Dan Quisenberry was one of the greatest relief pitchers of the 1980s, and he helped revolutionize the role of the closer in baseball. Here is a rundown of facts you need to know about the legendary Kansas City Royals reliever.
(Check out our posts about Dan Quisenberry baseball cards.)
Dan Quisenberry was a professional baseball player and one of the great relief pitchers in the Major League history.
Dan Quisenberry was born on February 7, 1953.
Quisenberry was born in Santa Monica, California.
Quisenberry’s full name was Daniel Raymond Quisenberry.
Quisenberry played for the Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco.
Quisenberry was a relief pitcher.
Dan Quisenberry was 6 feet 2 inches tall.
Quisenberry weighed 170 pounds during his playing career.
Quisenberry’s nickname was “Quiz.”
Quisenberry was a right-handed pitcher.
Quisenberry started his professional career in 1975.
Quisenberry played for the Waterloo Royals, among other teams, in the minor leagues.
Quisenberry made his Major League debut on July 8, 1979.
Quisenberry’s career ERA was 2.76.
Quisenberry had 244 saves in his career.
Quisenberry played in three All-Star games.
Quisenberry’s best season was arguably 1983, where he had 45 saves and a 1.94 ERA.
Yes, Quisenberry won the World Series with the Kansas City Royals in 1985.
Yes, Quisenberry won the Rolaids Relief Man Award five times in his career.
Quisenberry’s signature pitch was the sinker, delivered with his submariner motion.
His strikeout to walk ratio was 3.34.
Yes, Quisenberry led the league in saves five times.
Quisenberry played in the Major Leagues for 12 seasons.
Yes, Quisenberry pitched in six postseason series across four years (1980, 1981, 1984, 1985).
Yes, Quisenberry pitched 4.1 innings in the 1985 World Series while allowing a single earned run.
No, Quisenbery never started a game in the majors.
Quinsenberry never completed a game in the majors during his career.
Quisenberry’s win-loss record was 56-46.
Yes, Quisenberry was also known as “Q.”
Quisenberry pitched 1,043.1 innings in his career.
Yes, Quisenberry had a torn rotator cuff in 1990 that limited his effectiveness in his final season.
No, Quisenberry has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Dan Quisenberry retired from baseball in 1990.
Among other things, Quisenberry became a poet and published a book of poetry.
Quisenberry’s poetry book was titled “On Days Like This.”
No. Though Quisenberry was an occasional guest on Royals broadcasts, he was never a broadcaster after retiring from baseball.
Yes, in 1984, Quisenberry and his wife Janie establishe the Quisenberry Relief Fund to benefit the Harvesters Food Bank, a Kansas City organization established in 1979 to combat hunger.
Did Dan Quisenberry have any children?
No, neither of Quisenberry’s children became professional athletes.
Quisenberry attended Orange Coast College and the University of La Verne in California.
No. The Kansas City Royals signed Quisenberry as an amateur free agent in June of 1975.
Quisenberry’s peak salary was $2.515 millionin 1989.
Yes, one of Quisenberry’s famous quotes was “I found a delivery in my flaw.”
No, Quisenberry never pitched in an All-Star game at his home ballpark.
No, Quisenberry was never a player-coach.
Quisenberry became a poet and book author later in life. He also became known as a philanthropist through his Quisenberry Relief Fund.
Yes, Quisenberry wrote a book of poems titled On Days Like This.
Quisenberry passed away from brain cancer on September 30, 1998.
Dan Quisenberry died on September 30, 1998.
Quisenberry was 45 years old when he died in 1998
Dan Quisenberry is remembered as one of the greatest relief pitchers in baseball history, with a unique sidearm (even submarine) delivery and outstanding control of his sinker pitch.
(Statistics referenced from baseball-reference.com; biographical information culled from Wikipedia.)

(The following section contains affiliate links to eBay listings for the cards shown.)
1985 Topps Collectors’ Series All-Time Record Holder Dan Quisenberry Card #28
| $49.66 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Dan Quisenberry Original Acrylic on Canvas 8x10 by Sergio Santos @ElSantosWorld
| $93.75 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Dan Quisenberry Autographed 1983 Topps All-Star Baseball Card #396 KC Royals '85
| $12.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
1987 Fleer - Dan Quisenberry #378
| $1.00 End Date: Friday 01/16/2026 18:58:45 EST Bid now | Add to watch list |
1983 Donruss Baseball Card #70 Dan Quisenberry Kansas City Royals NmMt Free Ship
| $1.69 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
1985 Kansas City Royals Schedule ~ Dan quisenberry- world series chanp year
| $1.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Dan Quisenberry 1981 Fleer #31 Royals MLB READ FREE SHIPPING AutographDen
| $0.39 (2 Bids) End Date: Friday 01/09/2026 21:21:00 EST Bid now | Add to watch list |
DAN QUISENBERRY 1983 KELLOGG'S ROYALS
| $0.99 End Date: Sunday 01/11/2026 00:41:08 EST Bid now | Add to watch list |
Dan Quisenberry 1982 Topps #264 Royals MLB READ FREE SHIPPING AutographDen
| $0.39 (2 Bids) End Date: Friday 01/09/2026 20:56:00 EST Bid now | Add to watch list |
Dan Quisenberry Signed 1975 TCMA RC 2 Waterloo Royals Beckett #17068694
| $149.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Dan Quisenberry 1986 Topps #722 Royals MLB READ FREE SHIPPING AutographDen
| $0.45 (3 Bids) End Date: Friday 01/09/2026 20:46:00 EST Bid now | Add to watch list |
Dan Quisenberry signed autographed autograph Royals 1986 Donruss card BAS slab
| $69.98 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Dan Quisenberry 1983 Topps #396 Royals MLB READ FREE SHIPPING AutographDen
| $0.45 (3 Bids) End Date: Friday 01/09/2026 20:59:00 EST Bid now | Add to watch list |
Dan Quisenberry Autograph On a 1986 Topps Jumbo - Kansas City Royals
| $29.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Dan Quisenberry 1986 Topps #50 Royals MLB READ FREE SHIPPING AutographDen
| $0.34 ( 1 Bid) End Date: Friday 01/09/2026 21:19:00 EST Bid now | Add to watch list |




















Recent Comments