

After winning a total of 29 games over the next two seasons with the Indians, he was 11-10 with the San Francisco Giants in 1998 and 13-12 with the New York Mets in 1999. Hershiser then rejoined the Dodgers for a brief stint in 2000, but he retired before the season ended. After his playing career, he has spent much of the time as a basbeall analyst on radio and television.