Drysdale Pleads No Contest, Must Serve L.A. Youth Program

Hall of Fame pitcher Don Drysdale has pleaded no contest to drunk driving that involved a collision with another car and was sentenced to serve 200 hours in a Central Los Angeles youth sports program, prosecutors said today.

In an apparent effort to avoid the news media, Drysdale appeared Wednesday night--one day earlier than his scheduled sentencing date--before Municipal Court Commissioner Ralph Amado to enter his plea.

Amado also fined Drysdale $2,350, ordered him to attend a 90-day alcohol education program and restricted his driver’s license to use only to and from work and the alcohol program.

Drysdale, 54, was arrested Jan. 21 after tests showed that his blood-alcohol level was 0.19, more than twice California’s legal limit of 0.08, said Mike Qualls, a spokesman for the city attorney’s office.